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deadly danger”
The Philippine government must urgently put an end to the surge in often-deadly
threats against judges and lawyers, Amnesty International said today, echoing the
concerns of the country’s own Supreme Court and Senate this week.
“When the country’s own Supreme Court and Senate are seized of the death toll
facing the legal profession, it should be clear to everyone that the situation is
disastrous,” said Emerlynne Gil, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional
Director.
“President Duterte continues to incite killings and the climate of impunity across
the Philippines is catastrophic, with lawyers and judges increasingly the targets.
A recent investigative report which included data from the Supreme Court, stated
that at least 61 lawyers, judges and prosecutors have been killed under the Duterte
administration since 2016. From 2004 to 2021, according to the report, only seven
cases have resulted in charges filed in court.
The Supreme Court also pledged to take action, including issuing a call to lower
courts and law enforcement officials for information on incidents of threats and
killings over the past 10 years. On 24 March, the Senate adopted a resolution also
condemning the brazen attacks against judges and lawyers.
Legal organizations inside the country, including the Integrated Bar of the
Philippines (IBP) and the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL), are
increasingly sounding the alarm at the attacks and killings of their colleagues.
“Authorities are letting the chilling effect of ‘red-tagging’ fester across the legal
profession. Instead, they must ensure the security of lawyers and the independence
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of the judiciary. Reports of threats and attacks on lawyers and judges should be
promptly investigated with suspected perpetrators brought to justice,” said
Emerlynne Gil.
“Respect for human rights and the rule of law requires a strong judiciary and an
empowered legal profession able to discharge their functions with independence
and impartiality, and free from fear of reprisals of any kind.”
Most recently, the photo of a judge was hung on a tarpaulin sign along a major
road in Mandaluyong City on 16 March, along with a message linking her to
communist groups. This followed her ruling that journalist Lady Ann Salem and a
trade unionist should be released after their arrest on trumped up charges. The
journalist and unionist belonged to organizations that were previously ’red-
tagged’.
In the absence of domestic accountability for the threats, harassment and killings
perpetrated against lawyers, and human rights defenders and activists in general,
the international community – through the UN Human Rights Council – has the
responsibility to hold the Philippine government to account for the violations, at
least some of which amount to crimes against humanity, that continue to persist
with blatant impunity and amidst empty assurances by Philippine officials of the
government’s commitment to human rights.
“Despite assurances from the government that the justice system in the Philippines
is working, it’s clear that its very foundations are in peril. It is imperative that the
international community take stronger action – measures to date are clearly not
working. Otherwise the government’s deadly wave of killings and incitement of
violence will only continue,” said Emerlynne Gil.
Background
On 3 March, lawyer Angelo Karlo Guillen was seriously injured when he was
violently attacked in Iloilo City. Cases that Guillen handles included those against
activists arrested during police raids in Bacolod City in 2019, as well as the
Tumandok community members arrested in Panay in December 2020 during a
raid that killed nine people. He is also a counsel of one the groups petitioning the
Supreme Court to nullify the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2021/03/philippines-surge-
killings-lawyers/
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