Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Negros Oriental Chapter President Atty. Cyrus Riconalla led the aggrupation of lawyers in a cry for justice through an indignation rally held on Oct. 6. Many family members, relatives, friends, civic groups like the Rotary North, law students, and sympathizers joined the IBP to collectively express their dismay over the recent murders of lawyers, and demanded for action.
If lawyers themselves have to organize a rally to express their frustrations, then the situation is unacceptable, and the frequency of summary killings have to be stopped.
What is happening to our justice system that people have to use guns to address their perceived grievances?
Rumors abound that these armed goons are used as “collection agents of drug lords”, evidencing the prevalence of the Latin American drug culture.
Or is this an indication of the return of the eye-for-an-eye mentality?
It is lamentable that this is happening in a democracy, instituting the five pillars of the criminal justice system, composed of the Community, Law enforcement, Prosecution, Courts, and Corrections.
In all the five pillars, lawyers are involved, as citizens/witnesses, complainants/respondents, law enforcers, prosecutors/legal counsels, judges; thus, the chain that links these five pillars must have been broken or weakened, for the present situation to occur.
Many people now point their fingers back at the lawyers asking whether or not they are contributory to the solution or to the cause of the problem.
Some people cite the alleged pricey court filing fees or acceptance fees of private lawyers, which is debatable.
Or is it fair to blame to the community at large for refusing to file complaints for grievances for varied reasons, refusing to testify or to “see something-say something” which could yet be the strongest means to solve crimes.
Most crimes are solved due to information provided by the general public who may have been the victims themselves or the whistleblowers.
Or how about the law enforcers (like the Philippine National Police, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Bureau of Immigration, the Bureau of Customs, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Commission on Audit, the Office of the Ombudsman, the Land Transportation Office) who must ensure compliance with laws, ordinances, memoranda, guidelines, rules and regulations? Or are they susceptible to the sabot-sabot system, utang na loob, kamag-anak/padrino/kapatid network?
Should we look at the Prosecution aspect? Is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law providing an effective mechanism for the resolution of disputes?
Are our Correction facilities and officials mandated to see to it that the convict is reformed and is able to re-integrate himself into the community after serving his sentence, complying with their duties and responsibilities?
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