Lawyers hesitant to handle drug cases

Lawyers are now hesitant to handle drug cases because of the recent killing of lawyers who represent drug suspects in court.

IBP National President present all these documents Abdiel Dan Elijah Fajardo related to extra-judicial said except for those in the killings including the killings government service like the of lawyers.

Public Attorney’s Office Fajardo added they (PAO), private practitioners have created a task group to have the freedom to decline document and monitor the cases. progress of the investigation

“Sa private practitioners, into the killings and attempts mayroon na nga kaming of their members’ lives. chapter ng IBP. I think sa If there will be no Mindanao na ayaw na talaga significant progress, he said mag handle nang drug cases they will eventually pressure kasi nga natatakot sa kanilang them to prosecute these cases. buhay dahil pakiramdam nila Likewise, since there they are being associated were private practitioners who with the offenses of their declined to handle drug cases, clients. It is as if they were also Fajardo said the constitutional protectors of the drugs lords,” right of the accused to select a he said. counsel of his own choice is

This is the new challenge defeated. of their profession. “Ngayon po talagang

Fajardo said they sent mabibilang nalang natin letters to different station sa daliri natin na may mga commanders requesting for abogadong may konting spot reports, scene of the crime tapang pa para humaharap sa reports and others involving mga drug cases na ito. In fact, homicides and murders. Cebu was a witness to that.

Some lawyers, he said, Yong vice mayor here was have filed cases before the liquidated and I have not seen Supreme Court requesting significant progress also in to direct these authorities to the investigation and possible prosecution…nalulungkot po kami,” he said.

Lawyer Jose Glenn Capanas, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Cebu City Chapter said the Supreme Court En Banc issued a new rule, the Community Legal Aid Service Rule, that obliged new lawyers who took their oath last year to render 120 hours of free legal aid.

Right now, he said there were cases referred to their office but it is hard to convince new lawyers to accept the cases

“They did not really mention it formally but we heard, hesitant considering that the cases are drugs, drugs cases,” he said.

Capanas said although IBP Cebu City Chapter has legal aid lawyers but they wanted to give their new members the opportunity to handle cases as it is mandated under Administrative Matter No. 17-03-09-SC.

Capanas further said the killings of lawyers remain as a challenge in their profession and it is very relevant to their IBP Eastern Visayas Regional Convention theme “A Cry for Justice: A Challenge to the Legal Profession.”

IBP Eastern Visayas Region Governor Gonzalo Malig-on, Jr. said that they are concern of the killings nowadays. That is why they came up with their theme.

He said they feel that lawyers should be spared in this “seemingly short cut of processes.”

Lawyer Mundlyn MisalMartin, president of the IBP Cebu Chapter, said the killing of lawyers is alarming.

Misal said Malig-on was correct in his statement that if a lawyer was killed there is the notion that he was a protector.

“Kun naay patyon nga lawyer mura bag ilaha dayun nga iingun nga protector. Mura bitaw og ma-generalize and then it’s not anymore normal ba,” she added.

Salvador Panelo, the chief legal counsel of the President, was supposedly one of the speakers of yesterday’s convention. He confirmed that he is attending but he cancelled his appointment last minute without giving any reason.

Mylen P. Manto/MBG