PHOTO BY IBP/FACEBOOK
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) on Saturday condemned the red-tagging of members of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), calling it an attack on the administration of justice.
In an official statement dated December 6, 2025, the IBP said that harassment and attempts to silence lawyers undermine the justice system by instilling fear and curtailing truth and justice.
“When an agent of justice has been subjected to silence and harassment, there is fear, and when there is fear, the entire justice system is undermined,” the IBP said.
The group noted that NUPL members, along with other human rights lawyers, went to the Supreme Court to submit a letter seeking adequate protective legal measures for lawyers and human rights workers facing harassment and intimidation.
The IBP expressed solidarity with the plea, saying that lawyers play a crucial role in safeguarding fundamental rights such as the right to a fair trial, freedom of speech, and freedom of association.
“Protecting lawyers ensures they can fearlessly defend these rights against infringement by governments or other powerful entities,” it added.
The organization reiterated that an attack on any lawyer is an attack on the country’s justice system as a whole.