IBP honors 3 human rights lawyers: ‘An endangered breed’

TAKING THE UNBEATEN PATH From left: Retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio; IBP Human Rights Award recipients Edre Olalia, Kristian Jacob Lora and Antonio Azarcon; and fellow human rights lawyer Evalyn Ursua. Carpio and Ursua were on the panel of judges for the award. —Jane Bautista

MANILA, Philippines — Brave clients, according to the late “people’s lawyer” Romeo Capulong who dedicated his life to defending human rights victims, deserve brave lawyers.

And for the first time since its formation 51 years ago, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) has cited three members of these “endangered breed” for their “exceptional contributions in the protection and advancement of human rights through the practice of law.”

Named as recipients of the inaugural IBP Human Rights Awards were Edre Olalia for Luzon, Kristian Jacob Lora for the Visayas, and Antonio Azarcon for Mindanao, all members of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL).

READ: NUPL: IBP award affirms human rights lawyering, shields vs red-tagging

“It is now the 51st year of the existence of IBP and it is only now that the IBP has engaged in this kind of activity to honor an endangered breed of lawyers who risk their lives and their limbs to defend human rights,” IBP president Antonio Pido said at the awarding ceremony held on Dec. 5 in Mandaluyong City.

Olalia, the incumbent NUPL chair who has been advocating for over three decades for human rights, was the legal counsel of Flor Contemplacion, an experience he described as his “baptism of fire.”

The Filipino domestic worker was executed in Singapore in 1995 after she was convicted in court for killing a fellow Filipino helper and a boy in her care four years earlier.

While Contemplacion’s case ended in tragedy, it led Olalia into a career that has left an “indelible mark” on the human rights landscape in the country—from saving another overseas Filipino worker, Mary Jane Veloso, from being executed by the Indonesian government on drug charges, to securing the conviction of Army Gen. Jovito Palparan for the disappearance of University of the Philippines students and activists Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeno.

Red-tagging shield

For Olalia, the IBP award was both a “vindication” and a “shield against the vicious Red-tagging” of his comrades-in-law.

“This recognition is a sort of vindication against struggles with our families, colleagues, friends and classmates who cannot, do not and will not understand fully why we took this option,” he said in his acceptance speech.

“In a nation where lawyers abound and battalions are added every single year, justice is inaccessible to many. We at NUPL took the unbeaten path, taking on causes and clients that many of our fellow lawyers do not, cannot or will not handle,” Olalia added.

New generation

Lora, who has been practicing for just six years, is the youngest among the three awardees and represents the “new generation of people’s lawyers.” He is a member of NUPL-Cebu and a litigator of the Visayas Community Law Center, a law office that provides pro bono services to marginalized communities in the region in human rights and public interest litigation.

His legal victories include securing the release of political prisoners like Liezyl Anne Gomez and defending those wrongfully accused under the Anti-Terrorism Act. He also worked for the acquittal of wrongfully accused individuals in the “Escalante 6”  and “Himamaylan 3” cases.

Lora said in his acceptance speech that he was still a law student when a group of protesting Kidapawan farmers was brutally dispersed by the police under the Aquino administration in 2016, and when thousands of drug suspects were killed under the Duterte administration.

“The Duterte administration has diminished the value of human rights and embedded into the minds of our people that human rights are diametrically opposed to human lives. Evidently, we have a lot of work to do and, tonight, we begin,” Lora added.

Azarcon, a seasoned lawyer who stood his ground during martial law, was later arrested in 1983 for his role in the Coalition of Organizations for the Restoration of Democracy (CORD), an alliance of groups opposed to the Marcos dictatorship.

He was just 26 years old when he joined the Free Legal Assistance Group, offering pro bono legal assistance to victims of political persecution, extrajudicial killings and torture.

“As a member of the Parliament of the Streets, I took on cases defending political prisoners and those subjected to arbitrary detention. My active role in Democracy CORD Mindanao led to my detention in 1983, but even then, I continued to advocate for justice through writing and other means,” Azarcon said.

Life-changing experiences

“These experiences only deepened my resolve and love for our country, driving me to fight for a future where every Filipino’s rights are respected and upheld,” he added.

As NUPL assistant vice president for Mindanao, Azarcon vowed to remain committed to defending the rights of people in his region, especially against the threats of Red-tagging and extrajudicial killings.

“While receiving this award is a moment of celebration, it is also a poignant reminder of the work that still lies ahead. The fight for human rights is ongoing, and we must remain vigilant and committed to addressing the challenges that persist,” he said.

This year’s IBP human rights awardees were chosen by a panel of judges composed of retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, retired Court of Appeals Associate Justice Alfredo Ampuan, former University of the Philippines College of Law dean Pacifico Agabin, Adamson University College of Law dean Maria Anna Abad and human rights lawyer Evalyn Ursua.