A group of human rights lawyers has renewed its appeal to the Supreme Court for the issuance of a protection order against alleged continuing harassment by the government.
In an eight-page manifestation filed by mail on Wednesday, the National Union of Peoples鈥� Lawyers (NUPL) updated the court on the military鈥檚 鈥淩ed-tagging鈥� of its members and a newspaper article claiming that the group, along with several media organizations and journalists, was aiming to 鈥渂lacken鈥� President Duterte鈥檚 image.
NUPL members were included in the 鈥渕atrix鈥� of association between leftists and journalists for a supposed plot to unseat President Duterte, which in turn, was allegedly instigated by a series of online videos of a certain Bikoy linking the President, members of his family and his associates to illegal drugs.
The matrix and accompanying article about the plot was published by the Manila Times and written by its publisher, Dante Ang, who is also the President鈥檚 special envoy for international public relations.
The NUPL described Ang鈥檚 piece as 鈥渓udicrous,鈥� claiming that the names of its members in the diagram were 鈥渙bviously鈥� lifted from its brochure.
鈥淭hese malicious statements and dangerous claims, as well as the contrived 鈥榤atrix,鈥� baseless and reckless as they are, compel [us] to again seek at this time for the Honorable Court鈥檚 protection and reiterate [our] prayer for temporary protection order,鈥� the group said.
Serving underprivileged
The petitioners said they 鈥渟imply chose to practice the ideals of the legal profession by rendering services to the underprivileged as mandated by our oath and by legal, constitutional and international principles.鈥�
鈥淰ery few lawyers have taken up the cause of the marginalized and underprivileged. And those who have chosen to do so have become targets themselves. The continued vilification, harassment and threats to the life, security and liberty of the petitioners must stop now. We ask Your Honors to stand by your lawyers,鈥� the NUPL said.
The group has a pending petition in the court for the issuance of writs of amparo and habeas data to prohibit state forces from threatening to commit or committing, directly or indirectly, acts that violate the rights of its members.
It also asked the high tribunal to order the respondents, led by Mr. Duterte and the military chief, Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr., to disclose, submit and destroy all information gathered about the petitioners.
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Incidents of harassment
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The NUPL cited incidents of alleged harassment of its officers and members by military officers who were 鈥渢agged, threatened, vilified or subjected to surveillance.鈥�
It said the respondents had threatened the rights to life, liberty and security of its members.
The group鈥檚 latest pleading referred to the recent pronouncements of Major Gen. Antonio Parlade of the National Task Force to End Localized Armed Conflict that the NUPL鈥檚 case was a 鈥渟mokescreen鈥� to stop the government鈥檚 investigation on the 鈥淪alugpungan鈥� schools in Mindanao.
The schools were allegedly operated by communist rebels and funded by donations supposedly collected by the NUPL from European governments and private donors.