Philippines Supreme Court condemns rise of violence against of lawyers

By Reuters
March 23, 20218:01 PM GMT+8Updated 3 years ago

MANILA, March 23 (Reuters) - The Philippine Supreme Court demanded on

Tuesday an end to the killings of lawyers and judges or threats of harm against
them in the country after data showed the last five years was the deadliest period
ever for the legal profession in the country.

In rare public comments outside legal rulings, the Supreme Court said in a
statement threats to lawyers had "very serious repercussions" on the rule of law
and pledged to do more to protect members of the judiciary.

"The Court condemns in the strongest sense every instance where a lawyer is
threatened or killed and when a judge is threatened and unfairly labeled," it said in
a statement read by spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka.

It ordered lower courts and the public to share details of threats and killings of
lawyers in the past 10 years so it could plan its next course of action, adding it will
provide security to those threatened.

The court also said it will set rules requiring law enforcers to wear body cameras
when conducting searches and serving warrants to prevent abuses and cover-ups.

In the last five years under President Rodrigo Duterte, 61 lawyers and judges were
murdered, the most under any government administration, data from the National
Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL) and the Free Legal Assistance Group showed.
Many of the lawyers killed were representing left-wing activists, victims of the
government's deadly anti-narcotics campaign or victims of human rights violations,
the group said.

Edre Olalia, president of the NUPL, said in a statement "we fervently welcome
these bold and unequivocal declarations, initial steps and further plans from our
very own refuge."

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque did not immediately respond to requests for
comment. In his war on drugs, Duterte has been accused of allowing a culture of
impunity to flourish.
Police data shows more than 6,000 drug suspects were killed since Duterte came to
power in 2016, though officers reject activists' allegations they are executing drug
suspects, insisting those who died were violently resisting arrest.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/philippines-supreme-court-condemns-
rise-violence-against-lawyers-2021-03-23/