TORONTO (PA) — Filipino lawyer Neri Colmenares on Wednesday called for stronger international cooperation to stop continuing attacks on members of the legal profession, saying the assaults threaten the independence of lawyers and the rule of law worldwide.
Speaking at the International Bar Association (IBA) conference in Toronto, Colmenares said Filipino lawyers, including the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), have led national campaigns against violence targeting lawyers. The IBP, the country’s mandatory association of attorneys, has also gained support from the Supreme Court of the Philippines and other institutions.
While attacks have declined since the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, when at least 59 lawyers were killed between 2016 and 2022, Colmenares said the killings have not stopped. Seven lawyers have been killed under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who took office in 2022.
“The struggle against these attacks cannot be confined to domestic actions but also requires mutual international support,” Colmenares said. “The issue of attacks against the independent practice of the legal profession is a borderless battle that needs the solidarity of lawyers worldwide.”
Colmenares noted that when the international community expresses concern — such as through statements by foreign bar associations, United Nations complaints or fact-finding missions — the Philippine government tends to take stronger steps to investigate or condemn the attacks.
He commended the International Bar Association (IBA) for its monitoring work and urged Bar associations around the world to coordinate through the IBA or bilateral partnerships to address threats to the legal profession more effectively.
“There is now a need for Bar associations and their members to establish coordinated actions to generate a more effective, united and lasting solution,” Colmenares said.
Filipino lawyers have also expressed solidarity with colleagues in countries such as Pakistan and Turkey, where attorneys face similar risks.
Colmenares said the Toronto Conference offers an opportunity to pass a unified resolution demanding government accountability and protection for lawyers worldwide.
“Lawyers cannot be attacked on the basis of the cases they file, the clients they represent or their public opinions,” he said. “Protecting lawyers is protecting justice itself.”###