Asia

Philippine senator asks court to stop Duterte attacks

Associated Press
Published | Updated

Opposition Senator Leila De Lima holds documents as she files a petition in the Philippine Supreme Court seeking to stop President Rodrigo Duterte from securing private details about her personal life and using them allegedly to degrade her dignity as a human being, a woman and a senator" Monday, Nov. 7, 2016 in Manila, Philippines. Senator De Lima claimed that the verbal attacks and threats leveled against her by the President are not covered by presidential immunity from suit because they are not the official acts of a President.(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) (The Associated Press)

Opposition Senator Leila De Lima gestures during a news conference following her filing a petition to stop President Rodrigo Duterte "from securing private details about her personal life and using them to degrade her dignity as a human being, a woman and a senator" Monday, Nov. 7, 2016 in Manila, Philippines. Senator De Lima claimed that the verbal attacks and threats leveled against her are not covered by presidential immunity from suit because "they are not the official acts of a President." (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) (The Associated Press)

Opposition Senator Leila De Lima submits documents as she files a petition in the Philippine Supreme Court seeking to stop President Rodrigo Duterte "from securing private details about her personal life and using them to degrade her dignity as a human being, a woman and a senator" Monday, Nov. 7, 2016 in Manila, Philippines. Senator De Lima claimed that the verbal attacks and threats leveled against her are not covered by presidential immunity from suit because "they are not the official acts of a President." (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) (The Associated Press)

A Philippine senator who President Rodrigo Duterte has linked to the illegal drug trade and described as a "dirty woman" for her alleged affair with her driver has asked the Supreme Court to stop the attacks.

Sen. Leila de Lima says the petition she filed Monday seeks to stop Duterte and his men from gathering information about her private life and disclosing it publicly, adding that the allegedly illegally obtained information should be destroyed. The petition is a test case because it challenges Duterte's immunity from lawsuits.

De Lima says she also asked that Duterte be compelled to identify the "foreign country" he said helped him to "listen" to de Lima's communications.

De Lima has long raised alarm over Duterte's brutal crackdown against drugs, earning Duterte's wrath.