Rights lawyer Romeo Capulong dies; 77

MANILA, Philippines—Filipino human rights lawyer Romeo Capulong, a former member of the United Nations’ International Criminal Court, died Sunday afternoon due to a lingering illness.

He was 77.

Capulong died past 5 p.m.  at the Manila Medical Doctors Hospital after weeks of confinement.

Capulong served as counsel for the 10, 000 victims of human rights abuses during martial law. He was a judge for UN’s  international criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. He served as president of the Public Interest Law Center, a law firm that provides legal services to the marginalized sector in the country.

Capulong was known as the lawyer who tried to appeal for the life of the executed overseas Filipino worker Flor Contemplacion in a Singapore court in 1995.

He also served as lawyer for the farmers of Hacienda Luisita and such political personalities as Jose Maria Sison and Luis Jalandoni.

He was the chief legal counsel of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) negotiating panel on the peace talks between the Philippine government and the NDFP when the peace process began during the term of President Cory Aquino. He was also the chairman of the National Union of People’s Lawyers.

He was the lawyer of 10, 000 human rights victims during martial law and a member of the United Nations International Criminal Court.

Capulong is survived by his three children—Alex, lawyer Eduardo and Roma Pia—his ex-wife Asuncion Cajucom, and his life partner Pia Culanay.