MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines was chosen by the International Fair Trial Day (IFTD) Steering Group as the focal country for IFTD 2024 for various problems the nation faces.
According to the group, this was due to alleged problems in judiciary independence, human rights violations, and challenges in fair trials.
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National Union of Peoples Lawyers (NUPL) Secretary-General Lawyer Edre Olalia lamented on Friday the situation in the country as observed by the IFTD.
“For the International Fair Trial Day Steering Group has unfortunately chosen us as the focal country this year “due to systemic problems with the independence of the judiciary, serious human rights violations against lawyers and human rights defenders, a culture of impunity, and a failure to respect procedural rights for a fair trial.” It is not a cause for celebration nor pride,” Olalia said in his opening remarks for International Fair Trial Day.
Olalia likewise expressed hope that the commemoration of IFTD in the country will raise awareness on the importance of fair trials.
“With your visit and presence, this after all is not really a sad day but a cause for challenge and hope as you aim “to raise awareness about the importance of respect for fair trial rights,” he said.
“Today’s event is another welcome initiative to draw attention to the situation in the country as we wrap our heads around concrete recommendations for reform,” he added.
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On the same day, the NUPL received the Ebru Timrik award which is awarded to individuals or civil service organizations who have made significant efforts in pushing for fair trials.
The IFTD, which started in 2021, is commemorated by lawyers’ groups nationwide to stress the importance of fair trials.