By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com
MANILA – The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) filed administrative complaints against several government officials for “violating their right to life, liberty and security, even the exercise of their profession.”
Named respondents in the 51-page complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman Dec. 9 are National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Spokesperson Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. and Presidential Communications Operations Office Undersecretary Lorraine Badoy. Said officials repeatedly labeled NUPL and its members as “communists.”
Charges include violation of Section 19 of Republic Act 6770 or the Ombudsman Act of 1989, RA 6713 or Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, Grave Misconduct, Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service; and Grave Abuse of Authority (Oppression).
“The complainants bring the instant action in order to finally address a continuing wrong, to vindicate their basic rights, and to remind public officials that illegal, improper, unjust and oppressive acts and utterances, especially those vicious and virulent, are not without consequence. We also just want to do our work as lawyers,” the complaint read.
The NUPL said “respondents have failed to live by and act in accordance with the exacting standards expected of public officials.”
“In fact, their actions have betrayed an absolute disregard for the truth, caution, and the rights of private individuals and civil society, and, at worst, with utter dishonesty, partiality and outright malice,” the group said.
The lawyers cited the cases of slain colleagues after being tagged as members of Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army such as Benjamin Ramos, the trumped-up charges against Katherine Panguban after assisting the survivors of the Sagay massacre in October 2018, the surveillance of NUPL officers and members, among others.
The NUPL asserted that the respondents have discriminated against them and its members “on account of their affiliation, their engagement in human rights work and the cause of their clients, and their critical stand on matters of public concern as well on the baseless and malicious accusations of links or association with the underground.”
The NUPL asked the Ombudsman to hold an investigation on the said charges. They also prayed for the suspension of the respondents pending the investigation and for the dismissal of the said officials from the service with forfeiture of benefits after the proper proceedings.
The NUPL is the fifth progressive organization to file charges against NTF-ELCAC officials.
NUPL members have been assisting the marginalized and the poor in their legal battles for the past 13 years. 
