NUPL condemns attempted killing of UPLM paralegal Warren Cahayag
We call for a thorough, impartial, and credible inquiry into the attack on Cahayag. This must go beyond identifying the direct perpetrators and must examine the broader political architecture, including the chain of command and potential involvement of the state. Anything less would not only fall short of justice but would further legitimize the machinery of impunity.
August 1, 2025
NUPL
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers is a nationwide voluntary association of human rights lawyers in the Philippines, committed to the defense, protection, and promotion of human rights, especially of the poor and the oppressed.

July 30, 2025

The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) expresses grave concern over the attempted killing of Warren Cahayag, a long-time human rights advocate and former paralegal of the Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM). Cahayag was shot multiple times by unidentified assailants on a motorcycle in General Santos City on July 29, 2025. He remains in critical condition.

This latest act of violence follows the recent killing of another former UPLM paralegal, Ali Macalintal, and the still unresolved assassination of Atty. Juan Macababbad in 2021. Human rights workers in Mindanao are being systematically targeted, while state responses have been either perfunctory or nonexistent. The continued failure to ensure protection or to conduct meaningful inquiries into these incidents has entrenched a climate of impunity that spans successive administrations.

The persistence of these assaults, particularly in marginalized communities, dangerously normalizes repression through extrajudicial means. Such violence often takes place away from public scrutiny and with little fear of consequence. In this context, official pronouncements about upholding the rule of law ring increasingly hollow.

We call for a thorough, impartial, and credible inquiry into the attack on Cahayag. This must go beyond identifying the direct perpetrators and must examine the broader political architecture, including the chain of command and potential involvement of the state. Anything less would not only fall short of justice but would further legitimize the machinery of impunity. ###

#StopTheAttacks
#DefendTheDefenders

Read more

DEFEND WOMEN’S DIGNITY, FIGHT MISOGYNY, AND RESIST ALL FORMS OF ABUSE AND OPPRESSION

DEFEND WOMEN’S DIGNITY, FIGHT MISOGYNY, AND RESIST ALL FORMS OF ABUSE AND OPPRESSION

There can be no genuine equality while women remain targets of abuse, exploitation, and contempt, and while poor and working women continue to suffer the combined violence of patriarchy and economic oppression. To defend women’s rights is to fight misogyny in all its forms, demand accountability from those who perpetuate it, and challenge the social order that keeps women vulnerable, silenced, and exploited.

NUPL seeks amparo and habeas data protection for Negros people’s lawyer and PDG members; flags continuing threats vs. Isabela people’s lawyer despite existing protective writs

NUPL seeks amparo and habeas data protection for Negros people’s lawyer and PDG members; flags continuing threats vs. Isabela people’s lawyer despite existing protective writs

NUPL urged the Supreme Court to consider safeguards that protect lawyers and litigants and keep court processes safe, including convening a dialogue on effective protective mechanisms, issuing guidance when red-tagging and guilt-by-association narratives surface in court proceedings, and adopting clear protocols for responding to credible threats against counsel.

DEFEND WOMEN’S DIGNITY, FIGHT MISOGYNY, AND RESIST ALL FORMS OF ABUSE AND OPPRESSION

EDSA at 40: The People’s Forum

The enduring significance of EDSA rests on a simple truth: public spaces belong to the people. They must remain open as platforms for public discourse—robust, uninhibited, and free from the chilling effect of threats of dispersal or prosecution under a statute born of martial rule. EDSA stands as the people’s forum when they demand accountability and seek the fulfillment of the promise of People Power.

PROSECUTION IS TRIAL-READY, ICC SHOULD CONFIRM CHARGES AGAINST DUTERTE

PROSECUTION IS TRIAL-READY, ICC SHOULD CONFIRM CHARGES AGAINST DUTERTE

The hearings this week and the eventual trial are important for all Filipinos, as a way of composing a true and correct collective memory, and preserving a historical record of what should not be repeated again. The confirmation hearing is so important that victims and their lawyers, supporters, and advocates have travelled all the way to The Hague to be present during the hearings. We remain committed to seeking truth and justice for victims and for all people.

Share This