By Joseph B.A. Marzan
Groups and organizations which urged the Supreme Court (SC) to act on killings and threats against lawyers and judges on Wednesday welcomed the high court’s statement condemning the acts and outlined action steps to resolve the recurring problem.
Early in March, members of the legal profession including lawyers, legal assistance groups, and deans and instructors of law schools called on the high court to act on the attacks, threats, and red-tagging against lawyers and judges.
Instances cited by the groups included the March 3 stabbing of Atty. Angelo Karlo Guillen in Iloilo City, and the red-tagging of Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court Branch 209 Judge Monique Quisumbing-Ignacio reported on March 16.
After weeks of silence, the Supreme Court issued a statement on March 23 condemning attacks and threats against lawyers and judges, calling them an “assault on the judiciary”.
The SC in its statement also outlined the steps it would take as part of its response to the calls, including investigations of incidents all the way back to 2011, and coordination with law enforcement agencies and civil society organizations.
Bayan Muna and National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) chairperson Atty. Neri Colmenares on Tuesday sent out a statement welcoming the SC’s move, and called for more reforms.
NUPL President Atty. Edre Olalia also put out a statement on Wednesday, saying that the NUPL will cooperate with the high court with whatever it would need.
“At this crucial juncture when the other institutions have defaulted on us, we fervently welcome these bold and unequivocal declarations, initial steps and further plans from our very own refuge. We shall continue to move, plead and pray that our Court continue to stand by its own magistrates, its officers of the court, and our people and that it ensures or provides more effective and timelier remedies especially against grave abuse of power and attacks on liberties,” said Olalia in his statement.
But in an ANC interview, NUPL Secretary-General Atty. Ephraim Cortez said that while they welcome the requiring of body-cameras in service of search and arrest warrants, the high court must also ensure other safeguards to prevent irregularities and evidence-planting.
In a statement sent to the media, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), the chief organization of all lawyers in the country, “welcomed the pushback” and called to “move forward” to deliver justice.
“Lawyers, judges, prosecutors, and all workers in the justice sector can and should do so much to deliver justice a lot faster. Only when the evil-doers are swiftly and surely held accountable that the criminals fear the law and respect the rights of others. JUSTICE BILIS helps secure not only the magistrates and lawyers but every citizen, especially the disadvantaged,” the IBP said in its statement.
The SC gave until before the last week of April 2021 to gather information on killings and threats against lawyers and judges, and will deliberate on a proper remedy based on what they have gathered.
