63 lawyers killed during Duterte term, says report

MANILA: A total of 63 private and government lawyers, including judges and state prosecutors, have been killed, representing a 500 per cent increase since President Duterte took over Malacanang Palace in June 2016 as compared to the past six administrations, according to a report of the country’s biggest group of lawyers.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) lamented the killings and described these as “appalling” as it called on the government, particularly the Department of Justice, the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police to help resolve the atacks on members of the bar and the judiciary.

Ironically, the IBP pointed out that the 63rd casualty was lawyer Siti Gilda Mahinay-sapie of Davao City, the hometown of Duterte in Mindanao, himself a lawyer and former prosecutor before he became mayor of the city for more than 20 years.

Police reported that still unidentified gunmen shot and killed Sapie and her husband Muhalmen Mohammad Sapie while they were inside their home in Davao Ciy in eary July. Police admited they have yet to establish the motive for the killings.

In a statement, the group said: “The IBP grieves and is appalled by the increasing and sheer number of assassinations of lawyers, judges and prosecutors with impunity.

“In stark contrast, the number of lawyers killed during the previous administrations, stretching way back to 1972 was (about) 10 for each administration.”

The IBP said Sapie’s killing occurred just three weeks ater Victor Begtang, the deputy city prosecutor of Ilagan City, Isabela province in the Northern Luzon highlands was shot dead by gunmen, also still unidentified. It added Begtang was the ninth state prosecutor slain since 2016.

Police said the assassins atacked Begtang for still unknown reaons right inside his home in the town of Conner, Apayao province in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Northern Luzon on June 2.

“We call on the government to formulate and implement specific measures,” the IBP said, “to improve the security of lawyers, judges and prosecutors and to expeditiously resolve the investigation on these killings so that the perpetrators are switly and truly held accountable.”