The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) paid tribute on National Heroes Day to fallen judges, prosecutors, and government and private lawyers “who were killed or harmed because they were doing their sworn duty.”
“The fact that quite a number of such cases remain unsolved is a shared frustration, shame, and responsibility of Filipino lawyers,” IBP National President Domingo Egon Q. Cayosa said in a press statement.
“We affirm the courage of lawyers defending human rights, public interest advocates and whistleblowers; the selflessness of countless pro bono lawyers helping the poor; the dedication of lawyer-public servants and educators; the creativity of lawyer-innovators, entrepreneurs, and activists; the contributions of the good Filipino lawyer to nation-building,” Cayosa said.
Published reports attributed to the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) showed that there have been 50 lawyers, prosecutors, and judges who have been killed in the country since 2016.
The IBP also honored health professionals – doctors, nurses, scientists, technicians, health sector employees, and workers – “who, despite the many obstacles and limitations, dutifully and resourcefully attend to the afflicted and, so far, managed to keep the death rate of COVID-19 patients lower than global thresholds.”
“We thank and honor them for sacrificing their security and even their life to save their countrymen. We pray for them and their families and be ourselves little heroes of involvement, discipline and unity to win over the COVID-19 virus,” Cayosa also said.