THE Integrated Bar of the Philippines yesterday called for a nationwide effort to protect lawyers, judges and their families following last week’s attack in Mandaue City, Cebu that left a lawyer and her son injured.
The IBP issued the appeal as the National Bureau of Investigation joined the probe behind the attack against Karen Quinanola-Gonzales and her 19-year-old son.
“The Integrated Bar of the Philippines reiterates its call for a nationwide effort to protect our lawyers, judges, and their families. Members of the legal profession must be able to do their duties freely without fear of reprisal or violence,” the IBP said.
“More often than not, lawyers are given the difficult task of striving for justice, as unfortunately, many have done so at the cost of their own lives and at the risk of their families’ safety,” it added.
The IBP noted that the Mandaue attack happened while the country was celebrating the Rule of Law Month.
The IBP pledged to work with the Supreme Court, Department of Justice, PNP and the NBI to address the attack on Gonzales and her son and previous violence against lawyers and judges.
Last year, the SC acknowledged the concerns raised by the IBP and other groups on violence targeting members of the legal profession and directed all lower courts to help law enforcement agencies in investigating them.
The Free Legal Assistant Group, founded during the Marcos dictatorship, reported that from 2016 to 2021, 61 lawyers, prosecutors and judges have been killed, more than the 28 who were murdered from 1972 when martial law was declared until 2016.
The IBP-Cebu chapter had offered a P50,000 reward to anyone who can provide information that will unmask those behind the Mandaue attack.
