MANILA, Philippines — Advocacy groups and human rights defenders on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court to come up with measures that will also protect not only members of the legal profession but of advocates as well. ADVERTISEMENT“These attacks against human rights lawyers violate the basic principle that lawyers shall not be identified with their clients or their clients’ causes as a result of discharging their functions,” read the letter. They urged the high court to also look into the attacks suffered by the clients and know the government policies that caused them. In 2007, the high court also overturned the prosecution of progressive party-list representatives Crispin Beltran, Rafael Mariano, Joel Virador, Teodoro Casiño, Satur Ocampo, and Liza Maza for rebellion. They said labeling or red-tagging being done by the government now has expanded from activists to members of the media and other sectors.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer May 18, 2021 12:14 UTC