De Lima to seek SC help vs Duterte’s ‘veiled’ threats

Senator Leila de Lima is planning to seek protection from the Supreme Court next week amid what she described as “veiled” threats from President Rodrigo Duterte himself.

The latest “veiled” threat from the President, she said, was his statement that there was no order to kill her.

“That’s disturbing to me. Lahat naman ng nagiging statements nya tungkol sa patayan is already disturbing but to me, this is doubly disturbing to me personally. I take it as a veiled threat,” De Lima said in an interview in her office on Tuesday.

“Is that a subconscious slip, sort of a Freudian slip? Alam ko naman yan I’m always on top of his mind, kapag sinabi na nya ang tungkol sa droga, you can be sure na ako ang isusunod nya. But this is the first time na nagbabanggit sya about patay, right? So what’s that? So I’m taking this seriously. This is a veiled threat,” she said.

De Lima said not only the President but even Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and Solicitor General Jose Calida had depicted her as a “leading narcopolitician” and public enemy number one in the country.

Such statements, she said, made her a target by fanatics, vigilantes and other groups, who may want to destabilize the government and later put the blame on the President.

“I’m making him (Duterte) responsible, if something happens to me, take my word or note my word. If something happens to me, he’s the one responsible, directly or indirectly dahil paulit-ulit nila akong dene-demonize,” the senator said.

Because of these threats, she said, she would file a writ of amparo and seek protection from the high tribunal. She said she would make Duterte, Aguirre and Calida respondents in her petition.

De Lima, who was Justice Secretary, explained that the writ of amparo is an “extra ordinary” legal remedy available to victims of extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances.

In her case, she said, she would seek protection of her right to life and security.

“The respondents will be asked to respond, to comment, and to deny if they want to na there is such a threat sa akin because of their various statements…” she said.

Aside from seeking protection from the court, De Lima said she might also consider Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III’s “standing offer” to augment her security.

She said the offer was relayed to her when her phone number was first exposed in the House of Representatives’ investigation on her alleged involvement in illegal drugs. RAM