Disbarment complaint filed against Duterte 

Former president Rodrigo Duterte claimed to have killed at least six individuals during his tenure as mayor of Davao City. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Former president Rodrigo Duterte claimed to have killed at least six individuals during his tenure as mayor of Davao City. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA – Families of victims of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) and human rights advocates filed a disbarment complaint against former President Rodrigo Duterte at the Supreme Court (SC) on Friday. 

Atty. Vicente Jaime Topacio accompanied the advocates who displayed placards featuring Duterte’s image with messages stating: “Mamamatay tao hindi karapat-dapat na abogado” and “Bastos hindi karapat-dapat na abogado.”

“We are all witnesses here, along with the entire community. We have observed how this individual has insulted others, belittled women, circumvented due process, and taken lives,” Topacio said. “He has no right to be a lawyer in our country.”

Topacio added that Duterte’s statements made during a session of the House Quad Committee, where he claimed to have “killed” at least six individuals during his tenure as mayor of Davao City, should be presented to the high court.

Aside from Topacio, other disbarment complainants include Karapatan Secretary General Tina Palabay, Fr. Manuel Gatchalian, Bayan Secretary General Raymond Palatino, Hustisya Secretary General Ofelia Balleta, Llore Pasco, Rosenda Lemita, Liezel Asuncion, Lean Porquia, Saturnino Ocampo, Norma Dollaga, Orly Marcellana, Gabriela Dalena, J. Luis Burgos, Bonifacio Ilagan, Sr. Eleanor Llanes, and Tina-Agel Romero.

The filing of the disbarment case against Duterte came after he recently volunteered to serve as legal counsel to his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, in the impeachment complaints she is facing.

Former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo, meanwhile, remarked that the disbarment case against the former President will go nowhere since he has yet to be found guilty of any crimes related to extrajudicial killings.

“There is therefore no foundation for that [disbarment case],” Panelo stated during the Agenda forum on Friday. “His use of profanity is merely an expression of indignation.”/PN

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