Senator Leila M. de Lima on Monday asked the Supreme Court for the writ of habeas data to stop President Duterte from collecting and disclosing information about her private life that tend to “malign her and degrade her dignity as a human being.”
In a 22-page petition, de Lima, through her lawyer Jose Manuel Diokno, also asked the Court to compel Duterte to disclose the sources of his information about her private affairs, as well as the destruction of such data.
The petitioner also asked the Court to order Duterte to disclose to her the name of the foreign country, who, according to the latter, “helped him” listen in on her.
Diokno said Duterte’s personal attacks on de Lima, which involve the collection and publication of her alleged private affairs and activities, is tantamount to gender discrimination and constitute psychological violence, which is prohibited by Republic Act 9170, otherwise known as the Magna Carta of Women.
Duterte had previously accused de Lima of having a relationship with her driver, who he also linked to the big time illegal-drugs trade at the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa.
Diokno said Duterte cannot invoke presidential immunity from suit considering that his verbal attacks on de Lima are not considered official acts of a president.
“The crude remarks, slut-shaming and threats that President Duterte has made about petitioner, and his prying into her private life and alleged private affairs have endangered her life, liberty and security,” the petition read.
“They constitute unlawful, unofficial conduct that have nothing to do with the President’s duties and responsibilities,” the petition added.
Duterte had publicly accused de Lima of “screwing her driver,” and that she has a “propensity for sex.”
He has likened the former justice secretary also to an “x-rated artist” and threathened that he “will destroy her in public,” and that she “will rot in jail.”
De Lima, however, repeatedly denied these allegations, saying the President was out to destroy her because of her insistence to to investigate his alleged involvement in the so-called Davao Death Squad and the series of extrajudicial killings in the country following an intensified anti-illegal-drugs campaign of the administration.
“Since the respondent has been gathering private and personal information about petitioner, intruding into her private life, and publicizing her alleged private affairs outside the realm of legitimate public concern, in violation of her right to privacy in life, liberty and security; and continues to threaten to do so, a writ of habeas data should be issued to protect her,” the petition pointed out.