Lawyer Rodolfo Felicio killed
7 September 2014

Lawyer Rodolfo Felicio killed

Philippines

Lawyers for Lawyers has sent letters to the authorities of the Philippines urging them to investigate the death of human rights lawyer Rodolfo Felicio.

On 24 August 2014, Atty. Felicio was killed at Floodway, Taytay, Rizal, while reportedly amongst his clients. According to our information, four men on motorcycles opened gunfire on a campsite in Taytay, killing Atty. Felicio and injuring two others. At the time of the attack, Atty. Felicio was sleeping in a tent, together with two employees of his clients.

The killing of Atty. Felicio seems to be related with the legitimate performance of his professional duties as a lawyer. Atty. Felicio was handling land dispute cases concerning a family’s property in Taytay. He was also involved in other high profile cases, including the Olalia-Alay-ay double murder case.

Lawyers for Lawyers has grave concerns about the situation of lawyers in the Philippines, for the murder of Atty. Felicio does not stand alone. At least 23 lawyers have been killed since 2001. Many of them were labeled as ‘enemies of the state’ prior to being attacked, apparently because they were identified with their clients or their clients’ causes as a result of performing their professional duties. So far, only one person has been convicted for these killings and this occurred in 2006. Many other lawyers were – and still are – subjected to various forms of attacks, ranging from surveillance, labelling, intimidation, harassment, threats to prosecution on fabricated charges. Earlier this year, L4L already sent letters to the authorities in the case of human rights lawyer Atty. Maria Catherine L. Dannug-Salucon, who was threatened.

Lawyers for Lawyers calls on the Philippine government to ensure the personal and professional safety of lawyers in the Philippines and to effectively prevent and punish attacks on their independence and/or safety.

Normal
0

21

false
false
false

NL
X-NONE
X-NONE

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:Standaardtabel;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0cm;
mso-para-margin-right:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0cm;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}

Meer nieuws uit Philippines

20 September 2023

Philippine lawyer Maria Alzate killed in broad daylight

Philippines

Atty. Maria Alzate, a Philippine lawyer known for defending the poor, was killed on Thursday September 14, in Abra province, in the north of the country. In broad daylight, two unidentified assassins on a motorcycle shot her at close range,

Lees verder
5 April 2023

Joint oral statement to the Human Rights Council on the Philippines

Philippines

On 24 March, Lawyers for Lawyers and the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute delivered an oral statement during the 52nd session of the UN Human Rights Council. During this session, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Outcome Report of the

Lees verder
21 November 2022

Concluding observations UN Human Rights Committee on the Philippines

Philippines

On 10 and 11 October 2022, the UN Human Rights Committee reviewed the Philippines’ compliance with its international human rights obligations. On 3 November 2022, the Committee issued the concluding observations of this review. In the concluding observations the Committee

Lees verder
24 October 2022

Gerthie Mayo-Anda: “I had the experience of being red-tagged in the nineties. I was shocked when I learned about this. There even used to be a price on my head.”

Philippines

Illustration: Joost Hölscher Grizelda Mayo-Anda is the co-founder and executive director of the Environmental Legal Assistance Center (ELAC), a Filipino non-government organization committed to helping communities to uphold their constitutional right to a healthful and balanced ecology. She is also

Lees verder