MANILA, Philippines — The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers on Friday urged the Supreme Court to resolve their petition seeking the issuance of a protective writ to their members amid continuous red-tagging and threats.
“To reiterate, as an equitable relief, Petitioners pray that respondents be ordered to cease and desist from red tagging and vilifying petitioners,” their manifestation read.
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The union of lawyers is urging the SC to resolve their Petition for Review filed on Aug. 5, 2019 and prayed to the high court to reset the Court of Appeals ruling dated July 26, 2019 that dismissed their plea for a writ of amparo and habeas data.
“While the instant Petition is pending before this Honorable Court, Petitioner NUPL and its members have experienced and continue to be subjected to malicious vilification, real threats and vicious harassment in different forms and platforms,” they told the SC.
“Your officers of the court are respectfully seeking succor before we, as endangered species, become extinct,” their manifestation further read.
Named as respondents are former President Rodrigo Duterte, former National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, former Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and other military officers, including retired generalAntonio Parlade Jr.
Continued attacks
The NUPL said that in 2021, two of their members — Rex Jesus Mario Fernandez in Cebu City and Juan Macababad in Soccsksargen — were killed, while lawyer Angelo Karlo Guillen survived an attack.
Prior to the attack on Guillen, the lawyer was relentlessly red-tagged and was branded as an “operative” of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
Members of NUPL also reported surveillance from military and the Philippine National Police.
The group said that when it first filed their petition in April 2021, they recorded 176 incidents of prima facie profession or work-related attacks against lawyers, but since then, they documented at least 41 more incidents.
Petitioners Edre Olalia and Carlos Zarate, NUPL president and adviser, respectively, have also been repeatedly targets of vilification targets. Other members have been baselessly called lawyer for communists, or members of communist rebels.
“The serious and continuing threats against Petitioners and other NUPL members and the failure to condemn and prosecute these acts of violence is an act of injustice in itself which equally erodes public trust and confidence in our justice system,” they said.
“From the foregoing circumstances, it is evident that the respondents and their agents are responsible for the attacks on NUPL and its members and done with their acquiescence, behest and blessing. The continuous and intensifying threats to life, liberty and security of the Petitioners resulting [in] killing, threat, harassment, surveillance and demonization and red-tagging must be put to end,” the NUPL continued.
“For the foregoing reasons, and considering that the parties already argued their respective positions and filed all the necessary pleadings, the Petitioners humbly submit that the Petition is now ripe for resolution,” they added.