Lawyer Angelo Karlo ‘AK’ Guillen, one of the legal members working for the petition of various multi-sectoral groups against the anti-terror law, was allegedly stabbed by masked men yesterday, 3 March 2021, at around 9:15 PM in Iloilo City. According to the report of the Iloilo police, the attackers mauled the lawyer before stabbing him in his temple and taking his backpack and sling bag.
Atty. Guillen is assistant vice president of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) for the Visayas. As an NUPL lawyer, he represents marginalized groups, activists, and rights advocates who are facing charges.
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) denounces this latest attack against an agent of law and defender of human rights. The violent attacks, including extrajudicial killings, against lawyers remain unabated while previous cases are still unsolved. Many human rights lawyers face reprisals for working to defend vulnerable sectors and for pushing back against repressive measures. Their security and safety are endangered, which impacts their ability to perform their duty. Any attack against members of the legal profession creates a chilling effect to the legal community especially those working to advance human rights, which further erodes the rule of law. This latest attack also speaks of the pervasiveness of criminality due to worsening impunity.
CHR calls for expedient investigation on this case from the Iloilo police and other related agencies as our CHR Region VI also conducts a simultaneous independent probe. The need for protection mechanism and support for human rights defenders cannot be overemphasized given the dangers they face. CHR also reiterates support for the immediate passage of the Senate Bill No. 1721, which increases penalty for crimes against those in the legal profession and justice sector for them to have greater shield in the law.
Our continuing call to the government is to ensure concrete reduction of violence on the ground. All perpetrators must be held to account to truly subdue criminality, attacks, and killings. Equally urgent is to concretely protect those who face risks for their human rights work and to establish preventive mechanisms to truly halt further attacks and attempts to curtail life. #ItigilAngPatayan