The Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, together with the College of Law and the Graduate School of Law, jointly denounce targeted attacks and atrocious killings of lawyers, judges, and legal practitioners.
Violence directed towards lawyers puts in peril the rule of law in the Philippines and empowers even greater impunity.
PLM lauds efforts made by the Supreme Court to protect judges and lawyers against threats to their safety and to deliver justice to those who have died in the line of duty.
The Free Legal Assistance Group says 100 lawyers have been murdered in the past 20 years, and 61 of them were killed within the past four years. Such a trend is appalling as this impairs legal representation and dispensation of justice. There is a “chilling effect” that leads to hesitancy in handling supposedly sensitive cases.
“Mindful of its mandate, PLM as an institute of learning will remain steadfast in its resolve to advocate the role of education in the promotion of the rule of law and culture of lawfulness,” the statement read.
University President Emmanuel Leyco, Board of Regents Chairman Dr. Francisco Roman, Regent and College of Law Dean Atty. George Erwin Garcia, and Graduate School of Law Dean and retired Justice Hector Hofileña signed the statement of support dated March 26.
Read the full statement here: