Atty. Edre U. Olalia, 
NUPL Chairperson 
IADL President

Warm greetings, comrades and colleagues—lawyers, advocates, partners, and friends in the struggle for human rights and justice.

On behalf of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao on your 20th founding anniversary and 9th Congress.

Twenty years: two decades of courage, commitment, and conviction. 

Twenty years of standing firm beside the poor, the marginalized, the oppressed, and the persecuted.

Twenty years of proving that lawyering can be more than a profession—it can be an act of service, of defiance, and of hope.

Today we celebrate your journey as one of the brightest beacons of people’s lawyering in the country, shining amidst the storm ( or earthquake) of repression and impunity.

Honoring our Fallen Colleague: Atty. Juan Macababbad

No celebration is complete without remembrance.

We remember with grief, but also with pride, our dear colleague Atty. Juan Macababbad, Vice Chair of UPLM, who was brutally gunned down outside his home in Surallah, South Cotabato, in September 2021.

Atty. Macababbad received threats for defending indigenous peoples, farmers, and poor communities. 

As his murder remains unresolved, we are painfully reminded of the impunity that continues to thrive in our country.

His death was not only a loss to his family and colleagues. 

It was an attack on the very ideals he lived for: that justice must serve the people, and that the law must protect those who have the least in life.

But Atty. Macababbad’s courage did not die with him. 

It continues to live in each of you who walk into courtrooms, detention centers, and far-flung communities armed with nothing but principle and compassion. 

Standing with Atty. Czarina “Dingkay” Musni

We also extend our steadfast solidarity to Atty. Czarina “Dingkay” Musni, former Secretary General of UPLM, who continues to face the baseless and politically motivated charges of financing terrorism.

The case against Dingkay, rooted in unsubstantiated and malicious allegations from fake and planted witnesses is an insult not only to her integrity but to the ranks of development workers, human rights defenders, and even the legal profession.

We all know that this case is not prosecution but plain and simple persecution. 

And what they seek to do to Dingkay is to send a message: that lawyers who defend the poor will be punished, that to serve the people is to be branded a criminal.

But we, the people’s lawyers, will never accept that message.

Because when they criminalize compassion, when they twist the law into a weapon, our duty becomes even clearer: to resist, to expose, and to fight back with the truth.

The Reality We Face 

The repression you experience in Mindanao is not isolated. 

It is part of a widespread pattern of silencing dissent, red-tagging activists, and attacking lawyers who stand for human rights.

Under the current administration, the machinery of repression built under Duterte remains intact—well-oiled, well-funded, and now normalized.

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) continues to malign and harass activists, humanitarian workers, and lawyers alike.

In this climate, law itself becomes a battlefield. 

And in that battlefield, you—our colleagues in UPLM—are the frontliners.

It takes extraordinary courage to be a people’s lawyer in Mindanao.

You face risks not only in the courtroom but also on the road home. 

You face threats not only from the other side of the table but from the very institutions meant to uphold justice.

Still, you persist. 

You do not yield. 

You carry on.

And that makes your work not just noble, but (even) revolutionary.

The Larger Struggle for Justice and Accountability

Even as corruption and impunity continue to plague our institutions, the struggle for justice remains unrelenting. 

The International Criminal Court has taken custody of former President Duterte at The Hague where he will be tried for his crimes against humanity under the so-called “war on drugs.” 

Indeed, accountability, no matter how delayed, can never be denied forever.

But international mechanisms alone will not save us. 

The real struggle lies here—within our borders, within our courts, within our conscience as a people.

We cannot outsource justice. 

We must build it ourselves—brick by brick, case by case, client by client.

And this is why your steadfast work in Mindanao matters so much. 

You are not merely handling cases; you are keeping the idea of justice alive.

The Call of Our Times 

Comrades, friends, and colleagues, we are facing difficult times. The repression is relentless. The threats are palpable and real.

But the call of our times is clear: to continue, to stand firm, and to multiply the ranks of people’s lawyers who will not flinch in the face of fear.

So I call on you to:

Stay rooted in the people. 

Remember that our truest client is not only the person before us, but the Filipino people seeking justice and dignity. Let every case remind us whom we truly serve.

 Strengthen our solidarity. 

Every chapter, every network, every region must link arms. Our protection lies in our unity; our power, in our collective voice.

Take care of one another. 

I know that we have not allowed the Juan Macababbads and the Dingkay Musnis to stand alone, but we must continue to build and strengthen our systems of care, legal defense, and rapid response; for when one is attacked, all of us must rise.

Continue to innovate and persevere. The forms of repression change, and so must our response. 

Let us use every available tool—law, technology, storytelling, and international solidarity—to defend truth and amplify the people’s cause.

And above all, inspire the next generation. 

Let young lawyers and law students see that people’s lawyering is not a detour, but the highest expression of our calling as lawyers of the people.

A Closing Commitment 

As you mark twenty years of UPLM, remember that with this milestone, we are not merely looking back, we are taking a leap forward. 

You have already built a legacy of service and sacrifice. Now, the task is to sustain it, deepen it, and pass it on. 

The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers stands with you—always, and without hesitation.

Your triumphs are ours; your struggles are ours; your courage strengthens ours.

Together, let us continue to fight for a rule of justice rooted not in power or privilege, but in the lives and hopes of our people.

Let us remain steadfast—undaunted by red-tagging, unmoved by threats, and unbowed by fear.

As long as there is injustice, our work is not done.

As long as the poor are silenced, our voices must rise.

As long as the people are oppressed, the people’s lawyers must endure.

Mabuhay ang Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao!

And long live the struggle for rights, justice, and accountability in the Philippines.

Maraming salamat at mabuhay ang mga abogado ng bayan! ###