MANILA, Philippines — The number of lawyers killed in nearly five years into the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte is higher than murders in the legal profession combined in the past six administrations spanning 44 years, a list collated by the Free Legal Assistance Group showed.
Lawyers group have been pressing the government for action on continued attacks on the legal profession. In a letter to the Supreme Court in December, they stressed that under the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers that governments are mandated to ensure that they are able to perform their duties without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference.
