Police profiling of lawyer denounced
THE National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) urged the Supreme Court (SC) to safeguard lawyers, including those under the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), from surveillance by the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The NUPL said: “We again call on the Supreme Court to protect the members of the Bench and the Bar. Defend your lawyers! Stop the attacks!”
The call was made after reports of a PAO lawyer in Surigao del Norte being profiled and surveilled.
According to NUPL, the provincial police chief directed the Lianga municipal police station to profile the PAO lawyer for continuously assisting individuals suspected to be members of “communist-terrorist groups (CTGs).”
But the PAO lawyer is stationed at a court in Lianga town and was appointed by the court to represent an accused who has no counsel at that time.
NUPL has termed the profiling and surveillance a deliberate attempt to obstruct lawyers from providing adequate assistance to the accused, which violates the rights of both accused and lawyers’ free practice of their profession.
NUPL warned that it sends a chilling message to lawyers, whether in public service or private practice, that their defense of suspects and accused would be held against them. They emphasized the need to stop such ghastly practices by state agents, particularly by security forces.
The NUPL believes that this direct threat endangers the security of legal practitioners who are merely fulfilling their duties and obligations.
