Attacks vs lawyers due to misconceptions about their role in society — int’l group

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte’s misconceptions about the role of lawyers “largely contributed” to the attacks against members of the legal profession in the Philippines.

This was discussed during the Colloquium on the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers: Focus on the Philippines held on Thursday at the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).

IBP National President Abdiel Dan Elijah Fajardo called on the government to educate Filipinos about the role of lawyers in society.

“I hope that we can educate the population on the indispensable role of lawyers in society,” Fajardo said, adding that lawyers should not be harmed on the basis of the cases they handle.

Hans Gaasbeek, Director of the Netherlands-based Day of the Endangered Lawyer Foundation, echoed Fajardo’s statement, noting the importance of the government’s role in educating not only the people but also the police on the role of lawyers.

Meanwhile, Philippine Judges Association president Judge Felix Reyes Jr. said the Philippine government is “doing its best” to address the murder of lawyers.

Reyes explained how the Supreme Court (SC) deals with the attacks against members of the judiciary.

Under the Duterte administration, 38 members of the legal profession in the Philippines had been attacked.

International lawyers organizations gathered at the conference to determine the causes of attacks against Filipino members of the legal profession.

The international delegation will be holding a series of meetings in Metro Manila and Iloilo and will publicly share their initial insights and views on Monday, March 18. /ee

READ: Foreign lawyers to probe attacks on Filipino counterparts