The Integrated Bar of the Philippines’ (IBP) conferment of the Golden Pillar of Law Award on former President Rodrigo Duterte was ‘unbelievable’ and a ‘disgrace,’ according to National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) chairperson Edre Olalia.
Olalia – who was recognized last year as the first-ever recipient of the IBP Human Rights Award for Luzon – issued his statement on Wednesday after the organization’s Davao chapter defended the award, saying the former president fully met the qualifications set by the national office ‘Unbelievable. What a disgrace. No one else could be so undeserving. And to mindlessly gloss over that this award was given automatically for mere length of years as a lawyer is to bestow it to even those who make a mockery of the lofty IBP ideals of no master but law, no goal but justice, and no guide but conscience,’ he said.
Olalia added that the recognition further insulted the ideals of the legal profession, as it ‘gratuitously lionized’ Duterte for his supposed ‘distinguished and dedicated service in the legal profession, upholding the ideals of justice, integrity, and the rule of law,’ and for his ‘unwavering commitment and invaluable contributions that stand as a pillar of inspiration to the legal community.’
‘What incomparable irony,’ he said. ‘Or perhaps the award was meant to immortalize his controversial record as a lawyer – with eloquent sarcasm.’
According to the IBP Davao, the award ‘does not serve as an endorsement of political acts or personal ideologies.’ ‘It is a recognition of professional longevity and standing under the IBP’s by-laws, applied without distinction, and grounded on verifiable compliance with the rules governing the legal profession,’ it explained in a statement issued earlier Wednesday.
The Davao chapter defended the award given to the former president after it drew flak from members of the legal community. Duterte is currently facing charges of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court over his brutal war on drugs.
IBP Davao, however, asserted that lawyers must be reminded of their duty to ‘rise above biases and to uphold this fundamental precept of our justice system, that judgment must rest on evidence and final conviction, not mere perception.’
‘Every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty,’ it said. /jpv