Geneva, Switzerland — The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) urges the Philippine government to adopt and fulfill its obligations under the newly adopted Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer, the first legally binding international instrument that places the protection of lawyers at the heart of the rule of law and access to justice.
During a side event at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on June 27 organized by the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI), the Council of Europe, the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE), NUPL Secretary General Atty. Josalee Deinla expressed strong support for the Convention and urged the Philippine government to take meaningful steps toward its implementation. “The Convention recognizes what many of us, lawyers, experience daily: that defending the rule of law requires defending those who practice it,” Deinla said.
The Convention obliges States to take concrete measures to protect lawyers from threats, harassment, and arbitrary detention. It affirms essential professional rights—including the right to communicate with clients confidentially, to participate in public discourse, and to carry out legal work free from intimidation or violence. A monitoring mechanism has also been established to review States’ compliance.
“In the Philippines, lawyers are being attacked simply for doing their jobs,” Deinla said. “Since 2022, we have documented at least six killings of lawyers under the current administration. Many of those targeted are human rights defenders, counsel for political prisoners, and advocates for the poor and marginalized.”
Among those targeted is Atty. Kristina Conti, secretary general of NUPL-NCR and counsel to victims of the Duterte administration’s “war on drugs.” Since the issuance of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against former President Rodrigo Duterte, Conti has faced online threats and gendered disinformation campaigns designed to intimidate her and obstruct her work.
“These attacks are not isolated. Lawyers are being surveilled inside courtrooms, red-tagged by state agents, and even prosecuted under anti-terror laws. These are attacks strike not only the individual but also their clients’ rights and the integrity of the legal system.”
On June 26, Atty. Deinla met with UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of judges and lawyers Margaret Satterthwaite to raise the continuing attacks against Filipino lawyers. NUPL has documented six killings under President Marcos Jr.’s administration, as well as numerous instances of harassment, surveillance, and vilification.
These concerns were echoed in the findings of the Caravana, a fact-finding mission composed of ten international lawyers’ organizations, which documented widespread attacks on the legal profession in the Philippines.
The Philippines is among the 16 states that co-sponsored the side event. “We take the Philippine government’s co-sponsorship as an indication of openness to the Convention’s international legal standards,” Deinla noted. “But such gestures must be matched by action. It must take the next step: to adopt this Convention and commit to its obligations to prevent attacks against lawyers, investigate violations, and uphold the independence of the legal profession.”
“Let this Convention not only protect those within Europe, but set a global standard that reaches lawyers in every corner of the world, including ours. We call on the international legal community to remain steadfast in standing with lawyers at risk.” ###
Reference:
Atty. Josalee Deinla
NUPL. Secretary General
+639174316396
