The Commission on Human Rights, through its Region XII office, is now conducting an independent probe on the brazen killing of lawyer Juan Macababbad. According to initial reports, the lawyer was gunned down outside his house in Surallah, South Cotabato, on 15 September 2021, at around 5:30 PM.
Macababbad is known as a people’s lawyer. He is a member of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) and the chairman of the Socsksargen chapter of the Union of People’s Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM).
CHR strongly denounces this latest killing of another agent of law and an active defender of people’s rights and interest. The string of attacks against members of the legal profession remains unrelenting. Aside from the glaring violation on the right to life, this pattern of killings also contributes to the erosion of rule of law as it creates a chilling effect on those working for the pursuit of justice.
It is crucial that lawyers and human rights advocates are able to do their noble work without fear of reprisal and retribution. We continue to ask government for swift action and proactive efforts that will ensure the protection of lawyers, including the vulnerable sectors that they represent. #StoptheKillings