UP Law academe slams arrest of Makati bar lawyers

MANILA, Philippines — Faculty members of the University of the Philippines College of Law joined the growing criticism of the arrest of three lawyers who were detained for “obstruction of justice.”

Sixty members of the UP Law academe, including law dean Fides Cordero-Tan, condemned the arrest of lawyers Lenie Rocha, Jan Vincent Soliven and Romulo Alarcon as it “clearly violated basic rights and rudimentary legal processes.”

“It taxes the imagination how these three young lawyers could have employed tactics as to overcome or prevent the police from doing their job,” the group said in a statement posted on Facebook.

The group also raised that the detained lawyers were “initially denied the right to communicate with family or counsel, detained for more than 18 hours, then slapped with a charge for ‘constructive possession of drugs.’”

They also said that the legal counsels do not have “dominion or possession of the property” subject of the search for illegal drugs—which is how the Supreme Court defines “constructive possession” of illegal drugs.

The lawyers were engaged by the owner of TIME bar, which the police raided on August 10. The authorities later filed complaints against the owners and employees of the bar for allegedly maintaining a drug den.

READ: ‘Drug bar’ owner, 31 employees charged

The law academe members branded the drug-related allegation as “utterly baseless.”

“Such conduct of the police is an affront to the dignity of our legal processes. It insults lawyers, makes a mockery of the rights of the accused, and was calculated to send a clear warning that those who invoke the law in police operations will themselves be prosecuted,” the group added.

The UP Law academe called for the dismissal of the cases and demanded accountability from the police involved in the case.

'Presumption of regularity'

Director General Oscar Albayalde, Philippine National Police chief, backed the Makati cops and said that there must be "compelling reason" for the detention of the lawyers.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, a former police chief himself, also urged the public to hear the side of the cops first before criticizing. He added: "There is such a thing as presumption of irregularity."

But Vice President Leni Robredo, lawmakers and lawyers' groups—including the 40,000-strong Integrated Bar of the Philippines—have expressed alarm with the incident. The Commission on Human Rights said that the arrest puts ordinary Filipinos at risk.

The three lawyers were released Friday night, after more than 24 hours in detention, after the inquest prosecutor recommended the case for further investigation.