The National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) and Bayan Muna condemned the heinous killing of a lawyer and attack on her lawyer fiancee in Barangay Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte on March 17. Atty. Junisa D. Kimamao, CPA, died from gunshot wounds after being ambushed and shot, while her fiancee Atty. Ibrahim D. Pendatu, LPT, was severely wounded.

“I am outraged and deeply saddened [by what happened],” Bayan Muna second nominee and former Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Davao City Chapter president Atty. Carlos Isagani Zarate said. He added that the senseless violence is a grave injustice and an attack on the very foundations of the country’s legal system.

He added that the crime was more heinous for it occurred during Ramadan, a time of peace and reflection. Furthermore, it happened after the recent attempted killing of another lawyer who is the vice mayor of Datu Liang, Maguindanao Del Sur. “These attacks on lawyers are unacceptable and must be stopped,” according to Atty. Zarate.

He called on the Philippine National Police to conduct a thorough investigation to immediately determine the perpetrator of the crimes. “We demand that the perpetrators of this crime be brought to justice swiftly and that all necessary measures be taken to ensure the safety of lawyers in Maguindanao and across the country,” he said.

The NUPL, meanwhile, expressed the need to push the government to fulfill its duty under the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers to guarantee that lawyers can perform their professional duties without intimidation, harassment, or violence.

“Failure to act decisively will not only perpetuate impunity but also undermine public confidence in the justice system and further imperil the independence of the legal profession and access to justice,” according to the NUPL.