New data show a disproportionate number of lawyers killed in the country during the last 5 years under President Rodrigo Duterte, compared to the number of deaths recorded during the watch of his predecessors, from the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos to Benigno Aquino III.
To date, 61 lawyers had been killed since Duterte assumed office on June 30, 2016, while 49 lawyers were killed from the time of Marcos to that of Aquino – a span of 44 years.
Ted Te of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), which provided the data of lawyers’ killings before Duterte, said there is an urgent need to addess this problem.
The Supreme Court has the mandate to address this, said Te, a former Court spokesperson.
Te says the Chief Justice is in a special position to lead the Court in this crucial juncture, a task that falls upon retiring Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta. How will this factor into his legacy, with just over week left before he retires on March 27?
Watch his conversation with Rappler justice reporter Lian Buan on Tuesday, March 16, at 6 pm. – Rappler.com
How does this make you feel?
