ACCENTS
NUPL-Iloilo: lawyers for the people
October 18, Monday, first day of the workweek, six members of NUPL-Iloilo met at Pecho-Pak to further advance human rights protection under the new Aquino presidency. The culture of impunity that has brazenly characterized the Arroyo administration must exit with the past. No more scot-free, happy days for the evil-doer. The perpetrator must get his day of reckoning.
But for scheduling meetings to strengthen human rights, the luncheon gathering was more of a light-hearted banter to welcome newly-arrived from the U.S., Atty. Rodolfo Lagoc of the NUPL-Iloilo board of consultants. Offhand, what’s NUPL?
Sept. 15, 2007 in Cebu City marked the founding congress of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL). Composing the founders were 38 lawyers from Luzon, 23 lawyers from Visayas, and 20 lawyers from Mindanao – the largest gathering of human rights lawyers since Marcos’ Martial Law.
NUPL-Iloilo was a significant development following the founding congress in Cebu. Aug. 9, 2008 went down as a red-letter day in the history of lawyering for the people in Iloilo when NUPL-Iloilo was launched. People here means a clientele of marginalized and oppressed sectors – farmers, workers, fisherfolk, indigenous people, the urban poor, women and children, the youth and students.
A niche of human rights advocates, NUPL-Iloilo counts “lawyer politicians” for members: Atty. Joshua Alim, chair; Atty. Jojo Lutero, secretary-general, and Atty. Mario “Bong” San Felix of the board of consultants. Other officers are Atty. Steve Cercado, treasurer; Atty. Sul Gamosa, auditor; Atty. Pet Melliza, press relations officer. Atty. Janne Baterna, also of the board of consultants, and Atty. Elay Guiloreza, member, didn’t make it in last Monday’s meeting owing to previous commitments.
Leeboy Garachico, coordinator of NUPL-Iloilo, provided this columnist a list of the organization’s program of action. Worthy to enumerate here, if only to let the general public know, that we have in our midst lawyers who will fight for our rights whenever these are trampled. Lofty, ethical, bold endeavors, to wit:
NUPL-Iloilo shall render concrete, specific, prompt and competent legal services to victims of violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of the poor and oppressed and shall facilitate and coordinate the rendition of such services.
NUPL-Iloilo shall vigorously, systematically and aggressively investigate, file, prosecute and pursue all kinds of cases of human rights violations, as well as address the impunity enjoyed by violators thereof.
NUPL-Iloilo shall maximize and rationalize the practical use of existing judicial, quasi-judicial and other legal fora and remedies in the national and international levels including the mechanisms arising out of the peace process for the defense, protection and promotion of human rights.
NUPL-Iloilo shall campaign, advocate and lobby for the liberties, freedoms and rights of the Filipino people as well as those of other peoples of the world.
NUPL-Iloilo shall share concrete experiences in handling human rights cases and come up with specific recommendations and mechanisms to help ensure the defense, promotion and protection of human rights.
NUPL-Iloilo shall concretize and institutionalize programs for the protection, security and welfare of lawyers who are under threat and attack by virtue of the exercise of the profession especially those involved in human rights practice; in addition, programs for the protection, security and welfare of families of those who have been killed or attacked.
NUPL-Iloilo shall promote human rights lawyering as a viable professional alternative, as well as provide venues for the professional and political education, development, cooperation and mutual support for its members.
NUPL-Iloilo shall establish and maintain professional and solidarity linkages with other individuals, groups or organizations with similar advocacies.
If to be recalled, Leeboy Garachico was himself a human rights victim who was shot and left for dead during the infamous, condemnable, brutal abduction of Luisa Posa Dominado and Nilo Arado on April 12, 2007. This case along with other human rights violations is being pursued by NUPL-Iloilo, the progress, absence or lack thereof, we will doggedly follow under the presidency of Noynoy Aquino.
Worthy to mention at this point a quote from Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno’s message of support to the founding congress in Cebu: “By calling yourselves the ‘people’s lawyers,’ you have made a remarkable choice. You decided not to remain in the sidelines. Where human rights are assaulted, you have chosen to sacrifice the comfort of the fence for the dangers of the battlefield. But only those who choose to fight on the battlefield live beyond irrelevance.”
For the sake of the people – especially “the least of the brethren” who cannot afford a lawyer – our wishes for a relevant, committed, ever strong NUPL-Iloilo.*
Email: lagoc@hargray.com
