“The insistence on treating these deaths as operational successes is a deeply alarming signal from the State. It conveys to all members of the security forces that they can kill unarmed civilians and be rewarded. This is nothing less than State-sanctioned violence.”
NUPL | Nov 8, 2024
The recent series of killings and arbitrary arrests of consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) reveals more than a lack of sincerity by the Philippine government in pursuing peace. It betrays an outright disregard for both human...
For seventeen years, we have chosen this road, and for however long it takes, we will continue to tread it because we know, as our clients do, that to struggle for justice is never in vain.
The takedowns may seem arbitrary, but they can be seen as part of a larger pattern where activism, advocacy and dissent are disproportionately affected by social media moderation.
Soon, you will be part of a profession that plays an indispensable role in defending the truth and attaining justice. We urge you to look beyond personal ambition and financial success, and to keep in mind the ever-present need for lawyers in advancing a just and humane society.
The government’s ambition to exit the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) gray list or meet arbitrary prosecution quotas cannot, and must not, serve as a justification for the harassment and criminalization of activists and rights defenders. These are people who take the blows so that others may live with dignity. To brand them as terrorists is a grotesque distortion of truth.
This is more than a matter of a solitary act of censorship; it is a chilling reminder that the past, with all its repressive mechanisms, has not fully released its grip on the present. The X-rating of Alipato at Muog is not an isolated incident but a symptom of a larger, more grievous attempt to control the narrative and to sanitize the history that those in power find inconvenient.
NUPL is proud to have joined and supported the Confederation of Lawyers of Asia and the Pacific (COLAP) Conference 2024 in Tokyo, Japan. The three-day Conference tackled common issues on peace, human rights, climate change, migrants and refugee issues, and sectoral rights.
We demand justice for Jonas, Karen, Sherlyn, Dexter, Bazoo, and for all those whose names we may never know. We stand firm in our resolve to seek justice, to bring the truth to light, and to ensure that these injustices are never forgotten.
NUPL-NCR took a closer look at the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability, which was updated in 2022
