LEGAL INSIGHTS
By Atty. Katherine Andreza Panguban
Adamson University College of Law Legal Aid Office welcomes the acquittal of two of our Sept. 21-Baha sa Luneta Rally clients, on demurrer to evidence. This is a further confirmation that no individual should be imprisoned on the basis of nothing more than an accusation, some conjecture or entirely made up evidence.
Their arrest in relation to the September 21, 2025 anti-corruption rally serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing imperative to defend civil liberties and to be vigilant against the potential for the law to be used as a weapon against legitimate dissent.
As Adamson College of Law Legal Aid Director, I am very proud of our law student practitioners (Ryle, Aireen, Max, Ralph, Fish, Jullie, Anne, Yna, Jan, Arnel, Ube, Bojoe, Dom, Caryl, Sid) who, through our joint supervision with the lawyers of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers-National Capital Region, went through the prosecution witnesses very carefully and brought to light the inconsistencies in their statements. I hope nakita ninyong hindi talaga pwedeng mang-aresto habang hawak ng dalawang kamay ang shield, lalo na kung hindi naman 3 ang kamay mo. At lalong hindi pwedeng mang-aresto ang isang officer na wala naman sa pinangyarihan at papalusutan mong typographical error lang ito sa Sinumpaang Salaysay mo.
For me this is more than a legal win. This is the very essence of Clinical Legal Education. It is a real opportunity for students to engage with injustice, to stand up for the truth and to learn what accountability really means.
To our future lawyers this is a win on one hand and a challenge on the other. You must never be content in simply knowing the law. You must have the courage to question injustice, to stand up for the oppressed, to protect civil liberties and to hold the powerful to account. To our future Vincentian lawyers, be the lawyers who do not just practice the law but who use it in a courageous way in the pursuit of truth, justice and accountability.
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The opinion expressed in this post is the personal opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers.
