Lawyers who defended activists, EJK victims are IBP’s 1st human rights awardees

MANILA, Philippines – Human rights lawyers who have championed the rights of the marginalized and the oppressed are the recipients of the first Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Human Rights Awards.

Long-time human rights lawyer Edre Olalia was named the IBP Human Rights awardee for Luzon, Kristian Jacob Lora for the Visayas, and Antonio Azarcon for Mindanao at the awards night in Quezon City on Thursday, December 5. All are officers and members of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL).

The IBP, the mandatory Bar association for Filipino lawyers, established the awards this year to recognize lawyers from three major islands of the Philippines “for their dedication to advancing human rights.” The nominees must have proven track record in human rights litigation or advocacy, and whose work also had an “impact on the promotion, protection, and enjoyment of human rights.”

Among those who selected the winners was Supreme Court (SC) retired senior associate justice Antonio Carpio.

The awards also hosted a symposium where Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, the chairperson of the SC committee on human rights, discussed the current challenges on human rights. In his lecture, Leonen explained the safeguards provided by the 1987 Constitution to ensure human rights protection.

The senior magistrate also said that there are two steps to social justice: Acknowledging that victims of oppression exist, and shaping a society where societal norms favor the oppressed.

“There is no such thing as complete legal neutrality. I repeat, there is no such thing as complete legal neutrality. It may appear neutral in its text, but it should congeal and deconstrue in the context of society. We must choose with whom to support, and in doing fully so, we must remember that some do not have the same privileges as ours,” Leonen said.

“In applying social justice in our work, we must also understand that we live in an age where those who hold power within the status quo can do what they want now without fear of consequences,” he added.

‘Vindication’

For Olalia, his award is an acknowledgment that people’s lawyering “is a legitimate field of practice,” adding that his recognition also provides protection for human rights lawyers facing threats. He also dedicated his award to all NUPL members “who plod every single day to slay the dragons of injustice.”

“In a nation where lawyers abound and battalions are added every single year, justice is inaccessible to many. We at NUPL took the unbeaten path, taking on causes and clients what many of our fellow lawyers do not, cannot or will not handle,” Olalia said.

“This recognition is a sort of vindication against struggles with our families, colleagues, friends and classmates who cannot, do not and will not understand fully why we took this option,” he added.

Olalia served as president and now the current chairperson of the NUPL. He is also the transitional president of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers.

For the human rights sector, Olalia is best-known for defending clients from humble backgrounds and for fighting some of the government’s questionable policies. Under his leadership, the NUPL served as counsel to some groups who challenged the draconian anti-terror law passed under former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Aside from these, Olalia was also recognized for defending Flor Contemplacion, the Filipino domestic worker who was executed in Singapore in 1995. Contemplacion was convicted for the killings of fellow overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Delia Maga and Nicholas Huang, Maga’s 4-year-old ward.

Two decades later, Olalia went on to defend another Filipina who was on the brink of execution – Mary Jane Veloso – who was sentenced to death in Indonesia for drug smuggling. After years of counseling for Veloso and keeping her alive, the OFW is now safe from death penalty after the Indonesian government agreed to bring her back home to the Philippines.

“This award is a validation of our clients’ appreciation: from the Flor Contemplacions to the Mary Jane Velosos and many other poor and oppressed,” Olalia said.

For EJK victims, desaparecidos

Lora, a young lawyer from Cebu, narrated how his awareness on gross injustice in the country shaped his perspective on lawyering.

He mentioned that he was in college when University of the Philippines (UP) students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan were abducted. Lora also mentioned that he was in law school when the Kidapawan farmers were killed under the Noynoy Aquino administration and thousands were slain under Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war.

“Thus, I accept this award in honor of those who have been killed extrajudicially and those who have been forcibly taken and disappeared — whether still missing like IP (indigenous peoples) rights defenders Bazoo de Jesus and Dexter Capuyan, or already surfaced like my UP Cebu schoolmates, Dyan Gumanao and Armand Dayoha, all of whom were abducted under the Marcos Jr. administration,” the lawyer said.

Lora also shared the struggles of pro bono lawyers in the Visayas. He said that in Cebu, Bohol, and Negros, there are around 79 political prisoners detained for trumped-up charges, and there are only four private lawyers doing pro bono work, aside from Public Attorney’s Office lawyers.

From being a student leader in UP Cebu, Lora pursed the law professions and defended progressive individuals who faced threats and cases. He was instrumental in the release of political prisoner Liezyl Ann Gomez. He also secured the dismissal of cases against victims of trumped-up charges like the “Escalante 6” and the “Himamaylan 3.”

Lora also secured legal victories for activists and community workers charged under the anti-terror law.

Martial Law survivor

In receiving the IBP award, Azarcon said: “This award crystallizes my unwavering belief that advocating for human rights knows no retirement. It is a lifelong commitment rooted in a deep love for our country and its people.”

The 74-year-old lawyer reflected on the key events that shaped legal career. He said that he found his calling as a lawyer at the height of political unrest and authoritarian rule during the Ferdinand E. Marcos dictatorship in the 1970s and 1980s.

At the age of 26 , Azarcon joined the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) and offered pro bono assistance to victims of political persecution, extrajudicial killings, and torture. He also defended political prisoners who were subjected to arbitrary detention.

Azarcon himself was a victim of political persecution — he was detained 1983 due to his role in the Coalition for the Restoration of Democracy.

“While receiving this award is a moment of celebration, it is also a poignant reminder of the work that still lies ahead. The fight for human rights is ongoing, and this challenges the young lawyers to remain vigilant, and committed [in] addressing the challenges that persist. Let and his us continue to stand together, to advocate for the the young marginalized, and to ensure that justice and equality are not mere ideals, but realities for all,” he said.

Azarcon has his own private firm, Azarcon, Trinidad and Associates Law Firm. He also chairs the Union of People’s Lawyers in Mindanao and serves as NUPL Assistant Vice President for Mindanao. – Rappler.com