(We yield this space to the statement of Anti-Terrorism Act Petitioners’ counsels for a more active response against attacks on lawyers and judges due to its timeliness. – Ed.)
WE, THE undersigned counsel, and petitioners against the constitutionality of the Anti-Terrorism Act (Republic Act 11479 or ATA), condemn the attack against another lawyer and National Union of Peope’s Lawyers (NUPL) officer, Atty. Angelo Guillen. The attack was directly brought about by the continuing impunity in the country, as evidenced by the killing of at least 54 lawyers and judges and the thousands of victims of extrajudicial killings since President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office in 2016.
These attacks against lawyers must stop as they threaten the practice of the legal profession and the right of the people to judicial remedies.
We also condemn the increasing attacks against petitioners and lawyers opposing the ATA. Petitioners former Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and former Ombudsman Conchita Morales have raised the issue of General Antonio Parlade’s terrorist tagging of groups and their lawyers who question the constitutionality of the ATA in the Supreme Court. Atty. Raffy Aquino, who is a Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) member and counsel in one of the 37 petitions against the ATA, was listed by government security forces as a “CPP/NPA” (Communist Party of the Philippines / New People’s Army) member. Members of the NUPL, who also serve as counsel in another petition, have also been red-tagged. Atty. Evalyn Ursua, counsel in the petition of the NUJP and others, also suspects that she is under surveillance, after repeated incidents of motorcycle-riding men taking photos of her residence and receiving suspicious phone calls from unknown callers. Atty. Angelo Guillen is the latest victim from among the lawyers and petitioners who oppose the ATA.
We call on all members of the legal profession to condemn the continuing attacks against lawyers and judges, including attacks against petitioners and their counsel in the ATA petitions. Beyond issuing statements of condemnation, we urge members of the legal profession and various law groups to launch a more active and militant response to these attacks.
We call on the Supreme Court as the constitutionally-appointed guardian of civil liberties and protector of the legal profession to take immediate measures to stop these attacks. The issuance of a Temporary Restraining Order on the enforcement of the ATA pending the final adjudication of the 37 petitions could help address the worsening situation.
We call on the people to demand from the Government to stop the killings and the escalating violence and impunity that have seriously eroded the rule of law and our democratic order. (Signatories: Atty. Jose Anselmo I. Cadiz; Atty. Howard M. Calleja; Atty. Neri J. Colmenares; Cong. Edcel C. Lagman; Atty. Ephraim Cortez; Atty. Alfredo B. Molo Iii; Atty. Algamar A. Latiph; Atty. Evalyn G. Ursua; Atty. Josalee Deinla)
