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“The threats against Gorgonio and PDG workers are not isolated incidents but part of a systematic campaign of intimidation and red-tagging against political dissenters, human rights lawyers and development workers."
“Marcos should show that this is part of an effort against impunity. So, it’s important for him to file cases, not just against Duterte, but also against others. It’s important to reverse the legacy of impunity that Duterte laid down. This way, people can say, 'It’s not just politics.' This is really about addressing the problem of impunity."
“NTF-ELCAC’s reason for being has always been to target open, legal organizations it accuses of being ‘communist fronts.’”
The Office of the Prosecutor of Manila dismissed the illegal assembly charges against the 10 senatorial candidates of the Makabayan bloc, and other progressive leaders.
“Notably, none of the elements of the alleged importation of drugs into Indonesia took place in the Philippines. In fact, the Philippines as the sending country is where Veloso was illegally recruited in order to be trafficked or exploited in two other receiving states. Veloso is, thus, a victim, not a criminal who must be punished."
The NUPL has recorded a total of 262 work-related attacks in the past 15 years, including that of 86 lawyers, judges and prosecutors. Five of whom were members of the NUPL.
The NUPL said that while the petition is pending, their members continue to face threats to life, liberty and security committed by the respondents, state agents, their proxies, enablers and supporters in different forms and platforms.
“In short, we are attacked because we take on cases, clients and issues which many others cannot or will not take on.”
“It is a resounding and indubitable proof that extrajudicial killings had been committed by state security forces, in this instance by members of the military. The government cannot, with any credibility say that there are no extrajudicial killings much less its security forces are not engaging in such atrocious acts and more than that, that it is an orchestrated and premeditated policy and practice.”
Juan Macababbad handled several cases, particularly in defense of indigenous peoples and protection of the environment.
Harry Roque is a “political partisan who has actively demonstrated contempt for the rule of law and, with specific relevance to the Commission, has undermined the supremacy of human rights and international law.”
“During our meetings, he told us of his experience in Carbon during his younger years as an activist. He would sleep at Carbon,” a vendor said in Cebuano. “His enthusiasm in helping us was clear to us because he was always early and the first to arrive during our meetings.”
Rex JMA Fernandez is the 57th in the list of lawyers and judges killed under the Duterte administration.
Ironically, cases against red-tagged individuals are being dismissed by government courts for lack of probable cause or because of insufficient evidence. Motions to quash search warrants were also granted by the courts, declaring whatever so-called evidence the police have acquired during the search as inadmissible.
“An urgent and decisive action from the Supreme Court is a matter of life and death for activists and human rights defenders especially now when we are being increasingly targeted in the government’s counterinsurgency and counterterror campaign for our work and causes."
“While a law penalizing red-tagging is welcome, the draconian Anti-Terrorism Act violates our basic human rights, including the right to a free press.”
“At this crucial juncture when the other institutions have defaulted on us, we fervently welcome these bold and unequivocal declarations, initial steps and further plans from our very own refuge.”
“The multiple deaths resulting from the execution of search warrants, the claims that the police planted evidence in the course of the search, and the perceived misuse of court processes to attack activists and dissenters all demand comprehensive reforms in the issuance of search warrants and their implementation."
"This is not enforcement of the law anymore, this is wild, wild west where they just kill without distinction."
IADL President Jeanne Mirer said the attacks on Filipino lawyers are in violation of international law including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, the Convention against Torture and even of the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, among others.
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