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Free Legal Assistance Group

2021-07-26T03:10:04Z

112.205.1.155:

{{Short description|Intergovernmental organization}}
{{Redirect|FLAG|other uses|Flag (disambiguation)}}
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{{Infobox organization
| name = FLAG
| image = [[File:ChelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20190223Alternativity.jpg|260 px|FLAG chairman Atty. Chel Diokno at a commemoration of [[Martial Law (Philippines)|martial law]] victims and human rights activists]]
| image_size =
| caption = FLAG chairman [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Chel Diokno]] at a commemoration of [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law]] victims and human rights activists
| logo =
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| abbreviation = FLAG
| formation = {{start date and age|1974}}
| founder = [[Joker Arroyo]] [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]] [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]
| founding_location =
| type = Non-profit lawyers organization, Human rights law firm
| tax_id = 
| registration_id = 
| purpose = [[Human rights]]
| headquarters = [[Quezon City, Philippines]]
| location = Philippines
| coords = 
| region = Nationwide
| services = Pro-bono legal service
| products = Advocacy, Representation, Advice
| methods = Developmental legal advocacy
| fields = [[Human rights]], [[Civil rights]]
| language = English/Filipino
| leader_title = Chairman
| leader_name = [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]]
| leader_title2 = Secretary-General
| leader_name2 = Atty. Maria Socorro I. "Cookie" Diokno
| leader_title3 = Deputy Secretary-General
| leader_name3 = Atty. Arno Sanidad
| leader_title4 = Regional Coordinator of FLAG Metro Manila
| leader_name4 = Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te
| affiliations = [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]] [[Commission on Human Rights|Commission on Human Rights (CHR)]] [[Amnesty International]] [[Human Rights Watch|Human Rights Watch (HRW)]] [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism|Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)]] National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL)
| website = 
}}

The '''Free Legal Assistance Group''' ('''FLAG''') is the largest and oldest organization pertaining to [[human rights]] and human rights lawyers in the [[Philippines]].<ref name="BantayogProfileDioknoJoseW">{{Cite web|date=2015-10-15|title=Heroes and Martyrs: Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805030611/http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|archive-date=2017-08-05|access-date=2019-07-21|website=[[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Medina20170221">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |title=IN THE KNOW: FLAG |last=Medina |first=Marielle |date=21 February 2017 |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224124734/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |archive-date=2017-02-24 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> FLAG handled over ninety percent of human rights cases during [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law and the authoritarian regime]] in 1974-1986 and continues to have a significant impact today.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|date=2017-02-20|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/162022-free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en|quote=Founded in 1974 by the late senators Jose W. Diokno, Lorenzo Tañada Sr, and Joker Arroyo, FLAG provided free legal services to victims of martial law during the Marcos years, and still leads the call in aiding human rights victims nationwide}}</ref>

FLAG has taken the lead in prosecuting abusive military and policemen and demanding accountability from the government. The groups' efforts have led to landmark legislations in habeas corpus. FLAG also questioned, in appropriate cases, the Supreme Court and the constitutionality of the death penalty and the Visiting Forces Agreement, among many others. Among its many advocacies are stopping political repression, military and police abuses, and capital punishment. It works on countering varied abuses of human rights and [[civil liberties]].

FLAG's current chair is [[Human rights lawyer|human rights attorney]] [[Chel Diokno|Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]] since 2001,<ref name="PatriciaDeniseChiu20190405">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |title=Unique killings, same language, lawyers say of drug war reports |last=Chiu |first=Patricia Denise M. |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404232824/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |archive-date=2019-04-04 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> who is the founding dean of the [[De La Salle University College of Law|De La Salle University (DLSU) College of Law]].

The services provided by this institution are generally carried out pro-bono. In fact, it is due to FLAG's innovative use of [[Legal aid|developmental legal aid or free legal assistance]] that it grew in popularity and has allowed for the passage of a new law, requiring newly sworn-in lawyers to conduct community legal aid service for a specified amount of time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore|title=[ANALYSIS {{!}} Deep Dive] Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-14}}</ref>

==History==
===Martial law and early years===
{{Main|Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship}}
{{See also|Human rights in the Philippines}}
[[File:Lorenzo Tanada portrait.jpg|thumb|left|FLAG co-founder Atty. Lorenzo Tañada]]
FLAG was founded in 1974 by [[Jose Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=DIOKNO, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|date=2015-10-15|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> [[Lorenzo Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Clarke|first=Gerard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=044qBgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&q=FLAG&hl=en|title=The Politics of NGOs in Southeast Asia: Participation and Protest in the Philippines|date=2006-05-17|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-69535-5|pages=168–169, 173|language=en}}</ref> and Atty. [[Joker Arroyo]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-10-07|title=Remembering Joker Arroyo|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/728691/remembering-joker-arroyo|access-date=2019-07-24|website=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|language=en}}</ref> during the [[Martial law in the Philippines|martial law era]] under the infamous ex-[[President of the Philippines|President]] [[Ferdinand Marcos]]. After Diokno was released from prison at [[Fort Bonifacio]], he immediately thought of creating a law firm that would support human rights victims through a new and innovative method called developmental legal aid, which he even promoted further by giving allowances to clients without any financial means. FLAG has defended farmers, similar victims of agrarian reform, and activists who were victims of paramilitary abuses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Survey of Private Legal Practitioners to Monitor Access to Justice by the Disadvantaged|url=https://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/UNDP4/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/PLP_Final.pdf|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

According to Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te, the popularization of developmental legal aid at this time eventually laid the foundations for the passing of new laws, particularly the Community Legal Aid Service (CLAS) Rule. The CLAS Rule requires those who have passed the bar and signed the Roll of Attorneys in any particular year after the Rule's effectivity – but specifically, those who passed the [[Philippine Bar Examination|2017 Bar examinations]] and beyond, and were subsequently admitted to the bar – to render 120 hours of legal service. This must be done within their first year of admission to the bar or else they will risk receiving sanctions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore O.|title=(ANALYSIS-Deep Dive) Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref> At the height of martial law, the FLAG firm led by Atty. Diokno, who is called the father of human rights, handled over 90 percent of human rights cases in the country, documenting torture, summary executions, and [[Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship|other abuses during that period]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.dlsaa.com/honors-and-awards/awardees/diokno-jose-w|date=2005|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref>

This sometimes placed lawyers working with FLAG at risk. Among the FLAG lawyers murdered during the dictatorship<ref name="NYTFLAGmurders">{{Cite news |last=Margolick |first=David |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1985-07-11 |title=BAR GROUP ASSAILS PHILIPPINES AS ABUSING LAWYERS (Published 1985) |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |url-status=live |access-date=2021-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524165848/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |archive-date=2015-05-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> were [[Zorro Aguilar]], [[Romraflo Taojo]], and Crisostomo Cailing, all of whom have since been honored by having their names inscribed on the wall of remembrance at the Philippines' [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]], which honors the martyrs and heroes who fought against the Marcos' authoritarian rule.<ref>http://www.bantayog.org/martyrs-heroes/</ref>

===1990s===
{{See also|Kuratong Baleleng}}
Kuratong Baleleng was once the largest syndicate in the country when the national crime rate was at its peak.<ref>{{Cite web|last=De Guzman|first=Naica|title=Most Wanted: Kuratong Baleleng Gang|url= https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/kuratong-baleleng-parojinog-a1729-20180918-lfrm3|date=2018-09-18|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> FLAG later became the chief prosecutor in the 1995 [[Kuratong Baleleng]] rubout case. At that time, eleven members of the organized syndicate Kuratong Baleleng were killed by the forces of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, led by then-police officer [[Panfilo Lacson]]. FLAG prosecuted 27 police officers involved in this case at the [[Regional Trial Court|Quezon City Regional Trial Court]] but to no avail.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/285090/news/nation/sc-upholds-dismissal-of-lacson-s-kuratong-baleleng-case|title=SC upholds dismissal of Lacson's Kuratong Baleleng case|date=December 4, 2012|publisher=gmanetwork.com|access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref> FLAG immediately appealed to the High Tribunal to remand the case to the trial court once more in order to present new evidence against Lacson, inter alia. Later on May 2, 2008, the Supreme Court finally resolved to consider the appeal.

Other famous cases include Leo Echegarray v. Secretary of Justice. In this case, the convicted Leo Echegarray was to be sentenced to death. The death penalty had been removed for years but reinstated in the 1990s. This case was to mark the very return of its implementation. Atty. Ted Te and FLAG's continuous pleadings and petitions for reconsideration managed to pave the way for intensive debate against the death penalty, until it was finally abolished in 2006.<Ref>{{Cite web|title=LEO ECHEGARAY, petitioner, vs. SECRETARY OF JUSTICE, ET AL., respondents.|url=https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1999/jan1999/gr_132601_1999.html|date=1999-01-19}}</ref>

===2000s and the Macapagal-Arroyo administration===
{{Main|Presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo}}
{{See also|Second EDSA Revolution|NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|Manila Peninsula siege}}
Atty. Chel Diokno helped prosecute then-President [[Joseph Estrada]] during his impeachment case from 2000 to 2001, which led to the [[Second EDSA Revolution]] that had him ousted and had Vice-president [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] inaugurated as the 14th president. Later on however, former Pres. Arroyo, who was the daughter of the ninth president [[Diosdado Macapagal]], would be involved in a [[NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|corruption scandal]] with Chinese telecom firm [[ZTE]]. Atty. Diokno would aid whistleblower [[Jun Lozada]] as part of his legal counsel during his court hearings against the administration.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

Around the same time in 2007, Atty. Diokno along with fellow FLAG lawyers Ted Te and Ricardo A. Sunga III, petitioned and were granted by the [[Philippine Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] to issue [[Writs of Amparo and Habeas Data|Writs of Amparo]] for leftist activists Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, two brothers who were allegedly tortured by the military under the Arroyo administration.<ref name="amparo">{{Cite news
|last = Panaligan
|first = Rey
|title = Supreme Court, QC RTC issue 1st Writs of Amparo
|newspaper = Manila Bulletin
|publisher = Manila Bulletin
|date = 2007-10-26
|url = http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|access-date = 2011-05-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120825185101/http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|archive-date = 2012-08-25
}}
</ref> FLAG also represented the media in a petition against the [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo|Arroyo administration]]. The case brought together members of [[ABS-CBN Corporation|ABS-CBN]], the [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]], Probe Productions, [[Newsbreak]], and the [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism]], among others for allegedly being rounded up for their "illegal" coverage of the [[Manila Peninsula siege|Manila Peninsula Siege]] that tried to force the president to resign.<ref name="mediavsarroyo">{{Cite news
|last = Jimenez-David
|first = Rina
|title = Who’s publicity-hungry?
|newspaper = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|publisher = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|date = 2008-01-29
|url = http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|access-date = 2020-10-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120326173919/http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|archive-date = 2012-03-26
}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=17 of 50 Journalists rounded up from The Pen released|url=http://www.gmanews.tv/story/70787/17-of-50-journalists-rounded-up-from-The-Pen-released|publisher=GMA News | date = 2007-11-29 | access-date = 2010-10-15}}</ref>

Pres. Arroyo would leave office with record-low approval ratings and was later imprisoned during the administration of the 15th President, [[Benigno Aquino III]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=David|title=Corruption was Gloria's biggest mistake: survey|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/08/04/10/corruption-was-glorias-biggest-mistake-survey|date=2010-08-04}}</ref>

===Legal battles with the Duterte administration===
{{Main|Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020}}
{{See also|Philippine drug war}}
[[File:TañadaPimentelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20181130Alternativity.jpg|thumb|Atty. [[Wigberto Tañada]], former Sen. [[Nene Pimentel]], and Atty. [[Chel Diokno]] at the 2018 Honoring of Martyrs and Heroes at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani on 30 November 2018]]
In 2017, FLAG lawyers Atty. Chel Diokno, Atty. Arno Sanidad, and former president of the [[Philippine Health Insurance Corporation]] (PhilHealth) Atty. Alexander Padilla became the legal counsel of retired police officer SPO3 Arturo Lascañas, a former officer of Duterte's [[Davao Death Squad]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-24}}</ref> Lascañas admitted to the court that he had to kill 300 civilians under Duterte, then the mayor of [[Davao City]]. The participation of FLAG in Lascañas's affidavit helped create credibility and exposed much of the controversial dealings concurrently happening in Davao City under the Duterte political family's watch. The case and its resulting revelation of Duterte's crimes became renowned through headlines all over top media groups around the world, which was brought to the attention of the [[International Criminal Court]] (ICC).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=Nikko|title=FLAG lawyers heighten Lascañas’ credibility – opposition solon|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873616/flag-lawyers-heighten-lascanas-credibility-opposition-solon|date=2017-02-21|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref>

In 2020, Atty. Diokno protested against the passing of the [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|Anti-Terror Law]], which was approved by the 16th President, [[Rodrigo Duterte]]. This would arrest those who are deemed terrorists by the government. Atty. Diokno quipped that not just terrorists would be arrested from this law but possibly any protestor could be harmed. He then questioned the Supreme Court on this decision.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title='Lawyers should strike' to demand Supreme Court actions vs abuses|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-should-strike-demand-supreme-court-actions-abuses|date=2021-03-09}}</ref> On July 23, FLAG, together with fellow columnists, statesmen, and political detainees issued the legal challenge G.R. No. 252741 against Anti-Terror Council member and Duterte's Executive Secretary [[Salvador Medialdea]] on the grounds and rationality of the signed law. Among the provisions in the law being questioned were Section 29 on detention without judicial warrant of arrest in which a suspect can be arrested even without a warrant of arrest and detained for up to 24 days. This has been compared to the time when [[History of the Philippines under Ferdinand Marcos|soon-to-be-ousted President Ferdinand Marcos]] removed the writ of habeas corpus in 1971. This has led to arrests without reason or without warrant, and has incited massive protests in the process.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno to question Anti-Terror law before Supreme Court|url=https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/human-rights-lawyer-chel-diokno-to-question-anti-terror-law-before-supreme-court/ar-BB16j0J5|access-date=2020-09-12}}</ref>

The Anti-Terror law has been denounced as being too vague and therefore very dangerous in its potential for wide-scale abuse.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Half of lawyer killings since 2016 were work-related – FLAG|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/half-lawyer-killings-since-2016-work-related-flag|date=2021-01-21}}</ref> FLAG served as the leader and legal council of the petition, together with at least 14 other early petitions coming from all different sectors: [[Rappler]] and [[Maria Ressa]] (whom FLAG defended a few years prior to the passage of the Anti-Terror Law), the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL), senators such as [[Leila de Lima]] and [[Francis Pangilinan|Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan]], labor groups and activists, and other members of the media and government.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Philippines: Media workers file petitions to reject Anti-Terror Law|url=https://www.ifj.org/es/centro-de-medios/noticias/detalle/category/press-releases/article/philippines-media-workers-file-petitions-to-reject-anti-terror-law.html|date=2020-07-23|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref> The extrajudicial killings have risen after the law was made official. After a few years into the Duterte administration, it has been reported that at least 61 lawyers have also been slain by police forces, which means that far more lawyers have been killed than in any previous presidential administration.<ref>{{Cite web|title=61 lawyers killed since Duterte assumed office in 2016, says group|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/11/21/61-lawyers-killed-since-duterte-assumed-office-in-2016-says-group|date=2021-03-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG report found almost half of lawyers killed linked to legal practice|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/03/11/2083558/flag-report-found-almost-half-lawyers-killed-linked-legal-practice|date=2021-03-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Lawyers killed: 61 under Duterte, 49 from Marcos to Aquino|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-killed-duterte-marcos-aquino-administrations-data-studies|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Conde|first=Carlos H.|title=Record High Killing of Philippine Lawyers|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/15/record-high-killing-philippine-lawyers|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Navallo|first=Mike|title=More lawyers killed during Duterte admin than under previous 6 presidents combined - study|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/15/21/more-lawyers-killed-during-duterte-admin-than-under-previous-6-presidents-combined-study|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=61 legal practitioners killed since 2016, zero convictions – lawyers’ group|url=https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/10/lawyers-killed-duterte-administration.html|date=2021-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG expresses concern over 61 lawyers killed since 2016|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/779980/flag-expresses-concern-over-61-lawyers-killed-since-2016/story/|date=2021-03-17}}</ref> In fact based on FLAG data, this statistic is still much larger than the preceding six administrations starting the Marcos dictatorship.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Santos|first=Tina G.|title=NUPL seeks UN help as more PH lawyers killed|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1407423/nupl-seeks-un-help-as-more-ph-lawyers-killed|date=2021-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=FLAG goes to Supreme Court to free ex-NPA chief Salas|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/flag-petition-supreme-court-free-ex-npa-chief|date=February 2020}}</ref>

==Functions and organization==
[[File:FvfBantayogBayani0100 15.JPG|thumb|300 px|right|FLAG founders and human rights activists [[Jose W. Diokno|Atty. Jose W. Diokno]] and [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Atty. Lorenzo M. Tañada]] at the [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]]]

===Purpose===
Among the main objectives of FLAG are:
# To promote civil and political rights through activism
# Handle cases of the urban poor, indigenous peoples, workers, students, NPA members, and other disenfranchised sectors of Philippine society
# To encourage developmental legal advocacy which may remedy injustice not merely by enforcing the law, but also by changing the law and underlying social structures that perpetrate or sustain injustice and inhibit development

===Organization===
[[File:Jose W. Diokno.png|thumb|left|[[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]]]
The law firm and [[Non-governmental organization|non-governmental organization (NGO)]] is headed by its chairman. The current chairman is Atty. Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno. Assisting the chairman is the secretary-general. The incumbent secretary-general is Atty. Maria Socorro "Cookie" Diokno, who was the former chairman of the [[National Historical Commission of the Philippines|National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG lawyers share selfie with ‘unwelcome’ UN expert|url=https://abogado.com.ph/flag-lawyers-share-selfie-with-unwelcome-un-expert/|date=2017-05-08|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> For regional cases, the regional coordinator helps in communications and managing the different logistics throughout several districts and cities. The present Manila regional coordinator is Atty. Ted Te.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> Mary Kathryn Sison is the network coordinator in charge of monitoring oversights in [[Metro Manila]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG)|url=https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/|date=2018|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

===ESC Rights Program===
In 1993, FLAG created the Economic, Social, and Cultural (ESC) Rights Program to properly design a framework that would government accountability over human suffering violations regarding ESC rights. The objective of the FLAG program serves to ultimately create a suitable Philippine system thay may also serve as a model for other developing countries with numerous human rights violations springing from socioeconomic causes. Countries that have been studied and formally addressed by FLAG include [[Thailand]], different [[Southeast Asia|Southeast Asian countries]], and parts of [[Africa]]. Within its ESC Rights Program, FLAG has established two technical core groups, one on the right to housing and the on the right to education. Each group consists of academicians and representatives of NGOs and public organizations, development organizations, professional associations, industries, and selected government departments. Consultations between the two working groups are promoted to share results, seek confirmation, resolve conflicts, and integrate work output. FLAG has established other right-specific working groups since that time, such as the right to health and food, beginning the last quarter of 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> The core functions of the ESC Rights Program are:
# To define the rights of survival in terms of their core content
# To develop legal standards for the rights of survival
# If the rights of survival are, realizable imperatives rather than development objectives, the working groups must lay out clear and precise state obligations under these rights
# Given the establishment of standards and obligations, indicators need to be developed so that systematic monitoring can take place
# For working groups to delineate and outline ways to make the rights of survival legally enforceable and justiciable

== Other Notable Members==
[[File:Justice Marvic MVF Leonen official portrait.jpg|thumb|right|Marvic Leonen, Supreme Court Justice and Human Rights Jurist]]
* [[Joker Arroyo|Ceferino P. "Joker" Arroyo, Jr.]], human rights lawyer, [[Executive Secretary (Philippines)|Executive Secretary]] to President [[Corazon Aquino|Corazon "Cory" Aquino]], and congressman who later became a member of the [[Philippine Senate|Senate]]
* [[Quezon City's 6th congressional district#Representation history|Jose Christopher "Kit" Belmonte]], human rights lawyer, community organizer, congressman, and deputy minority leader of the [[Philippine House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
* [[David Bueno]], human rights lawyer, martial law activist, and martyr who defended Martial Law victims in [[Ilocos Norte]], which was the native province of Ferdinand Marcos
* [http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp Rosario "Chato" Olivas-Gallo], DLSU College of Law vice-dean and children's rights activist
* [[Marvic Leonen]], [[University of the Philippines College of Law|University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman College of Law Dean]], environmental activist, former legal commentator with [[ABS-CBN]] and [[GMA Network|GMA]], Chief Peace Negotiator with the [[Moro Islamic Liberation Front|MILF]], and the youngest [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines|Supreme Court Justice]] since [[WWII]]
* [[Francis Pangilinan|Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan]], human rights lawyer, cabinet member under [[Noynoy Aquino|Pres. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III]], minority leader of the senate, and legal analyst and desk head for ABS-CBN News<ref>{{Cite web|title=Senator Kiko Pangilinan|url=http://legacy.senate.gov.ph/senators/sen_bio/pangilinan_resume.asp|date=2021}}</ref>
* [[Rene Saguisag]], senator, professor, [[Manila Times]] columnist, and lawyer who served as the spokesman for President Corazon Aquino after the [[1986 People Power Revolution]]
* [https://politics.com.ph/tag/atty-arno-sanidad/ Arno Sanidad], law professor and member of the [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]]
* [[Erin Tañada|Lorenzo "Erin" Tañada III]], human rights lawyer, congressman, activist, and news anchor and broadcaster for [[UNTV (Philippines)|UNTV]]
* [https://r3.rappler.com/previous-articles?filterMeta=Ted%20Te Theodore O. "Ted" Te], Supreme Court spokesperson<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|date=2018-09-03|title=Spokesman Ted Te resigns from Supreme Court|url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/210999-supreme-court-spokesman-theodore-te-resigns|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en}}</ref> who represented journalist and [[Time Person of the Year]] [[Maria Ressa]] in her [[Maria Ressa cyberlibel case|cyberlibel case]] against the [[Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte|Rodrigo Duterte Administration]];<ref>{{Cite web|title=Board of Advisers|url=http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref> the Duterte administration has been compared to the Ferdinand Marcos administration for similar human rights abuses, and FLAG again leads the opposition in calling for justice and restitution for the oppressed<ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG lawyer: No place in imperfect justice system for 'absolute' punishments like death penalty|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/09/16/2042884/flag-lawyer-no-place-imperfect-justice-system-absolute-punishments-death-penalty|date=2020-09-16|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-15|title=Court convicts Rappler CEO Ressa in cyberlibel case|url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/6/15/maria-ressa-rappler-conviction.html|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[CNN Philippines]]|language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]
* [[Chel Diokno]]
* [[David Bueno]]
* [[Lorenzo Tañada]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]]
* [[Joker Arroyo]]
* [[Legal aid|Developmental Legal Aid]]
* [[People of the Philippines v. Santos, Ressa and Rappler]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://flagfaqs.blogspot.de/ official website]
* [https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/ Namati: Flag Network]

[[Category:Human rights organizations based in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Jose W. Diokno]]

Free Legal Assistance Group

2021-07-26T02:33:05Z

112.205.1.155: /* Other Notable Members */

{{Infobox organization
| name = FLAG
| image = [[File:ChelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20190223Alternativity.jpg|260 px|FLAG chairman Atty. Chel Diokno at a commemoration of [[Martial Law (Philippines)|martial law]] victims and human rights activists]]
| image_size =
| caption = FLAG chairman [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Chel Diokno]] at a commemoration of [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law]] victims and human rights activists
| logo =
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| abbreviation = FLAG
| formation = {{start date and age|1974}}
| founder = [[Joker Arroyo]] [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]] [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]
| founding_location =
| type = Non-profit lawyers organization, Human rights law firm
| tax_id = 
| registration_id = 
| purpose = [[Human rights]]
| headquarters = [[Quezon City, Philippines]]
| location = Philippines
| coords = 
| region = Nationwide
| services = Pro-bono legal service
| products = Advocacy, Representation, Advice
| methods = Developmental legal advocacy
| fields = [[Human rights]], [[Civil rights]]
| language = English/Filipino
| leader_title = Chairman
| leader_name = [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]]
| leader_title2 = Secretary-General
| leader_name2 = Atty. Maria Socorro I. "Cookie" Diokno
| leader_title3 = Deputy Secretary-General
| leader_name3 = Atty. Arno Sanidad
| leader_title4 = Regional Coordinator of FLAG Metro Manila
| leader_name4 = Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te
| affiliations = [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]] [[Commission on Human Rights|Commission on Human Rights (CHR)]] [[Amnesty International]] [[Human Rights Watch|Human Rights Watch (HRW)]] [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism|Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)]] National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL)
| website = 
}}

The '''Free Legal Assistance Group''' ('''FLAG''') is the largest and oldest organization pertaining to [[human rights]] and human rights lawyers in the [[Philippines]].<ref name="BantayogProfileDioknoJoseW">{{Cite web|date=2015-10-15|title=Heroes and Martyrs: Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805030611/http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|archive-date=2017-08-05|access-date=2019-07-21|website=[[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Medina20170221">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |title=IN THE KNOW: FLAG |last=Medina |first=Marielle |date=21 February 2017 |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224124734/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |archive-date=2017-02-24 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> FLAG handled over ninety percent of human rights cases during [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law and the authoritarian regime]] in 1974-1986 and continues to have a significant impact today.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|date=2017-02-20|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/162022-free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en|quote=Founded in 1974 by the late senators Jose W. Diokno, Lorenzo Tañada Sr, and Joker Arroyo, FLAG provided free legal services to victims of martial law during the Marcos years, and still leads the call in aiding human rights victims nationwide}}</ref>

FLAG has taken the lead in prosecuting abusive military and policemen and demanding accountability from the government. The groups' efforts have led to landmark legislations in habeas corpus. FLAG also questioned, in appropriate cases, the Supreme Court and the constitutionality of the death penalty and the Visiting Forces Agreement, among many others. Among its many advocacies are stopping political repression, military and police abuses, and capital punishment. It works on countering varied abuses of human rights and [[civil liberties]].

FLAG's current chair is [[Human rights lawyer|human rights attorney]] [[Chel Diokno|Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]] since 2001,<ref name="PatriciaDeniseChiu20190405">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |title=Unique killings, same language, lawyers say of drug war reports |last=Chiu |first=Patricia Denise M. |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404232824/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |archive-date=2019-04-04 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> who is the founding dean of the [[De La Salle University College of Law|De La Salle University (DLSU) College of Law]].

The services provided by this institution are generally carried out pro-bono. In fact, it is due to FLAG's innovative use of [[Legal aid|developmental legal aid or free legal assistance]] that it grew in popularity and has allowed for the passage of a new law, requiring newly sworn-in lawyers to conduct community legal aid service for a specified amount of time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore|title=[ANALYSIS {{!}} Deep Dive] Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-14}}</ref>

==History==
===Martial law and early years===
{{Main|Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship}}
{{See also|Human rights in the Philippines}}
[[File:Lorenzo Tanada portrait.jpg|thumb|left|FLAG co-founder Atty. Lorenzo Tañada]]
FLAG was founded in 1974 by [[Jose Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=DIOKNO, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|date=2015-10-15|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> [[Lorenzo Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Clarke|first=Gerard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=044qBgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&q=FLAG&hl=en|title=The Politics of NGOs in Southeast Asia: Participation and Protest in the Philippines|date=2006-05-17|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-69535-5|pages=168–169, 173|language=en}}</ref> and Atty. [[Joker Arroyo]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-10-07|title=Remembering Joker Arroyo|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/728691/remembering-joker-arroyo|access-date=2019-07-24|website=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|language=en}}</ref> during the [[Martial law in the Philippines|martial law era]] under the infamous ex-[[President of the Philippines|President]] [[Ferdinand Marcos]]. After Diokno was released from prison at [[Fort Bonifacio]], he immediately thought of creating a law firm that would support human rights victims through a new and innovative method called developmental legal aid, which he even promoted further by giving allowances to clients without any financial means. FLAG has defended farmers, similar victims of agrarian reform, and activists who were victims of paramilitary abuses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Survey of Private Legal Practitioners to Monitor Access to Justice by the Disadvantaged|url=https://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/UNDP4/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/PLP_Final.pdf|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

According to Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te, the popularization of developmental legal aid at this time eventually laid the foundations for the passing of new laws, particularly the Community Legal Aid Service (CLAS) Rule. The CLAS Rule requires those who have passed the bar and signed the Roll of Attorneys in any particular year after the Rule's effectivity – but specifically, those who passed the [[Philippine Bar Examination|2017 Bar examinations]] and beyond, and were subsequently admitted to the bar – to render 120 hours of legal service. This must be done within their first year of admission to the bar or else they will risk receiving sanctions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore O.|title=(ANALYSIS-Deep Dive) Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref> At the height of martial law, the FLAG firm led by Atty. Diokno, who is called the father of human rights, handled over 90 percent of human rights cases in the country, documenting torture, summary executions, and [[Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship|other abuses during that period]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.dlsaa.com/honors-and-awards/awardees/diokno-jose-w|date=2005|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref>

This sometimes placed lawyers working with FLAG at risk. Among the FLAG lawyers murdered during the dictatorship<ref name="NYTFLAGmurders">{{Cite news |last=Margolick |first=David |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1985-07-11 |title=BAR GROUP ASSAILS PHILIPPINES AS ABUSING LAWYERS (Published 1985) |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |url-status=live |access-date=2021-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524165848/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |archive-date=2015-05-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> were [[Zorro Aguilar]], [[Romraflo Taojo]], and Crisostomo Cailing, all of whom have since been honored by having their names inscribed on the wall of remembrance at the Philippines' [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]], which honors the martyrs and heroes who fought against the Marcos' authoritarian rule.<ref>http://www.bantayog.org/martyrs-heroes/</ref>

===1990s===
{{See also|Kuratong Baleleng}}
Kuratong Baleleng was once the largest syndicate in the country when the national crime rate was at its peak.<ref>{{Cite web|last=De Guzman|first=Naica|title=Most Wanted: Kuratong Baleleng Gang|url= https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/kuratong-baleleng-parojinog-a1729-20180918-lfrm3|date=2018-09-18|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> FLAG later became the chief prosecutor in the 1995 [[Kuratong Baleleng]] rubout case. At that time, eleven members of the organized syndicate Kuratong Baleleng were killed by the forces of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, led by then-police officer [[Panfilo Lacson]]. FLAG prosecuted 27 police officers involved in this case at the [[Regional Trial Court|Quezon City Regional Trial Court]] but to no avail.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/285090/news/nation/sc-upholds-dismissal-of-lacson-s-kuratong-baleleng-case|title=SC upholds dismissal of Lacson's Kuratong Baleleng case|date=December 4, 2012|publisher=gmanetwork.com|access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref> FLAG immediately appealed to the High Tribunal to remand the case to the trial court once more in order to present new evidence against Lacson, inter alia. Later on May 2, 2008, the Supreme Court finally resolved to consider the appeal.

Other famous cases include Leo Echegarray v. Secretary of Justice. In this case, the convicted Leo Echegarray was to be sentenced to death. The death penalty had been removed for years but reinstated in the 1990s. This case was to mark the very return of its implementation. Atty. Ted Te and FLAG's continuous pleadings and petitions for reconsideration managed to pave the way for intensive debate against the death penalty, until it was finally abolished in 2006.<Ref>{{Cite web|title=LEO ECHEGARAY, petitioner, vs. SECRETARY OF JUSTICE, ET AL., respondents.|url=https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1999/jan1999/gr_132601_1999.html|date=1999-01-19}}</ref>

===2000s and the Macapagal-Arroyo administration===
{{Main|Presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo}}
{{See also|Second EDSA Revolution|NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|Manila Peninsula siege}}
Atty. Chel Diokno helped prosecute then-President [[Joseph Estrada]] during his impeachment case from 2000 to 2001, which led to the [[Second EDSA Revolution]] that had him ousted and had Vice-president [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] inaugurated as the 14th president. Later on however, former Pres. Arroyo, who was the daughter of the ninth president [[Diosdado Macapagal]], would be involved in a [[NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|corruption scandal]] with Chinese telecom firm [[ZTE]]. Atty. Diokno would aid whistleblower [[Jun Lozada]] as part of his legal counsel during his court hearings against the administration.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

Around the same time in 2007, Atty. Diokno along with fellow FLAG lawyers Ted Te and Ricardo A. Sunga III, petitioned and were granted by the [[Philippine Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] to issue [[Writs of Amparo and Habeas Data|Writs of Amparo]] for leftist activists Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, two brothers who were allegedly tortured by the military under the Arroyo administration.<ref name="amparo">{{Cite news
|last = Panaligan
|first = Rey
|title = Supreme Court, QC RTC issue 1st Writs of Amparo
|newspaper = Manila Bulletin
|publisher = Manila Bulletin
|date = 2007-10-26
|url = http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|access-date = 2011-05-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120825185101/http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|archive-date = 2012-08-25
}}
</ref> FLAG also represented the media in a petition against the [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo|Arroyo administration]]. The case brought together members of [[ABS-CBN Corporation|ABS-CBN]], the [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]], Probe Productions, [[Newsbreak]], and the [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism]], among others for allegedly being rounded up for their "illegal" coverage of the [[Manila Peninsula siege|Manila Peninsula Siege]] that tried to force the president to resign.<ref name="mediavsarroyo">{{Cite news
|last = Jimenez-David
|first = Rina
|title = Who’s publicity-hungry?
|newspaper = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|publisher = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|date = 2008-01-29
|url = http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|access-date = 2020-10-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120326173919/http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|archive-date = 2012-03-26
}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=17 of 50 Journalists rounded up from The Pen released|url=http://www.gmanews.tv/story/70787/17-of-50-journalists-rounded-up-from-The-Pen-released|publisher=GMA News | date = 2007-11-29 | access-date = 2010-10-15}}</ref>

Pres. Arroyo would leave office with record-low approval ratings and was later imprisoned during the administration of the 15th President, [[Benigno Aquino III]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=David|title=Corruption was Gloria's biggest mistake: survey|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/08/04/10/corruption-was-glorias-biggest-mistake-survey|date=2010-08-04}}</ref>

===Legal battles with the Duterte administration===
{{Main|Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020}}
{{See also|Philippine drug war}}
[[File:TañadaPimentelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20181130Alternativity.jpg|thumb|Atty. [[Wigberto Tañada]], former Sen. [[Nene Pimentel]], and Atty. [[Chel Diokno]] at the 2018 Honoring of Martyrs and Heroes at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani on 30 November 2018]]
In 2017, FLAG lawyers Atty. Chel Diokno, Atty. Arno Sanidad, and former president of the [[Philippine Health Insurance Corporation]] (PhilHealth) Atty. Alexander Padilla became the legal counsel of retired police officer SPO3 Arturo Lascañas, a former officer of Duterte's [[Davao Death Squad]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-24}}</ref> Lascañas admitted to the court that he had to kill 300 civilians under Duterte, then the mayor of [[Davao City]]. The participation of FLAG in Lascañas's affidavit helped create credibility and exposed much of the controversial dealings concurrently happening in Davao City under the Duterte political family's watch. The case and its resulting revelation of Duterte's crimes became renowned through headlines all over top media groups around the world, which was brought to the attention of the [[International Criminal Court]] (ICC).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=Nikko|title=FLAG lawyers heighten Lascañas’ credibility – opposition solon|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873616/flag-lawyers-heighten-lascanas-credibility-opposition-solon|date=2017-02-21|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref>

In 2020, Atty. Diokno protested against the passing of the [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|Anti-Terror Law]], which was approved by the 16th President, [[Rodrigo Duterte]]. This would arrest those who are deemed terrorists by the government. Atty. Diokno quipped that not just terrorists would be arrested from this law but possibly any protestor could be harmed. He then questioned the Supreme Court on this decision.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title='Lawyers should strike' to demand Supreme Court actions vs abuses|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-should-strike-demand-supreme-court-actions-abuses|date=2021-03-09}}</ref> On July 23, FLAG, together with fellow columnists, statesmen, and political detainees issued the legal challenge G.R. No. 252741 against Anti-Terror Council member and Duterte's Executive Secretary [[Salvador Medialdea]] on the grounds and rationality of the signed law. Among the provisions in the law being questioned were Section 29 on detention without judicial warrant of arrest in which a suspect can be arrested even without a warrant of arrest and detained for up to 24 days. This has been compared to the time when [[History of the Philippines under Ferdinand Marcos|soon-to-be-ousted President Ferdinand Marcos]] removed the writ of habeas corpus in 1971. This has led to arrests without reason or without warrant, and has incited massive protests in the process.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno to question Anti-Terror law before Supreme Court|url=https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/human-rights-lawyer-chel-diokno-to-question-anti-terror-law-before-supreme-court/ar-BB16j0J5|access-date=2020-09-12}}</ref>

The Anti-Terror law has been denounced as being too vague and therefore very dangerous in its potential for wide-scale abuse.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Half of lawyer killings since 2016 were work-related – FLAG|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/half-lawyer-killings-since-2016-work-related-flag|date=2021-01-21}}</ref> FLAG served as the leader and legal council of the petition, together with at least 14 other early petitions coming from all different sectors: [[Rappler]] and [[Maria Ressa]] (whom FLAG defended a few years prior to the passage of the Anti-Terror Law), the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL), senators such as [[Leila de Lima]] and [[Francis Pangilinan|Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan]], labor groups and activists, and other members of the media and government.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Philippines: Media workers file petitions to reject Anti-Terror Law|url=https://www.ifj.org/es/centro-de-medios/noticias/detalle/category/press-releases/article/philippines-media-workers-file-petitions-to-reject-anti-terror-law.html|date=2020-07-23|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref> The extrajudicial killings have risen after the law was made official. After a few years into the Duterte administration, it has been reported that at least 61 lawyers have also been slain by police forces, which means that far more lawyers have been killed than in any previous presidential administration.<ref>{{Cite web|title=61 lawyers killed since Duterte assumed office in 2016, says group|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/11/21/61-lawyers-killed-since-duterte-assumed-office-in-2016-says-group|date=2021-03-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG report found almost half of lawyers killed linked to legal practice|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/03/11/2083558/flag-report-found-almost-half-lawyers-killed-linked-legal-practice|date=2021-03-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Lawyers killed: 61 under Duterte, 49 from Marcos to Aquino|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-killed-duterte-marcos-aquino-administrations-data-studies|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Conde|first=Carlos H.|title=Record High Killing of Philippine Lawyers|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/15/record-high-killing-philippine-lawyers|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Navallo|first=Mike|title=More lawyers killed during Duterte admin than under previous 6 presidents combined - study|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/15/21/more-lawyers-killed-during-duterte-admin-than-under-previous-6-presidents-combined-study|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=61 legal practitioners killed since 2016, zero convictions – lawyers’ group|url=https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/10/lawyers-killed-duterte-administration.html|date=2021-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG expresses concern over 61 lawyers killed since 2016|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/779980/flag-expresses-concern-over-61-lawyers-killed-since-2016/story/|date=2021-03-17}}</ref> In fact based on FLAG data, this statistic is still much larger than the preceding six administrations starting the Marcos dictatorship.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Santos|first=Tina G.|title=NUPL seeks UN help as more PH lawyers killed|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1407423/nupl-seeks-un-help-as-more-ph-lawyers-killed|date=2021-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=FLAG goes to Supreme Court to free ex-NPA chief Salas|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/flag-petition-supreme-court-free-ex-npa-chief|date=February 2020}}</ref>

==Functions and organization==
[[File:FvfBantayogBayani0100 15.JPG|thumb|300 px|right|FLAG founders and human rights activists [[Jose W. Diokno|Atty. Jose W. Diokno]] and [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Atty. Lorenzo M. Tañada]] at the [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]]]

===Purpose===
Among the main objectives of FLAG are:
# To promote civil and political rights through activism
# Handle cases of the urban poor, indigenous peoples, workers, students, NPA members, and other disenfranchised sectors of Philippine society
# To encourage developmental legal advocacy which may remedy injustice not merely by enforcing the law, but also by changing the law and underlying social structures that perpetrate or sustain injustice and inhibit development

===Organization===
[[File:Jose W. Diokno.png|thumb|left|[[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]]]
The law firm and [[Non-governmental organization|non-governmental organization (NGO)]] is headed by its chairman. The current chairman is Atty. Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno. Assisting the chairman is the secretary-general. The incumbent secretary-general is Atty. Maria Socorro "Cookie" Diokno, who was the former chairman of the [[National Historical Commission of the Philippines|National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG lawyers share selfie with ‘unwelcome’ UN expert|url=https://abogado.com.ph/flag-lawyers-share-selfie-with-unwelcome-un-expert/|date=2017-05-08|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> For regional cases, the regional coordinator helps in communications and managing the different logistics throughout several districts and cities. The present Manila regional coordinator is Atty. Ted Te.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> Mary Kathryn Sison is the network coordinator in charge of monitoring oversights in [[Metro Manila]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG)|url=https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/|date=2018|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

===ESC Rights Program===
In 1993, FLAG created the Economic, Social, and Cultural (ESC) Rights Program to properly design a framework that would government accountability over human suffering violations regarding ESC rights. The objective of the FLAG program serves to ultimately create a suitable Philippine system thay may also serve as a model for other developing countries with numerous human rights violations springing from socioeconomic causes. Countries that have been studied and formally addressed by FLAG include [[Thailand]], different [[Southeast Asia|Southeast Asian countries]], and parts of [[Africa]]. Within its ESC Rights Program, FLAG has established two technical core groups, one on the right to housing and the on the right to education. Each group consists of academicians and representatives of NGOs and public organizations, development organizations, professional associations, industries, and selected government departments. Consultations between the two working groups are promoted to share results, seek confirmation, resolve conflicts, and integrate work output. FLAG has established other right-specific working groups since that time, such as the right to health and food, beginning the last quarter of 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> The core functions of the ESC Rights Program are:
# To define the rights of survival in terms of their core content
# To develop legal standards for the rights of survival
# If the rights of survival are, realizable imperatives rather than development objectives, the working groups must lay out clear and precise state obligations under these rights
# Given the establishment of standards and obligations, indicators need to be developed so that systematic monitoring can take place
# For working groups to delineate and outline ways to make the rights of survival legally enforceable and justiciable

== Other Notable Members==
[[File:Justice Marvic MVF Leonen official portrait.jpg|thumb|right|Marvic Leonen, Supreme Court Justice and Human Rights Jurist]]
* [[Joker Arroyo|Ceferino P. "Joker" Arroyo, Jr.]], human rights lawyer, [[Executive Secretary (Philippines)|Executive Secretary]] to President [[Corazon Aquino|Corazon "Cory" Aquino]], and congressman who later became a member of the [[Philippine Senate|Senate]]
* [[Quezon City's 6th congressional district#Representation history|Jose Christopher "Kit" Belmonte]], human rights lawyer, community organizer, congressman, and deputy minority leader of the [[Philippine House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
* [[David Bueno]], human rights lawyer, martial law activist, and martyr who defended Martial Law victims in [[Ilocos Norte]], which was the native province of Ferdinand Marcos
* [http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp Rosario "Chato" Olivas-Gallo], DLSU College of Law vice-dean and children's rights activist
* [[Marvic Leonen]], [[University of the Philippines College of Law|University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman College of Law Dean]], environmental activist, former legal commentator with [[ABS-CBN]] and [[GMA Network|GMA]], Chief Peace Negotiator with the [[Moro Islamic Liberation Front|MILF]], and the youngest [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines|Supreme Court Justice]] since [[WWII]]
* [[Francis Pangilinan|Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan]], human rights lawyer, cabinet member under [[Noynoy Aquino|Pres. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III]], minority leader of the senate, and legal analyst and desk head for ABS-CBN News<ref>{{Cite web|title=Senator Kiko Pangilinan|url=http://legacy.senate.gov.ph/senators/sen_bio/pangilinan_resume.asp|date=2021}}</ref>
* [[Rene Saguisag]], senator, professor, [[Manila Times]] columnist, and lawyer who served as the spokesman for President Corazon Aquino after the [[1986 People Power Revolution]]
* [https://politics.com.ph/tag/atty-arno-sanidad/ Arno Sanidad], law professor and member of the [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]]
* [[Erin Tañada|Lorenzo "Erin" Tañada III]], human rights lawyer, congressman, activist, and news anchor and broadcaster for [[UNTV (Philippines)|UNTV]]
* [https://r3.rappler.com/previous-articles?filterMeta=Ted%20Te Theodore O. "Ted" Te], Supreme Court spokesperson<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|date=2018-09-03|title=Spokesman Ted Te resigns from Supreme Court|url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/210999-supreme-court-spokesman-theodore-te-resigns|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en}}</ref> who represented journalist and [[Time Person of the Year]] [[Maria Ressa]] in her [[Maria Ressa cyberlibel case|cyberlibel case]] against the [[Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte|Rodrigo Duterte Administration]];<ref>{{Cite web|title=Board of Advisers|url=http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref> the Duterte administration has been compared to the Ferdinand Marcos administration for similar human rights abuses, and FLAG again leads the opposition in calling for justice and restitution for the oppressed<ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG lawyer: No place in imperfect justice system for 'absolute' punishments like death penalty|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/09/16/2042884/flag-lawyer-no-place-imperfect-justice-system-absolute-punishments-death-penalty|date=2020-09-16|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-15|title=Court convicts Rappler CEO Ressa in cyberlibel case|url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/6/15/maria-ressa-rappler-conviction.html|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[CNN Philippines]]|language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]
* [[Chel Diokno]]
* [[David Bueno]]
* [[Lorenzo Tañada]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]]
* [[Joker Arroyo]]
* [[Legal aid|Developmental Legal Aid]]
* [[People of the Philippines v. Santos, Ressa and Rappler]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://flagfaqs.blogspot.de/ official website]
* [https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/ Namati: Flag Network]

[[Category:Human rights organizations based in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Jose W. Diokno]]

Free Legal Assistance Group

2021-07-26T01:40:58Z

112.205.1.155: /* Other Notable Members */

{{Infobox organization
| name = FLAG
| image = [[File:ChelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20190223Alternativity.jpg|260 px|FLAG chairman Atty. Chel Diokno at a commemoration of [[Martial Law (Philippines)|martial law]] victims and human rights activists]]
| image_size =
| caption = FLAG chairman [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Chel Diokno]] at a commemoration of [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law]] victims and human rights activists
| logo =
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| abbreviation = FLAG
| formation = {{start date and age|1974}}
| founder = [[Joker Arroyo]] [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]] [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]
| founding_location =
| type = Non-profit lawyers organization, Human rights law firm
| tax_id = 
| registration_id = 
| purpose = [[Human rights]]
| headquarters = [[Quezon City, Philippines]]
| location = Philippines
| coords = 
| region = Nationwide
| services = Pro-bono legal service
| products = Advocacy, Representation, Advice
| methods = Developmental legal advocacy
| fields = [[Human rights]], [[Civil rights]]
| language = English/Filipino
| leader_title = Chairman
| leader_name = [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]]
| leader_title2 = Secretary-General
| leader_name2 = Atty. Maria Socorro I. "Cookie" Diokno
| leader_title3 = Deputy Secretary-General
| leader_name3 = Atty. Arno Sanidad
| leader_title4 = Regional Coordinator of FLAG Metro Manila
| leader_name4 = Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te
| affiliations = [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]] [[Commission on Human Rights|Commission on Human Rights (CHR)]] [[Amnesty International]] [[Human Rights Watch|Human Rights Watch (HRW)]] [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism|Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)]] National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL)
| website = 
}}

The '''Free Legal Assistance Group''' ('''FLAG''') is the largest and oldest organization pertaining to [[human rights]] and human rights lawyers in the [[Philippines]].<ref name="BantayogProfileDioknoJoseW">{{Cite web|date=2015-10-15|title=Heroes and Martyrs: Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805030611/http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|archive-date=2017-08-05|access-date=2019-07-21|website=[[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Medina20170221">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |title=IN THE KNOW: FLAG |last=Medina |first=Marielle |date=21 February 2017 |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224124734/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |archive-date=2017-02-24 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> FLAG handled over ninety percent of human rights cases during [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law and the authoritarian regime]] in 1974-1986 and continues to have a significant impact today.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|date=2017-02-20|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/162022-free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en|quote=Founded in 1974 by the late senators Jose W. Diokno, Lorenzo Tañada Sr, and Joker Arroyo, FLAG provided free legal services to victims of martial law during the Marcos years, and still leads the call in aiding human rights victims nationwide}}</ref>

FLAG has taken the lead in prosecuting abusive military and policemen and demanding accountability from the government. The groups' efforts have led to landmark legislations in habeas corpus. FLAG also questioned, in appropriate cases, the Supreme Court and the constitutionality of the death penalty and the Visiting Forces Agreement, among many others. Among its many advocacies are stopping political repression, military and police abuses, and capital punishment. It works on countering varied abuses of human rights and [[civil liberties]].

FLAG's current chair is [[Human rights lawyer|human rights attorney]] [[Chel Diokno|Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]] since 2001,<ref name="PatriciaDeniseChiu20190405">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |title=Unique killings, same language, lawyers say of drug war reports |last=Chiu |first=Patricia Denise M. |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404232824/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |archive-date=2019-04-04 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> who is the founding dean of the [[De La Salle University College of Law|De La Salle University (DLSU) College of Law]].

The services provided by this institution are generally carried out pro-bono. In fact, it is due to FLAG's innovative use of [[Legal aid|developmental legal aid or free legal assistance]] that it grew in popularity and has allowed for the passage of a new law, requiring newly sworn-in lawyers to conduct community legal aid service for a specified amount of time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore|title=[ANALYSIS {{!}} Deep Dive] Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-14}}</ref>

==History==
===Martial law and early years===
{{Main|Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship}}
{{See also|Human rights in the Philippines}}
[[File:Lorenzo Tanada portrait.jpg|thumb|left|FLAG co-founder Atty. Lorenzo Tañada]]
FLAG was founded in 1974 by [[Jose Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=DIOKNO, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|date=2015-10-15|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> [[Lorenzo Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Clarke|first=Gerard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=044qBgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&q=FLAG&hl=en|title=The Politics of NGOs in Southeast Asia: Participation and Protest in the Philippines|date=2006-05-17|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-69535-5|pages=168–169, 173|language=en}}</ref> and Atty. [[Joker Arroyo]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-10-07|title=Remembering Joker Arroyo|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/728691/remembering-joker-arroyo|access-date=2019-07-24|website=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|language=en}}</ref> during the [[Martial law in the Philippines|martial law era]] under the infamous ex-[[President of the Philippines|President]] [[Ferdinand Marcos]]. After Diokno was released from prison at [[Fort Bonifacio]], he immediately thought of creating a law firm that would support human rights victims through a new and innovative method called developmental legal aid, which he even promoted further by giving allowances to clients without any financial means. FLAG has defended farmers, similar victims of agrarian reform, and activists who were victims of paramilitary abuses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Survey of Private Legal Practitioners to Monitor Access to Justice by the Disadvantaged|url=https://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/UNDP4/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/PLP_Final.pdf|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

According to Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te, the popularization of developmental legal aid at this time eventually laid the foundations for the passing of new laws, particularly the Community Legal Aid Service (CLAS) Rule. The CLAS Rule requires those who have passed the bar and signed the Roll of Attorneys in any particular year after the Rule's effectivity – but specifically, those who passed the [[Philippine Bar Examination|2017 Bar examinations]] and beyond, and were subsequently admitted to the bar – to render 120 hours of legal service. This must be done within their first year of admission to the bar or else they will risk receiving sanctions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore O.|title=(ANALYSIS-Deep Dive) Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref> At the height of martial law, the FLAG firm led by Atty. Diokno, who is called the father of human rights, handled over 90 percent of human rights cases in the country, documenting torture, summary executions, and [[Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship|other abuses during that period]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.dlsaa.com/honors-and-awards/awardees/diokno-jose-w|date=2005|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref>

This sometimes placed lawyers working with FLAG at risk. Among the FLAG lawyers murdered during the dictatorship<ref name="NYTFLAGmurders">{{Cite news |last=Margolick |first=David |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1985-07-11 |title=BAR GROUP ASSAILS PHILIPPINES AS ABUSING LAWYERS (Published 1985) |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |url-status=live |access-date=2021-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524165848/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |archive-date=2015-05-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> were [[Zorro Aguilar]], [[Romraflo Taojo]], and Crisostomo Cailing, all of whom have since been honored by having their names inscribed on the wall of remembrance at the Philippines' [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]], which honors the martyrs and heroes who fought against the Marcos' authoritarian rule.<ref>http://www.bantayog.org/martyrs-heroes/</ref>

===1990s===
{{See also|Kuratong Baleleng}}
Kuratong Baleleng was once the largest syndicate in the country when the national crime rate was at its peak.<ref>{{Cite web|last=De Guzman|first=Naica|title=Most Wanted: Kuratong Baleleng Gang|url= https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/kuratong-baleleng-parojinog-a1729-20180918-lfrm3|date=2018-09-18|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> FLAG later became the chief prosecutor in the 1995 [[Kuratong Baleleng]] rubout case. At that time, eleven members of the organized syndicate Kuratong Baleleng were killed by the forces of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, led by then-police officer [[Panfilo Lacson]]. FLAG prosecuted 27 police officers involved in this case at the [[Regional Trial Court|Quezon City Regional Trial Court]] but to no avail.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/285090/news/nation/sc-upholds-dismissal-of-lacson-s-kuratong-baleleng-case|title=SC upholds dismissal of Lacson's Kuratong Baleleng case|date=December 4, 2012|publisher=gmanetwork.com|access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref> FLAG immediately appealed to the High Tribunal to remand the case to the trial court once more in order to present new evidence against Lacson, inter alia. Later on May 2, 2008, the Supreme Court finally resolved to consider the appeal.

Other famous cases include Leo Echegarray v. Secretary of Justice. In this case, the convicted Leo Echegarray was to be sentenced to death. The death penalty had been removed for years but reinstated in the 1990s. This case was to mark the very return of its implementation. Atty. Ted Te and FLAG's continuous pleadings and petitions for reconsideration managed to pave the way for intensive debate against the death penalty, until it was finally abolished in 2006.<Ref>{{Cite web|title=LEO ECHEGARAY, petitioner, vs. SECRETARY OF JUSTICE, ET AL., respondents.|url=https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1999/jan1999/gr_132601_1999.html|date=1999-01-19}}</ref>

===2000s and the Macapagal-Arroyo administration===
{{Main|Presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo}}
{{See also|Second EDSA Revolution|NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|Manila Peninsula siege}}
Atty. Chel Diokno helped prosecute then-President [[Joseph Estrada]] during his impeachment case from 2000 to 2001, which led to the [[Second EDSA Revolution]] that had him ousted and had Vice-president [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] inaugurated as the 14th president. Later on however, former Pres. Arroyo, who was the daughter of the ninth president [[Diosdado Macapagal]], would be involved in a [[NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|corruption scandal]] with Chinese telecom firm [[ZTE]]. Atty. Diokno would aid whistleblower [[Jun Lozada]] as part of his legal counsel during his court hearings against the administration.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

Around the same time in 2007, Atty. Diokno along with fellow FLAG lawyers Ted Te and Ricardo A. Sunga III, petitioned and were granted by the [[Philippine Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] to issue [[Writs of Amparo and Habeas Data|Writs of Amparo]] for leftist activists Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, two brothers who were allegedly tortured by the military under the Arroyo administration.<ref name="amparo">{{Cite news
|last = Panaligan
|first = Rey
|title = Supreme Court, QC RTC issue 1st Writs of Amparo
|newspaper = Manila Bulletin
|publisher = Manila Bulletin
|date = 2007-10-26
|url = http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|access-date = 2011-05-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120825185101/http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|archive-date = 2012-08-25
}}
</ref> FLAG also represented the media in a petition against the [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo|Arroyo administration]]. The case brought together members of [[ABS-CBN Corporation|ABS-CBN]], the [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]], Probe Productions, [[Newsbreak]], and the [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism]], among others for allegedly being rounded up for their "illegal" coverage of the [[Manila Peninsula siege|Manila Peninsula Siege]] that tried to force the president to resign.<ref name="mediavsarroyo">{{Cite news
|last = Jimenez-David
|first = Rina
|title = Who’s publicity-hungry?
|newspaper = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|publisher = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|date = 2008-01-29
|url = http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|access-date = 2020-10-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120326173919/http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|archive-date = 2012-03-26
}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=17 of 50 Journalists rounded up from The Pen released|url=http://www.gmanews.tv/story/70787/17-of-50-journalists-rounded-up-from-The-Pen-released|publisher=GMA News | date = 2007-11-29 | access-date = 2010-10-15}}</ref>

Pres. Arroyo would leave office with record-low approval ratings and was later imprisoned during the administration of the 15th President, [[Benigno Aquino III]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=David|title=Corruption was Gloria's biggest mistake: survey|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/08/04/10/corruption-was-glorias-biggest-mistake-survey|date=2010-08-04}}</ref>

===Legal battles with the Duterte administration===
{{Main|Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020}}
{{See also|Philippine drug war}}
[[File:TañadaPimentelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20181130Alternativity.jpg|thumb|Atty. [[Wigberto Tañada]], former Sen. [[Nene Pimentel]], and Atty. [[Chel Diokno]] at the 2018 Honoring of Martyrs and Heroes at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani on 30 November 2018]]
In 2017, FLAG lawyers Atty. Chel Diokno, Atty. Arno Sanidad, and former president of the [[Philippine Health Insurance Corporation]] (PhilHealth) Atty. Alexander Padilla became the legal counsel of retired police officer SPO3 Arturo Lascañas, a former officer of Duterte's [[Davao Death Squad]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-24}}</ref> Lascañas admitted to the court that he had to kill 300 civilians under Duterte, then the mayor of [[Davao City]]. The participation of FLAG in Lascañas's affidavit helped create credibility and exposed much of the controversial dealings concurrently happening in Davao City under the Duterte political family's watch. The case and its resulting revelation of Duterte's crimes became renowned through headlines all over top media groups around the world, which was brought to the attention of the [[International Criminal Court]] (ICC).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=Nikko|title=FLAG lawyers heighten Lascañas’ credibility – opposition solon|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873616/flag-lawyers-heighten-lascanas-credibility-opposition-solon|date=2017-02-21|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref>

In 2020, Atty. Diokno protested against the passing of the [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|Anti-Terror Law]], which was approved by the 16th President, [[Rodrigo Duterte]]. This would arrest those who are deemed terrorists by the government. Atty. Diokno quipped that not just terrorists would be arrested from this law but possibly any protestor could be harmed. He then questioned the Supreme Court on this decision.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title='Lawyers should strike' to demand Supreme Court actions vs abuses|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-should-strike-demand-supreme-court-actions-abuses|date=2021-03-09}}</ref> On July 23, FLAG, together with fellow columnists, statesmen, and political detainees issued the legal challenge G.R. No. 252741 against Anti-Terror Council member and Duterte's Executive Secretary [[Salvador Medialdea]] on the grounds and rationality of the signed law. Among the provisions in the law being questioned were Section 29 on detention without judicial warrant of arrest in which a suspect can be arrested even without a warrant of arrest and detained for up to 24 days. This has been compared to the time when [[History of the Philippines under Ferdinand Marcos|soon-to-be-ousted President Ferdinand Marcos]] removed the writ of habeas corpus in 1971. This has led to arrests without reason or without warrant, and has incited massive protests in the process.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno to question Anti-Terror law before Supreme Court|url=https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/human-rights-lawyer-chel-diokno-to-question-anti-terror-law-before-supreme-court/ar-BB16j0J5|access-date=2020-09-12}}</ref>

The Anti-Terror law has been denounced as being too vague and therefore very dangerous in its potential for wide-scale abuse.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Half of lawyer killings since 2016 were work-related – FLAG|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/half-lawyer-killings-since-2016-work-related-flag|date=2021-01-21}}</ref> FLAG served as the leader and legal council of the petition, together with at least 14 other early petitions coming from all different sectors: [[Rappler]] and [[Maria Ressa]] (whom FLAG defended a few years prior to the passage of the Anti-Terror Law), the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL), senators such as [[Leila de Lima]] and [[Francis Pangilinan|Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan]], labor groups and activists, and other members of the media and government.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Philippines: Media workers file petitions to reject Anti-Terror Law|url=https://www.ifj.org/es/centro-de-medios/noticias/detalle/category/press-releases/article/philippines-media-workers-file-petitions-to-reject-anti-terror-law.html|date=2020-07-23|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref> The extrajudicial killings have risen after the law was made official. After a few years into the Duterte administration, it has been reported that at least 61 lawyers have also been slain by police forces, which means that far more lawyers have been killed than in any previous presidential administration.<ref>{{Cite web|title=61 lawyers killed since Duterte assumed office in 2016, says group|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/11/21/61-lawyers-killed-since-duterte-assumed-office-in-2016-says-group|date=2021-03-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG report found almost half of lawyers killed linked to legal practice|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/03/11/2083558/flag-report-found-almost-half-lawyers-killed-linked-legal-practice|date=2021-03-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Lawyers killed: 61 under Duterte, 49 from Marcos to Aquino|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-killed-duterte-marcos-aquino-administrations-data-studies|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Conde|first=Carlos H.|title=Record High Killing of Philippine Lawyers|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/15/record-high-killing-philippine-lawyers|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Navallo|first=Mike|title=More lawyers killed during Duterte admin than under previous 6 presidents combined - study|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/15/21/more-lawyers-killed-during-duterte-admin-than-under-previous-6-presidents-combined-study|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=61 legal practitioners killed since 2016, zero convictions – lawyers’ group|url=https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/10/lawyers-killed-duterte-administration.html|date=2021-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG expresses concern over 61 lawyers killed since 2016|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/779980/flag-expresses-concern-over-61-lawyers-killed-since-2016/story/|date=2021-03-17}}</ref> In fact based on FLAG data, this statistic is still much larger than the preceding six administrations starting the Marcos dictatorship.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Santos|first=Tina G.|title=NUPL seeks UN help as more PH lawyers killed|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1407423/nupl-seeks-un-help-as-more-ph-lawyers-killed|date=2021-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=FLAG goes to Supreme Court to free ex-NPA chief Salas|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/flag-petition-supreme-court-free-ex-npa-chief|date=February 2020}}</ref>

==Functions and organization==
[[File:FvfBantayogBayani0100 15.JPG|thumb|300 px|right|FLAG founders and human rights activists [[Jose W. Diokno|Atty. Jose W. Diokno]] and [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Atty. Lorenzo M. Tañada]] at the [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]]]

===Purpose===
Among the main objectives of FLAG are:
# To promote civil and political rights through activism
# Handle cases of the urban poor, indigenous peoples, workers, students, NPA members, and other disenfranchised sectors of Philippine society
# To encourage developmental legal advocacy which may remedy injustice not merely by enforcing the law, but also by changing the law and underlying social structures that perpetrate or sustain injustice and inhibit development

===Organization===
[[File:Jose W. Diokno.png|thumb|left|[[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]]]
The law firm and [[Non-governmental organization|non-governmental organization (NGO)]] is headed by its chairman. The current chairman is Atty. Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno. Assisting the chairman is the secretary-general. The incumbent secretary-general is Atty. Maria Socorro "Cookie" Diokno, who was the former chairman of the [[National Historical Commission of the Philippines|National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG lawyers share selfie with ‘unwelcome’ UN expert|url=https://abogado.com.ph/flag-lawyers-share-selfie-with-unwelcome-un-expert/|date=2017-05-08|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> For regional cases, the regional coordinator helps in communications and managing the different logistics throughout several districts and cities. The present Manila regional coordinator is Atty. Ted Te.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> Mary Kathryn Sison is the network coordinator in charge of monitoring oversights in [[Metro Manila]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG)|url=https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/|date=2018|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

===ESC Rights Program===
In 1993, FLAG created the Economic, Social, and Cultural (ESC) Rights Program to properly design a framework that would government accountability over human suffering violations regarding ESC rights. The objective of the FLAG program serves to ultimately create a suitable Philippine system thay may also serve as a model for other developing countries with numerous human rights violations springing from socioeconomic causes. Countries that have been studied and formally addressed by FLAG include [[Thailand]], different [[Southeast Asia|Southeast Asian countries]], and parts of [[Africa]]. Within its ESC Rights Program, FLAG has established two technical core groups, one on the right to housing and the on the right to education. Each group consists of academicians and representatives of NGOs and public organizations, development organizations, professional associations, industries, and selected government departments. Consultations between the two working groups are promoted to share results, seek confirmation, resolve conflicts, and integrate work output. FLAG has established other right-specific working groups since that time, such as the right to health and food, beginning the last quarter of 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> The core functions of the ESC Rights Program are:
# To define the rights of survival in terms of their core content
# To develop legal standards for the rights of survival
# If the rights of survival are, realizable imperatives rather than development objectives, the working groups must lay out clear and precise state obligations under these rights
# Given the establishment of standards and obligations, indicators need to be developed so that systematic monitoring can take place
# For working groups to delineate and outline ways to make the rights of survival legally enforceable and justiciable

== Other Notable Members==
[[File:Justice Marvic MVF Leonen official portrait.jpg|thumb|right|Marvic Leonen, Supreme Court Justice and Human Rights Jurist]]
* [[Joker Arroyo|Ceferino P. "Joker" Arroyo, Jr.]], human rights lawyer, [[Executive Secretary (Philippines)|Executive Secretary]] to President [[Corazon Aquino|Corazon "Cory" Aquino]], and congressman who later became a member of the [[Philippine Senate|Senate]]
* [[Quezon City's 6th congressional district#Representation history|Jose Christopher "Kit" Belmonte]], human rights lawyer, community organizer, congressman, and deputy minority leader of the [[Philippine House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
* [[David Bueno]], human rights lawyer, martial law activist, and martyr who defended Martial Law victims in [[Ilocos Norte]], which was the native province of Ferdinand Marcos
* [http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp Rosario "Chato" Olivas-Gallo], DLSU College of Law vice-dean and children's rights activist
* [[Marvic Leonen]], [[University of the Philippines College of Law|University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman College of Law Dean]], environmental activist, former legal commentator with [[ABS-CBN]] and [[GMA Network|GMA]], Chief Peace Negotiator with the [[Moro Islamic Liberation Front|MILF]], and the youngest [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines|Supreme Court Justice]] since [[WWII]]
* [[Francis Pangilinan|Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan]], human rights lawyer, minority leader of the senate, and legal analyst and desk head for ABS-CBN News<ref>{{Cite web|title=Senator Kiko Pangilinan|url=http://legacy.senate.gov.ph/senators/sen_bio/pangilinan_resume.asp|date=2021}}</ref>
* [[Rene Saguisag]], senator, professor, [[Manila Times]] columnist, and lawyer who served as the spokesman for President Corazon Aquino after the [[1986 People Power Revolution]]
* [https://politics.com.ph/tag/atty-arno-sanidad/ Arno Sanidad], law professor and member of the [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]]
* [[Erin Tañada|Lorenzo "Erin" Tañada III]], human rights lawyer, congressman, activist, and news anchor and broadcaster for [[UNTV (Philippines)|UNTV]]
* [https://r3.rappler.com/previous-articles?filterMeta=Ted%20Te Theodore O. "Ted" Te], Supreme Court spokesperson<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|date=2018-09-03|title=Spokesman Ted Te resigns from Supreme Court|url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/210999-supreme-court-spokesman-theodore-te-resigns|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en}}</ref> who represented journalist and [[Time Person of the Year]] [[Maria Ressa]] in her [[Maria Ressa cyberlibel case|cyberlibel case]] against the [[Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte|Rodrigo Duterte Administration]];<ref>{{Cite web|title=Board of Advisers|url=http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref> the Duterte administration has been compared to the Ferdinand Marcos administration for similar human rights abuses, and FLAG again leads the opposition in calling for justice and restitution for the oppressed<ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG lawyer: No place in imperfect justice system for 'absolute' punishments like death penalty|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/09/16/2042884/flag-lawyer-no-place-imperfect-justice-system-absolute-punishments-death-penalty|date=2020-09-16|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-15|title=Court convicts Rappler CEO Ressa in cyberlibel case|url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/6/15/maria-ressa-rappler-conviction.html|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[CNN Philippines]]|language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]
* [[Chel Diokno]]
* [[David Bueno]]
* [[Lorenzo Tañada]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]]
* [[Joker Arroyo]]
* [[Legal aid|Developmental Legal Aid]]
* [[People of the Philippines v. Santos, Ressa and Rappler]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://flagfaqs.blogspot.de/ official website]
* [https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/ Namati: Flag Network]

[[Category:Human rights organizations based in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Jose W. Diokno]]

Free Legal Assistance Group

2021-07-26T01:39:52Z

112.205.1.155: /* Other Notable Members */

{{Infobox organization
| name = FLAG
| image = [[File:ChelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20190223Alternativity.jpg|260 px|FLAG chairman Atty. Chel Diokno at a commemoration of [[Martial Law (Philippines)|martial law]] victims and human rights activists]]
| image_size =
| caption = FLAG chairman [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Chel Diokno]] at a commemoration of [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law]] victims and human rights activists
| logo =
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| abbreviation = FLAG
| formation = {{start date and age|1974}}
| founder = [[Joker Arroyo]] [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]] [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]
| founding_location =
| type = Non-profit lawyers organization, Human rights law firm
| tax_id = 
| registration_id = 
| purpose = [[Human rights]]
| headquarters = [[Quezon City, Philippines]]
| location = Philippines
| coords = 
| region = Nationwide
| services = Pro-bono legal service
| products = Advocacy, Representation, Advice
| methods = Developmental legal advocacy
| fields = [[Human rights]], [[Civil rights]]
| language = English/Filipino
| leader_title = Chairman
| leader_name = [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]]
| leader_title2 = Secretary-General
| leader_name2 = Atty. Maria Socorro I. "Cookie" Diokno
| leader_title3 = Deputy Secretary-General
| leader_name3 = Atty. Arno Sanidad
| leader_title4 = Regional Coordinator of FLAG Metro Manila
| leader_name4 = Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te
| affiliations = [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]] [[Commission on Human Rights|Commission on Human Rights (CHR)]] [[Amnesty International]] [[Human Rights Watch|Human Rights Watch (HRW)]] [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism|Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)]] National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL)
| website = 
}}

The '''Free Legal Assistance Group''' ('''FLAG''') is the largest and oldest organization pertaining to [[human rights]] and human rights lawyers in the [[Philippines]].<ref name="BantayogProfileDioknoJoseW">{{Cite web|date=2015-10-15|title=Heroes and Martyrs: Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805030611/http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|archive-date=2017-08-05|access-date=2019-07-21|website=[[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Medina20170221">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |title=IN THE KNOW: FLAG |last=Medina |first=Marielle |date=21 February 2017 |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224124734/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |archive-date=2017-02-24 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> FLAG handled over ninety percent of human rights cases during [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law and the authoritarian regime]] in 1974-1986 and continues to have a significant impact today.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|date=2017-02-20|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/162022-free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en|quote=Founded in 1974 by the late senators Jose W. Diokno, Lorenzo Tañada Sr, and Joker Arroyo, FLAG provided free legal services to victims of martial law during the Marcos years, and still leads the call in aiding human rights victims nationwide}}</ref>

FLAG has taken the lead in prosecuting abusive military and policemen and demanding accountability from the government. The groups' efforts have led to landmark legislations in habeas corpus. FLAG also questioned, in appropriate cases, the Supreme Court and the constitutionality of the death penalty and the Visiting Forces Agreement, among many others. Among its many advocacies are stopping political repression, military and police abuses, and capital punishment. It works on countering varied abuses of human rights and [[civil liberties]].

FLAG's current chair is [[Human rights lawyer|human rights attorney]] [[Chel Diokno|Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]] since 2001,<ref name="PatriciaDeniseChiu20190405">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |title=Unique killings, same language, lawyers say of drug war reports |last=Chiu |first=Patricia Denise M. |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404232824/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |archive-date=2019-04-04 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> who is the founding dean of the [[De La Salle University College of Law|De La Salle University (DLSU) College of Law]].

The services provided by this institution are generally carried out pro-bono. In fact, it is due to FLAG's innovative use of [[Legal aid|developmental legal aid or free legal assistance]] that it grew in popularity and has allowed for the passage of a new law, requiring newly sworn-in lawyers to conduct community legal aid service for a specified amount of time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore|title=[ANALYSIS {{!}} Deep Dive] Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-14}}</ref>

==History==
===Martial law and early years===
{{Main|Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship}}
{{See also|Human rights in the Philippines}}
[[File:Lorenzo Tanada portrait.jpg|thumb|left|FLAG co-founder Atty. Lorenzo Tañada]]
FLAG was founded in 1974 by [[Jose Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=DIOKNO, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|date=2015-10-15|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> [[Lorenzo Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Clarke|first=Gerard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=044qBgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&q=FLAG&hl=en|title=The Politics of NGOs in Southeast Asia: Participation and Protest in the Philippines|date=2006-05-17|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-69535-5|pages=168–169, 173|language=en}}</ref> and Atty. [[Joker Arroyo]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-10-07|title=Remembering Joker Arroyo|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/728691/remembering-joker-arroyo|access-date=2019-07-24|website=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|language=en}}</ref> during the [[Martial law in the Philippines|martial law era]] under the infamous ex-[[President of the Philippines|President]] [[Ferdinand Marcos]]. After Diokno was released from prison at [[Fort Bonifacio]], he immediately thought of creating a law firm that would support human rights victims through a new and innovative method called developmental legal aid, which he even promoted further by giving allowances to clients without any financial means. FLAG has defended farmers, similar victims of agrarian reform, and activists who were victims of paramilitary abuses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Survey of Private Legal Practitioners to Monitor Access to Justice by the Disadvantaged|url=https://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/UNDP4/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/PLP_Final.pdf|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

According to Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te, the popularization of developmental legal aid at this time eventually laid the foundations for the passing of new laws, particularly the Community Legal Aid Service (CLAS) Rule. The CLAS Rule requires those who have passed the bar and signed the Roll of Attorneys in any particular year after the Rule's effectivity – but specifically, those who passed the [[Philippine Bar Examination|2017 Bar examinations]] and beyond, and were subsequently admitted to the bar – to render 120 hours of legal service. This must be done within their first year of admission to the bar or else they will risk receiving sanctions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore O.|title=(ANALYSIS-Deep Dive) Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref> At the height of martial law, the FLAG firm led by Atty. Diokno, who is called the father of human rights, handled over 90 percent of human rights cases in the country, documenting torture, summary executions, and [[Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship|other abuses during that period]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.dlsaa.com/honors-and-awards/awardees/diokno-jose-w|date=2005|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref>

This sometimes placed lawyers working with FLAG at risk. Among the FLAG lawyers murdered during the dictatorship<ref name="NYTFLAGmurders">{{Cite news |last=Margolick |first=David |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1985-07-11 |title=BAR GROUP ASSAILS PHILIPPINES AS ABUSING LAWYERS (Published 1985) |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |url-status=live |access-date=2021-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524165848/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |archive-date=2015-05-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> were [[Zorro Aguilar]], [[Romraflo Taojo]], and Crisostomo Cailing, all of whom have since been honored by having their names inscribed on the wall of remembrance at the Philippines' [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]], which honors the martyrs and heroes who fought against the Marcos' authoritarian rule.<ref>http://www.bantayog.org/martyrs-heroes/</ref>

===1990s===
{{See also|Kuratong Baleleng}}
Kuratong Baleleng was once the largest syndicate in the country when the national crime rate was at its peak.<ref>{{Cite web|last=De Guzman|first=Naica|title=Most Wanted: Kuratong Baleleng Gang|url= https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/kuratong-baleleng-parojinog-a1729-20180918-lfrm3|date=2018-09-18|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> FLAG later became the chief prosecutor in the 1995 [[Kuratong Baleleng]] rubout case. At that time, eleven members of the organized syndicate Kuratong Baleleng were killed by the forces of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, led by then-police officer [[Panfilo Lacson]]. FLAG prosecuted 27 police officers involved in this case at the [[Regional Trial Court|Quezon City Regional Trial Court]] but to no avail.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/285090/news/nation/sc-upholds-dismissal-of-lacson-s-kuratong-baleleng-case|title=SC upholds dismissal of Lacson's Kuratong Baleleng case|date=December 4, 2012|publisher=gmanetwork.com|access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref> FLAG immediately appealed to the High Tribunal to remand the case to the trial court once more in order to present new evidence against Lacson, inter alia. Later on May 2, 2008, the Supreme Court finally resolved to consider the appeal.

Other famous cases include Leo Echegarray v. Secretary of Justice. In this case, the convicted Leo Echegarray was to be sentenced to death. The death penalty had been removed for years but reinstated in the 1990s. This case was to mark the very return of its implementation. Atty. Ted Te and FLAG's continuous pleadings and petitions for reconsideration managed to pave the way for intensive debate against the death penalty, until it was finally abolished in 2006.<Ref>{{Cite web|title=LEO ECHEGARAY, petitioner, vs. SECRETARY OF JUSTICE, ET AL., respondents.|url=https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1999/jan1999/gr_132601_1999.html|date=1999-01-19}}</ref>

===2000s and the Macapagal-Arroyo administration===
{{Main|Presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo}}
{{See also|Second EDSA Revolution|NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|Manila Peninsula siege}}
Atty. Chel Diokno helped prosecute then-President [[Joseph Estrada]] during his impeachment case from 2000 to 2001, which led to the [[Second EDSA Revolution]] that had him ousted and had Vice-president [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] inaugurated as the 14th president. Later on however, former Pres. Arroyo, who was the daughter of the ninth president [[Diosdado Macapagal]], would be involved in a [[NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|corruption scandal]] with Chinese telecom firm [[ZTE]]. Atty. Diokno would aid whistleblower [[Jun Lozada]] as part of his legal counsel during his court hearings against the administration.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

Around the same time in 2007, Atty. Diokno along with fellow FLAG lawyers Ted Te and Ricardo A. Sunga III, petitioned and were granted by the [[Philippine Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] to issue [[Writs of Amparo and Habeas Data|Writs of Amparo]] for leftist activists Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, two brothers who were allegedly tortured by the military under the Arroyo administration.<ref name="amparo">{{Cite news
|last = Panaligan
|first = Rey
|title = Supreme Court, QC RTC issue 1st Writs of Amparo
|newspaper = Manila Bulletin
|publisher = Manila Bulletin
|date = 2007-10-26
|url = http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|access-date = 2011-05-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120825185101/http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|archive-date = 2012-08-25
}}
</ref> FLAG also represented the media in a petition against the [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo|Arroyo administration]]. The case brought together members of [[ABS-CBN Corporation|ABS-CBN]], the [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]], Probe Productions, [[Newsbreak]], and the [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism]], among others for allegedly being rounded up for their "illegal" coverage of the [[Manila Peninsula siege|Manila Peninsula Siege]] that tried to force the president to resign.<ref name="mediavsarroyo">{{Cite news
|last = Jimenez-David
|first = Rina
|title = Who’s publicity-hungry?
|newspaper = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|publisher = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|date = 2008-01-29
|url = http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|access-date = 2020-10-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120326173919/http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|archive-date = 2012-03-26
}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=17 of 50 Journalists rounded up from The Pen released|url=http://www.gmanews.tv/story/70787/17-of-50-journalists-rounded-up-from-The-Pen-released|publisher=GMA News | date = 2007-11-29 | access-date = 2010-10-15}}</ref>

Pres. Arroyo would leave office with record-low approval ratings and was later imprisoned during the administration of the 15th President, [[Benigno Aquino III]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=David|title=Corruption was Gloria's biggest mistake: survey|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/08/04/10/corruption-was-glorias-biggest-mistake-survey|date=2010-08-04}}</ref>

===Legal battles with the Duterte administration===
{{Main|Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020}}
{{See also|Philippine drug war}}
[[File:TañadaPimentelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20181130Alternativity.jpg|thumb|Atty. [[Wigberto Tañada]], former Sen. [[Nene Pimentel]], and Atty. [[Chel Diokno]] at the 2018 Honoring of Martyrs and Heroes at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani on 30 November 2018]]
In 2017, FLAG lawyers Atty. Chel Diokno, Atty. Arno Sanidad, and former president of the [[Philippine Health Insurance Corporation]] (PhilHealth) Atty. Alexander Padilla became the legal counsel of retired police officer SPO3 Arturo Lascañas, a former officer of Duterte's [[Davao Death Squad]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-24}}</ref> Lascañas admitted to the court that he had to kill 300 civilians under Duterte, then the mayor of [[Davao City]]. The participation of FLAG in Lascañas's affidavit helped create credibility and exposed much of the controversial dealings concurrently happening in Davao City under the Duterte political family's watch. The case and its resulting revelation of Duterte's crimes became renowned through headlines all over top media groups around the world, which was brought to the attention of the [[International Criminal Court]] (ICC).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=Nikko|title=FLAG lawyers heighten Lascañas’ credibility – opposition solon|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873616/flag-lawyers-heighten-lascanas-credibility-opposition-solon|date=2017-02-21|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref>

In 2020, Atty. Diokno protested against the passing of the [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|Anti-Terror Law]], which was approved by the 16th President, [[Rodrigo Duterte]]. This would arrest those who are deemed terrorists by the government. Atty. Diokno quipped that not just terrorists would be arrested from this law but possibly any protestor could be harmed. He then questioned the Supreme Court on this decision.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title='Lawyers should strike' to demand Supreme Court actions vs abuses|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-should-strike-demand-supreme-court-actions-abuses|date=2021-03-09}}</ref> On July 23, FLAG, together with fellow columnists, statesmen, and political detainees issued the legal challenge G.R. No. 252741 against Anti-Terror Council member and Duterte's Executive Secretary [[Salvador Medialdea]] on the grounds and rationality of the signed law. Among the provisions in the law being questioned were Section 29 on detention without judicial warrant of arrest in which a suspect can be arrested even without a warrant of arrest and detained for up to 24 days. This has been compared to the time when [[History of the Philippines under Ferdinand Marcos|soon-to-be-ousted President Ferdinand Marcos]] removed the writ of habeas corpus in 1971. This has led to arrests without reason or without warrant, and has incited massive protests in the process.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno to question Anti-Terror law before Supreme Court|url=https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/human-rights-lawyer-chel-diokno-to-question-anti-terror-law-before-supreme-court/ar-BB16j0J5|access-date=2020-09-12}}</ref>

The Anti-Terror law has been denounced as being too vague and therefore very dangerous in its potential for wide-scale abuse.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Half of lawyer killings since 2016 were work-related – FLAG|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/half-lawyer-killings-since-2016-work-related-flag|date=2021-01-21}}</ref> FLAG served as the leader and legal council of the petition, together with at least 14 other early petitions coming from all different sectors: [[Rappler]] and [[Maria Ressa]] (whom FLAG defended a few years prior to the passage of the Anti-Terror Law), the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL), senators such as [[Leila de Lima]] and [[Francis Pangilinan|Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan]], labor groups and activists, and other members of the media and government.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Philippines: Media workers file petitions to reject Anti-Terror Law|url=https://www.ifj.org/es/centro-de-medios/noticias/detalle/category/press-releases/article/philippines-media-workers-file-petitions-to-reject-anti-terror-law.html|date=2020-07-23|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref> The extrajudicial killings have risen after the law was made official. After a few years into the Duterte administration, it has been reported that at least 61 lawyers have also been slain by police forces, which means that far more lawyers have been killed than in any previous presidential administration.<ref>{{Cite web|title=61 lawyers killed since Duterte assumed office in 2016, says group|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/11/21/61-lawyers-killed-since-duterte-assumed-office-in-2016-says-group|date=2021-03-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG report found almost half of lawyers killed linked to legal practice|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/03/11/2083558/flag-report-found-almost-half-lawyers-killed-linked-legal-practice|date=2021-03-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Lawyers killed: 61 under Duterte, 49 from Marcos to Aquino|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-killed-duterte-marcos-aquino-administrations-data-studies|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Conde|first=Carlos H.|title=Record High Killing of Philippine Lawyers|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/15/record-high-killing-philippine-lawyers|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Navallo|first=Mike|title=More lawyers killed during Duterte admin than under previous 6 presidents combined - study|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/15/21/more-lawyers-killed-during-duterte-admin-than-under-previous-6-presidents-combined-study|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=61 legal practitioners killed since 2016, zero convictions – lawyers’ group|url=https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/10/lawyers-killed-duterte-administration.html|date=2021-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG expresses concern over 61 lawyers killed since 2016|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/779980/flag-expresses-concern-over-61-lawyers-killed-since-2016/story/|date=2021-03-17}}</ref> In fact based on FLAG data, this statistic is still much larger than the preceding six administrations starting the Marcos dictatorship.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Santos|first=Tina G.|title=NUPL seeks UN help as more PH lawyers killed|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1407423/nupl-seeks-un-help-as-more-ph-lawyers-killed|date=2021-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=FLAG goes to Supreme Court to free ex-NPA chief Salas|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/flag-petition-supreme-court-free-ex-npa-chief|date=February 2020}}</ref>

==Functions and organization==
[[File:FvfBantayogBayani0100 15.JPG|thumb|300 px|right|FLAG founders and human rights activists [[Jose W. Diokno|Atty. Jose W. Diokno]] and [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Atty. Lorenzo M. Tañada]] at the [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]]]

===Purpose===
Among the main objectives of FLAG are:
# To promote civil and political rights through activism
# Handle cases of the urban poor, indigenous peoples, workers, students, NPA members, and other disenfranchised sectors of Philippine society
# To encourage developmental legal advocacy which may remedy injustice not merely by enforcing the law, but also by changing the law and underlying social structures that perpetrate or sustain injustice and inhibit development

===Organization===
[[File:Jose W. Diokno.png|thumb|left|[[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]]]
The law firm and [[Non-governmental organization|non-governmental organization (NGO)]] is headed by its chairman. The current chairman is Atty. Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno. Assisting the chairman is the secretary-general. The incumbent secretary-general is Atty. Maria Socorro "Cookie" Diokno, who was the former chairman of the [[National Historical Commission of the Philippines|National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG lawyers share selfie with ‘unwelcome’ UN expert|url=https://abogado.com.ph/flag-lawyers-share-selfie-with-unwelcome-un-expert/|date=2017-05-08|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> For regional cases, the regional coordinator helps in communications and managing the different logistics throughout several districts and cities. The present Manila regional coordinator is Atty. Ted Te.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> Mary Kathryn Sison is the network coordinator in charge of monitoring oversights in [[Metro Manila]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG)|url=https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/|date=2018|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

===ESC Rights Program===
In 1993, FLAG created the Economic, Social, and Cultural (ESC) Rights Program to properly design a framework that would government accountability over human suffering violations regarding ESC rights. The objective of the FLAG program serves to ultimately create a suitable Philippine system thay may also serve as a model for other developing countries with numerous human rights violations springing from socioeconomic causes. Countries that have been studied and formally addressed by FLAG include [[Thailand]], different [[Southeast Asia|Southeast Asian countries]], and parts of [[Africa]]. Within its ESC Rights Program, FLAG has established two technical core groups, one on the right to housing and the on the right to education. Each group consists of academicians and representatives of NGOs and public organizations, development organizations, professional associations, industries, and selected government departments. Consultations between the two working groups are promoted to share results, seek confirmation, resolve conflicts, and integrate work output. FLAG has established other right-specific working groups since that time, such as the right to health and food, beginning the last quarter of 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> The core functions of the ESC Rights Program are:
# To define the rights of survival in terms of their core content
# To develop legal standards for the rights of survival
# If the rights of survival are, realizable imperatives rather than development objectives, the working groups must lay out clear and precise state obligations under these rights
# Given the establishment of standards and obligations, indicators need to be developed so that systematic monitoring can take place
# For working groups to delineate and outline ways to make the rights of survival legally enforceable and justiciable

== Other Notable Members==
[[File:Justice Marvic MVF Leonen official portrait.jpg|thumb|right|Marvin Leonen, Supreme Court Justice and Human Rights Jurist]]
* [[Joker Arroyo|Ceferino P. "Joker" Arroyo, Jr.]], human rights lawyer, [[Executive Secretary (Philippines)|Executive Secretary]] to President [[Corazon Aquino|Corazon "Cory" Aquino]], and congressman who later became a member of the [[Philippine Senate|Senate]]
* [[Quezon City's 6th congressional district#Representation history|Jose Christopher "Kit" Belmonte]], human rights lawyer, community organizer, congressman, and deputy minority leader of the [[Philippine House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
* [[David Bueno]], human rights lawyer, martial law activist, and martyr who defended Martial Law victims in [[Ilocos Norte]], which was the native province of Ferdinand Marcos
* [http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp Rosario "Chato" Olivas-Gallo], DLSU College of Law vice-dean and children's rights activist
* [[Marvic Leonen]], [[University of the Philippines College of Law|University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman College of Law Dean]], environmental activist, former legal commentator with [[ABS-CBN]] and [[GMA Network|GMA]], Chief Peace Negotiator with the [[Moro Islamic Liberation Front|MILF]], and the youngest [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines|Supreme Court Justice]] since [[WWII]]
* [[Francis Pangilinan|Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan]], human rights lawyer, minority leader of the senate, and legal analyst and desk head for ABS-CBN News<ref>{{Cite web|title=Senator Kiko Pangilinan|url=http://legacy.senate.gov.ph/senators/sen_bio/pangilinan_resume.asp|date=2021}}</ref>
* [[Rene Saguisag]], senator, professor, [[Manila Times]] columnist, and lawyer who served as the spokesman for President Corazon Aquino after the [[1986 People Power Revolution]]
* [https://politics.com.ph/tag/atty-arno-sanidad/ Arno Sanidad], law professor and member of the [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]]
* [[Erin Tañada|Lorenzo "Erin" Tañada III]], human rights lawyer, congressman, activist, and news anchor and broadcaster for [[UNTV (Philippines)|UNTV]]
* [https://r3.rappler.com/previous-articles?filterMeta=Ted%20Te Theodore O. "Ted" Te], Supreme Court spokesperson<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|date=2018-09-03|title=Spokesman Ted Te resigns from Supreme Court|url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/210999-supreme-court-spokesman-theodore-te-resigns|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en}}</ref> who represented journalist and [[Time Person of the Year]] [[Maria Ressa]] in her [[Maria Ressa cyberlibel case|cyberlibel case]] against the [[Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte|Rodrigo Duterte Administration]];<ref>{{Cite web|title=Board of Advisers|url=http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref> the Duterte administration has been compared to the Ferdinand Marcos administration for similar human rights abuses, and FLAG again leads the opposition in calling for justice and restitution for the oppressed<ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG lawyer: No place in imperfect justice system for 'absolute' punishments like death penalty|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/09/16/2042884/flag-lawyer-no-place-imperfect-justice-system-absolute-punishments-death-penalty|date=2020-09-16|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-15|title=Court convicts Rappler CEO Ressa in cyberlibel case|url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/6/15/maria-ressa-rappler-conviction.html|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[CNN Philippines]]|language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]
* [[Chel Diokno]]
* [[David Bueno]]
* [[Lorenzo Tañada]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]]
* [[Joker Arroyo]]
* [[Legal aid|Developmental Legal Aid]]
* [[People of the Philippines v. Santos, Ressa and Rappler]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://flagfaqs.blogspot.de/ official website]
* [https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/ Namati: Flag Network]

[[Category:Human rights organizations based in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Jose W. Diokno]]

Free Legal Assistance Group

2021-07-25T13:29:53Z

112.205.1.155: /* Other Notable Members */

{{Infobox organization
| name = FLAG
| image = [[File:ChelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20190223Alternativity.jpg|260 px|FLAG chairman Atty. Chel Diokno at a commemoration of [[Martial Law (Philippines)|martial law]] victims and human rights activists]]
| image_size =
| caption = FLAG chairman [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Chel Diokno]] at a commemoration of [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law]] victims and human rights activists
| logo =
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| abbreviation = FLAG
| formation = {{start date and age|1974}}
| founder = [[Joker Arroyo]] [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]] [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]
| founding_location =
| type = Non-profit lawyers organization, Human rights law firm
| tax_id = 
| registration_id = 
| purpose = [[Human rights]]
| headquarters = [[Quezon City, Philippines]]
| location = Philippines
| coords = 
| region = Nationwide
| services = Pro-bono legal service
| products = Advocacy, Representation, Advice
| methods = Developmental legal advocacy
| fields = [[Human rights]], [[Civil rights]]
| language = English/Filipino
| leader_title = Chairman
| leader_name = [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]]
| leader_title2 = Secretary-General
| leader_name2 = Atty. Maria Socorro I. "Cookie" Diokno
| leader_title3 = Deputy Secretary-General
| leader_name3 = Atty. Arno Sanidad
| leader_title4 = Regional Coordinator of FLAG Metro Manila
| leader_name4 = Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te
| affiliations = [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]] [[Commission on Human Rights|Commission on Human Rights (CHR)]] [[Amnesty International]] [[Human Rights Watch|Human Rights Watch (HRW)]] [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism|Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)]] National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL)
| website = 
}}

The '''Free Legal Assistance Group''' ('''FLAG''') is the largest and oldest organization pertaining to [[human rights]] and human rights lawyers in the [[Philippines]].<ref name="BantayogProfileDioknoJoseW">{{Cite web|date=2015-10-15|title=Heroes and Martyrs: Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805030611/http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|archive-date=2017-08-05|access-date=2019-07-21|website=[[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Medina20170221">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |title=IN THE KNOW: FLAG |last=Medina |first=Marielle |date=21 February 2017 |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224124734/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |archive-date=2017-02-24 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> FLAG handled over ninety percent of human rights cases during [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law and the authoritarian regime]] in 1974-1986 and continues to have a significant impact today.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|date=2017-02-20|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/162022-free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en|quote=Founded in 1974 by the late senators Jose W. Diokno, Lorenzo Tañada Sr, and Joker Arroyo, FLAG provided free legal services to victims of martial law during the Marcos years, and still leads the call in aiding human rights victims nationwide}}</ref>

FLAG has taken the lead in prosecuting abusive military and policemen and demanding accountability from the government. The groups' efforts have led to landmark legislations in habeas corpus. FLAG also questioned, in appropriate cases, the Supreme Court and the constitutionality of the death penalty and the Visiting Forces Agreement, among many others. Among its many advocacies are stopping political repression, military and police abuses, and capital punishment. It works on countering varied abuses of human rights and [[civil liberties]].

FLAG's current chair is [[Human rights lawyer|human rights attorney]] [[Chel Diokno|Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]] since 2001,<ref name="PatriciaDeniseChiu20190405">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |title=Unique killings, same language, lawyers say of drug war reports |last=Chiu |first=Patricia Denise M. |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404232824/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |archive-date=2019-04-04 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> who is the founding dean of the [[De La Salle University College of Law|De La Salle University (DLSU) College of Law]].

The services provided by this institution are generally carried out pro-bono. In fact, it is due to FLAG's innovative use of [[Legal aid|developmental legal aid or free legal assistance]] that it grew in popularity and has allowed for the passage of a new law, requiring newly sworn-in lawyers to conduct community legal aid service for a specified amount of time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore|title=[ANALYSIS {{!}} Deep Dive] Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-14}}</ref>

==History==
===Martial law and early years===
{{Main|Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship}}
{{See also|Human rights in the Philippines}}
[[File:Lorenzo Tanada portrait.jpg|thumb|left|FLAG co-founder Atty. Lorenzo Tañada]]
FLAG was founded in 1974 by [[Jose Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=DIOKNO, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|date=2015-10-15|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> [[Lorenzo Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Clarke|first=Gerard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=044qBgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&q=FLAG&hl=en|title=The Politics of NGOs in Southeast Asia: Participation and Protest in the Philippines|date=2006-05-17|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-69535-5|pages=168–169, 173|language=en}}</ref> and Atty. [[Joker Arroyo]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-10-07|title=Remembering Joker Arroyo|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/728691/remembering-joker-arroyo|access-date=2019-07-24|website=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|language=en}}</ref> during the [[Martial law in the Philippines|martial law era]] under the infamous ex-[[President of the Philippines|President]] [[Ferdinand Marcos]]. After Diokno was released from prison at [[Fort Bonifacio]], he immediately thought of creating a law firm that would support human rights victims through a new and innovative method called developmental legal aid, which he even promoted further by giving allowances to clients without any financial means. FLAG has defended farmers, similar victims of agrarian reform, and activists who were victims of paramilitary abuses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Survey of Private Legal Practitioners to Monitor Access to Justice by the Disadvantaged|url=https://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/UNDP4/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/PLP_Final.pdf|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

According to Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te, the popularization of developmental legal aid at this time eventually laid the foundations for the passing of new laws, particularly the Community Legal Aid Service (CLAS) Rule. The CLAS Rule requires those who have passed the bar and signed the Roll of Attorneys in any particular year after the Rule's effectivity – but specifically, those who passed the [[Philippine Bar Examination|2017 Bar examinations]] and beyond, and were subsequently admitted to the bar – to render 120 hours of legal service. This must be done within their first year of admission to the bar or else they will risk receiving sanctions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore O.|title=(ANALYSIS-Deep Dive) Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref> At the height of martial law, the FLAG firm led by Atty. Diokno, who is called the father of human rights, handled over 90 percent of human rights cases in the country, documenting torture, summary executions, and [[Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship|other abuses during that period]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.dlsaa.com/honors-and-awards/awardees/diokno-jose-w|date=2005|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref>

This sometimes placed lawyers working with FLAG at risk. Among the FLAG lawyers murdered during the dictatorship<ref name="NYTFLAGmurders">{{Cite news |last=Margolick |first=David |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1985-07-11 |title=BAR GROUP ASSAILS PHILIPPINES AS ABUSING LAWYERS (Published 1985) |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |url-status=live |access-date=2021-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524165848/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |archive-date=2015-05-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> were [[Zorro Aguilar]], [[Romraflo Taojo]], and Crisostomo Cailing, all of whom have since been honored by having their names inscribed on the wall of remembrance at the Philippines' [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]], which honors the martyrs and heroes who fought against the Marcos' authoritarian rule.<ref>http://www.bantayog.org/martyrs-heroes/</ref>

===1990s===
{{See also|Kuratong Baleleng}}
Kuratong Baleleng was once the largest syndicate in the country when the national crime rate was at its peak.<ref>{{Cite web|last=De Guzman|first=Naica|title=Most Wanted: Kuratong Baleleng Gang|url= https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/kuratong-baleleng-parojinog-a1729-20180918-lfrm3|date=2018-09-18|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> FLAG later became the chief prosecutor in the 1995 [[Kuratong Baleleng]] rubout case. At that time, eleven members of the organized syndicate Kuratong Baleleng were killed by the forces of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, led by then-police officer [[Panfilo Lacson]]. FLAG prosecuted 27 police officers involved in this case at the [[Regional Trial Court|Quezon City Regional Trial Court]] but to no avail.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/285090/news/nation/sc-upholds-dismissal-of-lacson-s-kuratong-baleleng-case|title=SC upholds dismissal of Lacson's Kuratong Baleleng case|date=December 4, 2012|publisher=gmanetwork.com|access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref> FLAG immediately appealed to the High Tribunal to remand the case to the trial court once more in order to present new evidence against Lacson, inter alia. Later on May 2, 2008, the Supreme Court finally resolved to consider the appeal.

Other famous cases include Leo Echegarray v. Secretary of Justice. In this case, the convicted Leo Echegarray was to be sentenced to death. The death penalty had been removed for years but reinstated in the 1990s. This case was to mark the very return of its implementation. Atty. Ted Te and FLAG's continuous pleadings and petitions for reconsideration managed to pave the way for intensive debate against the death penalty, until it was finally abolished in 2006.<Ref>{{Cite web|title=LEO ECHEGARAY, petitioner, vs. SECRETARY OF JUSTICE, ET AL., respondents.|url=https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1999/jan1999/gr_132601_1999.html|date=1999-01-19}}</ref>

===2000s and the Macapagal-Arroyo administration===
{{Main|Presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo}}
{{See also|Second EDSA Revolution|NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|Manila Peninsula siege}}
Atty. Chel Diokno helped prosecute then-President [[Joseph Estrada]] during his impeachment case from 2000 to 2001, which led to the [[Second EDSA Revolution]] that had him ousted and had Vice-president [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] inaugurated as the 14th president. Later on however, former Pres. Arroyo, who was the daughter of the ninth president [[Diosdado Macapagal]], would be involved in a [[NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|corruption scandal]] with Chinese telecom firm [[ZTE]]. Atty. Diokno would aid whistleblower [[Jun Lozada]] as part of his legal counsel during his court hearings against the administration.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

Around the same time in 2007, Atty. Diokno along with fellow FLAG lawyers Ted Te and Ricardo A. Sunga III, petitioned and were granted by the [[Philippine Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] to issue [[Writs of Amparo and Habeas Data|Writs of Amparo]] for leftist activists Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, two brothers who were allegedly tortured by the military under the Arroyo administration.<ref name="amparo">{{Cite news
|last = Panaligan
|first = Rey
|title = Supreme Court, QC RTC issue 1st Writs of Amparo
|newspaper = Manila Bulletin
|publisher = Manila Bulletin
|date = 2007-10-26
|url = http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|access-date = 2011-05-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120825185101/http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|archive-date = 2012-08-25
}}
</ref> FLAG also represented the media in a petition against the [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo|Arroyo administration]]. The case brought together members of [[ABS-CBN Corporation|ABS-CBN]], the [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]], Probe Productions, [[Newsbreak]], and the [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism]], among others for allegedly being rounded up for their "illegal" coverage of the [[Manila Peninsula siege|Manila Peninsula Siege]] that tried to force the president to resign.<ref name="mediavsarroyo">{{Cite news
|last = Jimenez-David
|first = Rina
|title = Who’s publicity-hungry?
|newspaper = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|publisher = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|date = 2008-01-29
|url = http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|access-date = 2020-10-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120326173919/http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|archive-date = 2012-03-26
}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=17 of 50 Journalists rounded up from The Pen released|url=http://www.gmanews.tv/story/70787/17-of-50-journalists-rounded-up-from-The-Pen-released|publisher=GMA News | date = 2007-11-29 | access-date = 2010-10-15}}</ref>

Pres. Arroyo would leave office with record-low approval ratings and was later imprisoned during the administration of the 15th President, [[Benigno Aquino III]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=David|title=Corruption was Gloria's biggest mistake: survey|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/08/04/10/corruption-was-glorias-biggest-mistake-survey|date=2010-08-04}}</ref>

===Legal battles with the Duterte administration===
{{Main|Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020}}
{{See also|Philippine drug war}}
[[File:TañadaPimentelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20181130Alternativity.jpg|thumb|Atty. [[Wigberto Tañada]], former Sen. [[Nene Pimentel]], and Atty. [[Chel Diokno]] at the 2018 Honoring of Martyrs and Heroes at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani on 30 November 2018]]
In 2017, FLAG lawyers Atty. Chel Diokno, Atty. Arno Sanidad, and former president of the [[Philippine Health Insurance Corporation]] (PhilHealth) Atty. Alexander Padilla became the legal counsel of retired police officer SPO3 Arturo Lascañas, a former officer of Duterte's [[Davao Death Squad]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-24}}</ref> Lascañas admitted to the court that he had to kill 300 civilians under Duterte, then the mayor of [[Davao City]]. The participation of FLAG in Lascañas's affidavit helped create credibility and exposed much of the controversial dealings concurrently happening in Davao City under the Duterte political family's watch. The case and its resulting revelation of Duterte's crimes became renowned through headlines all over top media groups around the world, which was brought to the attention of the [[International Criminal Court]] (ICC).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=Nikko|title=FLAG lawyers heighten Lascañas’ credibility – opposition solon|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873616/flag-lawyers-heighten-lascanas-credibility-opposition-solon|date=2017-02-21|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref>

In 2020, Atty. Diokno protested against the passing of the [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|Anti-Terror Law]], which was approved by the 16th President, [[Rodrigo Duterte]]. This would arrest those who are deemed terrorists by the government. Atty. Diokno quipped that not just terrorists would be arrested from this law but possibly any protestor could be harmed. He then questioned the Supreme Court on this decision.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title='Lawyers should strike' to demand Supreme Court actions vs abuses|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-should-strike-demand-supreme-court-actions-abuses|date=2021-03-09}}</ref> On July 23, FLAG, together with fellow columnists, statesmen, and political detainees issued the legal challenge G.R. No. 252741 against Anti-Terror Council member and Duterte's Executive Secretary [[Salvador Medialdea]] on the grounds and rationality of the signed law. Among the provisions in the law being questioned were Section 29 on detention without judicial warrant of arrest in which a suspect can be arrested even without a warrant of arrest and detained for up to 24 days. This has been compared to the time when [[History of the Philippines under Ferdinand Marcos|soon-to-be-ousted President Ferdinand Marcos]] removed the writ of habeas corpus in 1971. This has led to arrests without reason or without warrant, and has incited massive protests in the process.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno to question Anti-Terror law before Supreme Court|url=https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/human-rights-lawyer-chel-diokno-to-question-anti-terror-law-before-supreme-court/ar-BB16j0J5|access-date=2020-09-12}}</ref>

The Anti-Terror law has been denounced as being too vague and therefore very dangerous in its potential for wide-scale abuse.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Half of lawyer killings since 2016 were work-related – FLAG|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/half-lawyer-killings-since-2016-work-related-flag|date=2021-01-21}}</ref> FLAG served as the leader and legal council of the petition, together with at least 14 other early petitions coming from all different sectors: [[Rappler]] and [[Maria Ressa]] (whom FLAG defended a few years prior to the passage of the Anti-Terror Law), the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL), senators such as [[Leila de Lima]] and [[Francis Pangilinan|Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan]], labor groups and activists, and other members of the media and government.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Philippines: Media workers file petitions to reject Anti-Terror Law|url=https://www.ifj.org/es/centro-de-medios/noticias/detalle/category/press-releases/article/philippines-media-workers-file-petitions-to-reject-anti-terror-law.html|date=2020-07-23|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref> The extrajudicial killings have risen after the law was made official. After a few years into the Duterte administration, it has been reported that at least 61 lawyers have also been slain by police forces, which means that far more lawyers have been killed than in any previous presidential administration.<ref>{{Cite web|title=61 lawyers killed since Duterte assumed office in 2016, says group|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/11/21/61-lawyers-killed-since-duterte-assumed-office-in-2016-says-group|date=2021-03-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG report found almost half of lawyers killed linked to legal practice|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/03/11/2083558/flag-report-found-almost-half-lawyers-killed-linked-legal-practice|date=2021-03-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Lawyers killed: 61 under Duterte, 49 from Marcos to Aquino|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-killed-duterte-marcos-aquino-administrations-data-studies|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Conde|first=Carlos H.|title=Record High Killing of Philippine Lawyers|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/15/record-high-killing-philippine-lawyers|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Navallo|first=Mike|title=More lawyers killed during Duterte admin than under previous 6 presidents combined - study|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/15/21/more-lawyers-killed-during-duterte-admin-than-under-previous-6-presidents-combined-study|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=61 legal practitioners killed since 2016, zero convictions – lawyers’ group|url=https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/10/lawyers-killed-duterte-administration.html|date=2021-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG expresses concern over 61 lawyers killed since 2016|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/779980/flag-expresses-concern-over-61-lawyers-killed-since-2016/story/|date=2021-03-17}}</ref> In fact based on FLAG data, this statistic is still much larger than the preceding six administrations starting the Marcos dictatorship.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Santos|first=Tina G.|title=NUPL seeks UN help as more PH lawyers killed|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1407423/nupl-seeks-un-help-as-more-ph-lawyers-killed|date=2021-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=FLAG goes to Supreme Court to free ex-NPA chief Salas|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/flag-petition-supreme-court-free-ex-npa-chief|date=February 2020}}</ref>

==Functions and organization==
[[File:FvfBantayogBayani0100 15.JPG|thumb|300 px|right|FLAG founders and human rights activists [[Jose W. Diokno|Atty. Jose W. Diokno]] and [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Atty. Lorenzo M. Tañada]] at the [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]]]

===Purpose===
Among the main objectives of FLAG are:
# To promote civil and political rights through activism
# Handle cases of the urban poor, indigenous peoples, workers, students, NPA members, and other disenfranchised sectors of Philippine society
# To encourage developmental legal advocacy which may remedy injustice not merely by enforcing the law, but also by changing the law and underlying social structures that perpetrate or sustain injustice and inhibit development

===Organization===
[[File:Jose W. Diokno.png|thumb|left|[[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]]]
The law firm and [[Non-governmental organization|non-governmental organization (NGO)]] is headed by its chairman. The current chairman is Atty. Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno. Assisting the chairman is the secretary-general. The incumbent secretary-general is Atty. Maria Socorro "Cookie" Diokno, who was the former chairman of the [[National Historical Commission of the Philippines|National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG lawyers share selfie with ‘unwelcome’ UN expert|url=https://abogado.com.ph/flag-lawyers-share-selfie-with-unwelcome-un-expert/|date=2017-05-08|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> For regional cases, the regional coordinator helps in communications and managing the different logistics throughout several districts and cities. The present Manila regional coordinator is Atty. Ted Te.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> Mary Kathryn Sison is the network coordinator in charge of monitoring oversights in [[Metro Manila]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG)|url=https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/|date=2018|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

===ESC Rights Program===
In 1993, FLAG created the Economic, Social, and Cultural (ESC) Rights Program to properly design a framework that would government accountability over human suffering violations regarding ESC rights. The objective of the FLAG program serves to ultimately create a suitable Philippine system thay may also serve as a model for other developing countries with numerous human rights violations springing from socioeconomic causes. Countries that have been studied and formally addressed by FLAG include [[Thailand]], different [[Southeast Asia|Southeast Asian countries]], and parts of [[Africa]]. Within its ESC Rights Program, FLAG has established two technical core groups, one on the right to housing and the on the right to education. Each group consists of academicians and representatives of NGOs and public organizations, development organizations, professional associations, industries, and selected government departments. Consultations between the two working groups are promoted to share results, seek confirmation, resolve conflicts, and integrate work output. FLAG has established other right-specific working groups since that time, such as the right to health and food, beginning the last quarter of 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> The core functions of the ESC Rights Program are:
# To define the rights of survival in terms of their core content
# To develop legal standards for the rights of survival
# If the rights of survival are, realizable imperatives rather than development objectives, the working groups must lay out clear and precise state obligations under these rights
# Given the establishment of standards and obligations, indicators need to be developed so that systematic monitoring can take place
# For working groups to delineate and outline ways to make the rights of survival legally enforceable and justiciable

== Other Notable Members==
[[File:Justice Marvic MVF Leonen official portrait.jpg|thumb|right|Marvin Leonen, Supreme Court Justice and Human Rights Jurist]]
* [[Joker Arroyo|Ceferino P. "Joker" Arroyo, Jr.]], human rights lawyer, [[Executive Secretary (Philippines)|Executive Secretary]] to President [[Corazon Aquino|Corazon "Cory" Aquino]], and congressman who later became a member of the [[Philippine Senate]]
* [[Quezon City's 6th congressional district#Representation history|Jose Christopher "Kit" Belmonte]], human rights lawyer, community organizer, congressman, and deputy minority leader of the [[Philippine House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
* [[David Bueno]], human rights lawyer, martial law activist, and martyr who defended Martial Law victims in [[Ilocos Norte]], which was the native province of Ferdinand Marcos
* [http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp Rosario "Chato" Olivas-Gallo], DLSU College of Law vice-dean and children's rights activist
* [[Marvic Leonen]], [[University of the Philippines College of Law|University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman College of Law Dean]], environmental activist, former legal commentator with [[ABS-CBN]] and [[GMA Network|GMA]], Chief Peace Negotiator with the [[Moro Islamic Liberation Front|MILF]], and the youngest [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines|Supreme Court Justice]] since [[WWII]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]], senator, professor, [[Manila Times]] columnist, and lawyer who served as the spokesman for President Corazon Aquino after the [[1986 People Power Revolution]]
* [https://politics.com.ph/tag/atty-arno-sanidad/ Arno Sanidad], law professor and member of the [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]]
* [[Erin Tañada|Lorenzo "Erin" Tañada III]], human rights lawyer, congressman, activist, and news anchor and broadcaster for [[UNTV (Philippines)|UNTV]]
* [https://r3.rappler.com/previous-articles?filterMeta=Ted%20Te Theodore O. "Ted" Te], Supreme Court spokesperson<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|date=2018-09-03|title=Spokesman Ted Te resigns from Supreme Court|url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/210999-supreme-court-spokesman-theodore-te-resigns|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en}}</ref> who represented journalist and [[Time Person of the Year]] [[Maria Ressa]] in her [[Maria Ressa cyberlibel case|cyberlibel case]] against the [[Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte|Rodrigo Duterte Administration]];<ref>{{Cite web|title=Board of Advisers|url=http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref> the Duterte administration has been compared to the Ferdinand Marcos administration for similar human rights abuses, and FLAG again leads the opposition in calling for justice and restitution for the oppressed<ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG lawyer: No place in imperfect justice system for 'absolute' punishments like death penalty|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/09/16/2042884/flag-lawyer-no-place-imperfect-justice-system-absolute-punishments-death-penalty|date=2020-09-16|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-15|title=Court convicts Rappler CEO Ressa in cyberlibel case|url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/6/15/maria-ressa-rappler-conviction.html|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[CNN Philippines]]|language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]
* [[Chel Diokno]]
* [[David Bueno]]
* [[Lorenzo Tañada]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]]
* [[Joker Arroyo]]
* [[Legal aid|Developmental Legal Aid]]
* [[People of the Philippines v. Santos, Ressa and Rappler]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://flagfaqs.blogspot.de/ official website]
* [https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/ Namati: Flag Network]

[[Category:Human rights organizations based in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Jose W. Diokno]]

Free Legal Assistance Group

2021-07-25T13:00:47Z

112.205.1.155: /* Other Notable Members */

{{Infobox organization
| name = FLAG
| image = [[File:ChelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20190223Alternativity.jpg|260 px|FLAG chairman Atty. Chel Diokno at a commemoration of [[Martial Law (Philippines)|martial law]] victims and human rights activists]]
| image_size =
| caption = FLAG chairman [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Chel Diokno]] at a commemoration of [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law]] victims and human rights activists
| logo =
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| abbreviation = FLAG
| formation = {{start date and age|1974}}
| founder = [[Joker Arroyo]] [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]] [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]
| founding_location =
| type = Non-profit lawyers organization, Human rights law firm
| tax_id = 
| registration_id = 
| purpose = [[Human rights]]
| headquarters = [[Quezon City, Philippines]]
| location = Philippines
| coords = 
| region = Nationwide
| services = Pro-bono legal service
| products = Advocacy, Representation, Advice
| methods = Developmental legal advocacy
| fields = [[Human rights]], [[Civil rights]]
| language = English/Filipino
| leader_title = Chairman
| leader_name = [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]]
| leader_title2 = Secretary-General
| leader_name2 = Atty. Maria Socorro I. "Cookie" Diokno
| leader_title3 = Deputy Secretary-General
| leader_name3 = Atty. Arno Sanidad
| leader_title4 = Regional Coordinator of FLAG Metro Manila
| leader_name4 = Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te
| affiliations = [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]] [[Commission on Human Rights|Commission on Human Rights (CHR)]] [[Amnesty International]] [[Human Rights Watch|Human Rights Watch (HRW)]] [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism|Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)]] National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL)
| website = 
}}

The '''Free Legal Assistance Group''' ('''FLAG''') is the largest and oldest organization pertaining to [[human rights]] and human rights lawyers in the [[Philippines]].<ref name="BantayogProfileDioknoJoseW">{{Cite web|date=2015-10-15|title=Heroes and Martyrs: Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805030611/http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|archive-date=2017-08-05|access-date=2019-07-21|website=[[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Medina20170221">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |title=IN THE KNOW: FLAG |last=Medina |first=Marielle |date=21 February 2017 |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224124734/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |archive-date=2017-02-24 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> FLAG handled over ninety percent of human rights cases during [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law and the authoritarian regime]] in 1974-1986 and continues to have a significant impact today.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|date=2017-02-20|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/162022-free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en|quote=Founded in 1974 by the late senators Jose W. Diokno, Lorenzo Tañada Sr, and Joker Arroyo, FLAG provided free legal services to victims of martial law during the Marcos years, and still leads the call in aiding human rights victims nationwide}}</ref>

FLAG has taken the lead in prosecuting abusive military and policemen and demanding accountability from the government. The groups' efforts have led to landmark legislations in habeas corpus. FLAG also questioned, in appropriate cases, the Supreme Court and the constitutionality of the death penalty and the Visiting Forces Agreement, among many others. Among its many advocacies are stopping political repression, military and police abuses, and capital punishment. It works on countering varied abuses of human rights and [[civil liberties]].

FLAG's current chair is [[Human rights lawyer|human rights attorney]] [[Chel Diokno|Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]] since 2001,<ref name="PatriciaDeniseChiu20190405">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |title=Unique killings, same language, lawyers say of drug war reports |last=Chiu |first=Patricia Denise M. |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404232824/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |archive-date=2019-04-04 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> who is the founding dean of the [[De La Salle University College of Law|De La Salle University (DLSU) College of Law]].

The services provided by this institution are generally carried out pro-bono. In fact, it is due to FLAG's innovative use of [[Legal aid|developmental legal aid or free legal assistance]] that it grew in popularity and has allowed for the passage of a new law, requiring newly sworn-in lawyers to conduct community legal aid service for a specified amount of time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore|title=[ANALYSIS {{!}} Deep Dive] Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-14}}</ref>

==History==
===Martial law and early years===
{{Main|Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship}}
{{See also|Human rights in the Philippines}}
[[File:Lorenzo Tanada portrait.jpg|thumb|left|FLAG co-founder Atty. Lorenzo Tañada]]
FLAG was founded in 1974 by [[Jose Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=DIOKNO, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|date=2015-10-15|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> [[Lorenzo Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Clarke|first=Gerard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=044qBgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&q=FLAG&hl=en|title=The Politics of NGOs in Southeast Asia: Participation and Protest in the Philippines|date=2006-05-17|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-69535-5|pages=168–169, 173|language=en}}</ref> and Atty. [[Joker Arroyo]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-10-07|title=Remembering Joker Arroyo|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/728691/remembering-joker-arroyo|access-date=2019-07-24|website=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|language=en}}</ref> during the [[Martial law in the Philippines|martial law era]] under the infamous ex-[[President of the Philippines|President]] [[Ferdinand Marcos]]. After Diokno was released from prison at [[Fort Bonifacio]], he immediately thought of creating a law firm that would support human rights victims through a new and innovative method called developmental legal aid, which he even promoted further by giving allowances to clients without any financial means. FLAG has defended farmers, similar victims of agrarian reform, and activists who were victims of paramilitary abuses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Survey of Private Legal Practitioners to Monitor Access to Justice by the Disadvantaged|url=https://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/UNDP4/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/PLP_Final.pdf|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

According to Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te, the popularization of developmental legal aid at this time eventually laid the foundations for the passing of new laws, particularly the Community Legal Aid Service (CLAS) Rule. The CLAS Rule requires those who have passed the bar and signed the Roll of Attorneys in any particular year after the Rule's effectivity – but specifically, those who passed the [[Philippine Bar Examination|2017 Bar examinations]] and beyond, and were subsequently admitted to the bar – to render 120 hours of legal service. This must be done within their first year of admission to the bar or else they will risk receiving sanctions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore O.|title=(ANALYSIS-Deep Dive) Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref> At the height of martial law, the FLAG firm led by Atty. Diokno, who is called the father of human rights, handled over 90 percent of human rights cases in the country, documenting torture, summary executions, and [[Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship|other abuses during that period]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.dlsaa.com/honors-and-awards/awardees/diokno-jose-w|date=2005|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref>

This sometimes placed lawyers working with FLAG at risk. Among the FLAG lawyers murdered during the dictatorship<ref name="NYTFLAGmurders">{{Cite news |last=Margolick |first=David |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1985-07-11 |title=BAR GROUP ASSAILS PHILIPPINES AS ABUSING LAWYERS (Published 1985) |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |url-status=live |access-date=2021-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524165848/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |archive-date=2015-05-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> were [[Zorro Aguilar]], [[Romraflo Taojo]], and Crisostomo Cailing, all of whom have since been honored by having their names inscribed on the wall of remembrance at the Philippines' [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]], which honors the martyrs and heroes who fought against the Marcos' authoritarian rule.<ref>http://www.bantayog.org/martyrs-heroes/</ref>

===1990s===
{{See also|Kuratong Baleleng}}
Kuratong Baleleng was once the largest syndicate in the country when the national crime rate was at its peak.<ref>{{Cite web|last=De Guzman|first=Naica|title=Most Wanted: Kuratong Baleleng Gang|url= https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/kuratong-baleleng-parojinog-a1729-20180918-lfrm3|date=2018-09-18|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> FLAG later became the chief prosecutor in the 1995 [[Kuratong Baleleng]] rubout case. At that time, eleven members of the organized syndicate Kuratong Baleleng were killed by the forces of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, led by then-police officer [[Panfilo Lacson]]. FLAG prosecuted 27 police officers involved in this case at the [[Regional Trial Court|Quezon City Regional Trial Court]] but to no avail.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/285090/news/nation/sc-upholds-dismissal-of-lacson-s-kuratong-baleleng-case|title=SC upholds dismissal of Lacson's Kuratong Baleleng case|date=December 4, 2012|publisher=gmanetwork.com|access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref> FLAG immediately appealed to the High Tribunal to remand the case to the trial court once more in order to present new evidence against Lacson, inter alia. Later on May 2, 2008, the Supreme Court finally resolved to consider the appeal.

Other famous cases include Leo Echegarray v. Secretary of Justice. In this case, the convicted Leo Echegarray was to be sentenced to death. The death penalty had been removed for years but reinstated in the 1990s. This case was to mark the very return of its implementation. Atty. Ted Te and FLAG's continuous pleadings and petitions for reconsideration managed to pave the way for intensive debate against the death penalty, until it was finally abolished in 2006.<Ref>{{Cite web|title=LEO ECHEGARAY, petitioner, vs. SECRETARY OF JUSTICE, ET AL., respondents.|url=https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1999/jan1999/gr_132601_1999.html|date=1999-01-19}}</ref>

===2000s and the Macapagal-Arroyo administration===
{{Main|Presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo}}
{{See also|Second EDSA Revolution|NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|Manila Peninsula siege}}
Atty. Chel Diokno helped prosecute then-President [[Joseph Estrada]] during his impeachment case from 2000 to 2001, which led to the [[Second EDSA Revolution]] that had him ousted and had Vice-president [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] inaugurated as the 14th president. Later on however, former Pres. Arroyo, who was the daughter of the ninth president [[Diosdado Macapagal]], would be involved in a [[NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|corruption scandal]] with Chinese telecom firm [[ZTE]]. Atty. Diokno would aid whistleblower [[Jun Lozada]] as part of his legal counsel during his court hearings against the administration.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

Around the same time in 2007, Atty. Diokno along with fellow FLAG lawyers Ted Te and Ricardo A. Sunga III, petitioned and were granted by the [[Philippine Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] to issue [[Writs of Amparo and Habeas Data|Writs of Amparo]] for leftist activists Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, two brothers who were allegedly tortured by the military under the Arroyo administration.<ref name="amparo">{{Cite news
|last = Panaligan
|first = Rey
|title = Supreme Court, QC RTC issue 1st Writs of Amparo
|newspaper = Manila Bulletin
|publisher = Manila Bulletin
|date = 2007-10-26
|url = http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|access-date = 2011-05-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120825185101/http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|archive-date = 2012-08-25
}}
</ref> FLAG also represented the media in a petition against the [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo|Arroyo administration]]. The case brought together members of [[ABS-CBN Corporation|ABS-CBN]], the [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]], Probe Productions, [[Newsbreak]], and the [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism]], among others for allegedly being rounded up for their "illegal" coverage of the [[Manila Peninsula siege|Manila Peninsula Siege]] that tried to force the president to resign.<ref name="mediavsarroyo">{{Cite news
|last = Jimenez-David
|first = Rina
|title = Who’s publicity-hungry?
|newspaper = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|publisher = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|date = 2008-01-29
|url = http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|access-date = 2020-10-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120326173919/http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|archive-date = 2012-03-26
}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=17 of 50 Journalists rounded up from The Pen released|url=http://www.gmanews.tv/story/70787/17-of-50-journalists-rounded-up-from-The-Pen-released|publisher=GMA News | date = 2007-11-29 | access-date = 2010-10-15}}</ref>

Pres. Arroyo would leave office with record-low approval ratings and was later imprisoned during the administration of the 15th President, [[Benigno Aquino III]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=David|title=Corruption was Gloria's biggest mistake: survey|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/08/04/10/corruption-was-glorias-biggest-mistake-survey|date=2010-08-04}}</ref>

===Legal battles with the Duterte administration===
{{Main|Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020}}
{{See also|Philippine drug war}}
[[File:TañadaPimentelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20181130Alternativity.jpg|thumb|Atty. [[Wigberto Tañada]], former Sen. [[Nene Pimentel]], and Atty. [[Chel Diokno]] at the 2018 Honoring of Martyrs and Heroes at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani on 30 November 2018]]
In 2017, FLAG lawyers Atty. Chel Diokno, Atty. Arno Sanidad, and former president of the [[Philippine Health Insurance Corporation]] (PhilHealth) Atty. Alexander Padilla became the legal counsel of retired police officer SPO3 Arturo Lascañas, a former officer of Duterte's [[Davao Death Squad]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-24}}</ref> Lascañas admitted to the court that he had to kill 300 civilians under Duterte, then the mayor of [[Davao City]]. The participation of FLAG in Lascañas's affidavit helped create credibility and exposed much of the controversial dealings concurrently happening in Davao City under the Duterte political family's watch. The case and its resulting revelation of Duterte's crimes became renowned through headlines all over top media groups around the world, which was brought to the attention of the [[International Criminal Court]] (ICC).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=Nikko|title=FLAG lawyers heighten Lascañas’ credibility – opposition solon|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873616/flag-lawyers-heighten-lascanas-credibility-opposition-solon|date=2017-02-21|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref>

In 2020, Atty. Diokno protested against the passing of the [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|Anti-Terror Law]], which was approved by the 16th President, [[Rodrigo Duterte]]. This would arrest those who are deemed terrorists by the government. Atty. Diokno quipped that not just terrorists would be arrested from this law but possibly any protestor could be harmed. He then questioned the Supreme Court on this decision.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title='Lawyers should strike' to demand Supreme Court actions vs abuses|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-should-strike-demand-supreme-court-actions-abuses|date=2021-03-09}}</ref> On July 23, FLAG, together with fellow columnists, statesmen, and political detainees issued the legal challenge G.R. No. 252741 against Anti-Terror Council member and Duterte's Executive Secretary [[Salvador Medialdea]] on the grounds and rationality of the signed law. Among the provisions in the law being questioned were Section 29 on detention without judicial warrant of arrest in which a suspect can be arrested even without a warrant of arrest and detained for up to 24 days. This has been compared to the time when [[History of the Philippines under Ferdinand Marcos|soon-to-be-ousted President Ferdinand Marcos]] removed the writ of habeas corpus in 1971. This has led to arrests without reason or without warrant, and has incited massive protests in the process.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno to question Anti-Terror law before Supreme Court|url=https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/human-rights-lawyer-chel-diokno-to-question-anti-terror-law-before-supreme-court/ar-BB16j0J5|access-date=2020-09-12}}</ref>

The Anti-Terror law has been denounced as being too vague and therefore very dangerous in its potential for wide-scale abuse.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Half of lawyer killings since 2016 were work-related – FLAG|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/half-lawyer-killings-since-2016-work-related-flag|date=2021-01-21}}</ref> FLAG served as the leader and legal council of the petition, together with at least 14 other early petitions coming from all different sectors: [[Rappler]] and [[Maria Ressa]] (whom FLAG defended a few years prior to the passage of the Anti-Terror Law), the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL), senators such as [[Leila de Lima]] and [[Francis Pangilinan|Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan]], labor groups and activists, and other members of the media and government.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Philippines: Media workers file petitions to reject Anti-Terror Law|url=https://www.ifj.org/es/centro-de-medios/noticias/detalle/category/press-releases/article/philippines-media-workers-file-petitions-to-reject-anti-terror-law.html|date=2020-07-23|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref> The extrajudicial killings have risen after the law was made official. After a few years into the Duterte administration, it has been reported that at least 61 lawyers have also been slain by police forces, which means that far more lawyers have been killed than in any previous presidential administration.<ref>{{Cite web|title=61 lawyers killed since Duterte assumed office in 2016, says group|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/11/21/61-lawyers-killed-since-duterte-assumed-office-in-2016-says-group|date=2021-03-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG report found almost half of lawyers killed linked to legal practice|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/03/11/2083558/flag-report-found-almost-half-lawyers-killed-linked-legal-practice|date=2021-03-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Lawyers killed: 61 under Duterte, 49 from Marcos to Aquino|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-killed-duterte-marcos-aquino-administrations-data-studies|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Conde|first=Carlos H.|title=Record High Killing of Philippine Lawyers|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/15/record-high-killing-philippine-lawyers|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Navallo|first=Mike|title=More lawyers killed during Duterte admin than under previous 6 presidents combined - study|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/15/21/more-lawyers-killed-during-duterte-admin-than-under-previous-6-presidents-combined-study|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=61 legal practitioners killed since 2016, zero convictions – lawyers’ group|url=https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/10/lawyers-killed-duterte-administration.html|date=2021-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG expresses concern over 61 lawyers killed since 2016|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/779980/flag-expresses-concern-over-61-lawyers-killed-since-2016/story/|date=2021-03-17}}</ref> In fact based on FLAG data, this statistic is still much larger than the preceding six administrations starting the Marcos dictatorship.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Santos|first=Tina G.|title=NUPL seeks UN help as more PH lawyers killed|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1407423/nupl-seeks-un-help-as-more-ph-lawyers-killed|date=2021-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=FLAG goes to Supreme Court to free ex-NPA chief Salas|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/flag-petition-supreme-court-free-ex-npa-chief|date=February 2020}}</ref>

==Functions and organization==
[[File:FvfBantayogBayani0100 15.JPG|thumb|300 px|right|FLAG founders and human rights activists [[Jose W. Diokno|Atty. Jose W. Diokno]] and [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Atty. Lorenzo M. Tañada]] at the [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]]]

===Purpose===
Among the main objectives of FLAG are:
# To promote civil and political rights through activism
# Handle cases of the urban poor, indigenous peoples, workers, students, NPA members, and other disenfranchised sectors of Philippine society
# To encourage developmental legal advocacy which may remedy injustice not merely by enforcing the law, but also by changing the law and underlying social structures that perpetrate or sustain injustice and inhibit development

===Organization===
[[File:Jose W. Diokno.png|thumb|left|[[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]]]
The law firm and [[Non-governmental organization|non-governmental organization (NGO)]] is headed by its chairman. The current chairman is Atty. Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno. Assisting the chairman is the secretary-general. The incumbent secretary-general is Atty. Maria Socorro "Cookie" Diokno, who was the former chairman of the [[National Historical Commission of the Philippines|National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG lawyers share selfie with ‘unwelcome’ UN expert|url=https://abogado.com.ph/flag-lawyers-share-selfie-with-unwelcome-un-expert/|date=2017-05-08|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> For regional cases, the regional coordinator helps in communications and managing the different logistics throughout several districts and cities. The present Manila regional coordinator is Atty. Ted Te.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> Mary Kathryn Sison is the network coordinator in charge of monitoring oversights in [[Metro Manila]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG)|url=https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/|date=2018|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

===ESC Rights Program===
In 1993, FLAG created the Economic, Social, and Cultural (ESC) Rights Program to properly design a framework that would government accountability over human suffering violations regarding ESC rights. The objective of the FLAG program serves to ultimately create a suitable Philippine system thay may also serve as a model for other developing countries with numerous human rights violations springing from socioeconomic causes. Countries that have been studied and formally addressed by FLAG include [[Thailand]], different [[Southeast Asia|Southeast Asian countries]], and parts of [[Africa]]. Within its ESC Rights Program, FLAG has established two technical core groups, one on the right to housing and the on the right to education. Each group consists of academicians and representatives of NGOs and public organizations, development organizations, professional associations, industries, and selected government departments. Consultations between the two working groups are promoted to share results, seek confirmation, resolve conflicts, and integrate work output. FLAG has established other right-specific working groups since that time, such as the right to health and food, beginning the last quarter of 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> The core functions of the ESC Rights Program are:
# To define the rights of survival in terms of their core content
# To develop legal standards for the rights of survival
# If the rights of survival are, realizable imperatives rather than development objectives, the working groups must lay out clear and precise state obligations under these rights
# Given the establishment of standards and obligations, indicators need to be developed so that systematic monitoring can take place
# For working groups to delineate and outline ways to make the rights of survival legally enforceable and justiciable

== Other Notable Members==
[[File:Justice Marvic MVF Leonen official portrait.jpg|thumb|right|Marvin Leonen, Supreme Court Justice and Human Rights Jurist]]
* [[Joker Arroyo]], human rights lawyer who later became a member of the [[Philippine Senate]]
* [[Quezon City's 6th congressional district#Representation history|Jose Christopher "Kit" Belmonte]], human rights lawyer, congressman, and deputy minority leader of the [[Philippine House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
* [[David Bueno]], human rights lawyer, martial law activist, and martyr who defended Martial Law victims in [[Ilocos Norte]], which was the native province of Marcos
* [http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp Rosario "Chato" Olivas-Gallo], DLSU College of Law vice-dean and children's rights activist
* [[Marvic Leonen]], [[University of the Philippines College of Law|University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman College of Law Dean]], environmental activist, former legal commentator with [[ABS-CBN]] and [[GMA Network|GMA]], Chief Peace Negotiator with the [[Moro Islamic Liberation Front|MILF]], and the youngest [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines|Supreme Court Justice]] since [[WWII]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]], senator, professor, [[Manila Times]] columnist, and lawyer who served as the spokesman for President [[Corazon Aquino]] after the [[1986 People Power Revolution]]
* [https://politics.com.ph/tag/atty-arno-sanidad/ Arno Sanidad], law professor and member of the [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]]
* [[Erin Tañada|Lorenzo "Erin" Tañada III]], human rights lawyer, congressman, activist, and news anchor and broadcaster for [[UNTV (Philippines)|UNTV]]
* [https://r3.rappler.com/previous-articles?filterMeta=Ted%20Te Theodore O. "Ted" Te], Supreme Court spokesperson<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|date=2018-09-03|title=Spokesman Ted Te resigns from Supreme Court|url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/210999-supreme-court-spokesman-theodore-te-resigns|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en}}</ref> who represented journalist and [[Time Person of the Year]] [[Maria Ressa]] in her [[Maria Ressa cyberlibel case|cyberlibel case]] against the [[Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte|Rodrigo Duterte Administration]];<ref>{{Cite web|title=Board of Advisers|url=http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref> the Duterte administration has been compared to the Ferdinand Marcos administration for similar human rights abuses, and FLAG again leads the opposition in calling for justice and restitution for the oppressed<ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG lawyer: No place in imperfect justice system for 'absolute' punishments like death penalty|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/09/16/2042884/flag-lawyer-no-place-imperfect-justice-system-absolute-punishments-death-penalty|date=2020-09-16|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-15|title=Court convicts Rappler CEO Ressa in cyberlibel case|url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/6/15/maria-ressa-rappler-conviction.html|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[CNN Philippines]]|language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]
* [[Chel Diokno]]
* [[David Bueno]]
* [[Lorenzo Tañada]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]]
* [[Joker Arroyo]]
* [[Legal aid|Developmental Legal Aid]]
* [[People of the Philippines v. Santos, Ressa and Rappler]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://flagfaqs.blogspot.de/ official website]
* [https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/ Namati: Flag Network]

[[Category:Human rights organizations based in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Jose W. Diokno]]

Free Legal Assistance Group

2021-07-25T13:00:03Z

112.205.1.155: /* Other Notable Members */

{{Infobox organization
| name = FLAG
| image = [[File:ChelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20190223Alternativity.jpg|260 px|FLAG chairman Atty. Chel Diokno at a commemoration of [[Martial Law (Philippines)|martial law]] victims and human rights activists]]
| image_size =
| caption = FLAG chairman [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Chel Diokno]] at a commemoration of [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law]] victims and human rights activists
| logo =
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| abbreviation = FLAG
| formation = {{start date and age|1974}}
| founder = [[Joker Arroyo]] [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]] [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]
| founding_location =
| type = Non-profit lawyers organization, Human rights law firm
| tax_id = 
| registration_id = 
| purpose = [[Human rights]]
| headquarters = [[Quezon City, Philippines]]
| location = Philippines
| coords = 
| region = Nationwide
| services = Pro-bono legal service
| products = Advocacy, Representation, Advice
| methods = Developmental legal advocacy
| fields = [[Human rights]], [[Civil rights]]
| language = English/Filipino
| leader_title = Chairman
| leader_name = [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]]
| leader_title2 = Secretary-General
| leader_name2 = Atty. Maria Socorro I. "Cookie" Diokno
| leader_title3 = Deputy Secretary-General
| leader_name3 = Atty. Arno Sanidad
| leader_title4 = Regional Coordinator of FLAG Metro Manila
| leader_name4 = Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te
| affiliations = [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]] [[Commission on Human Rights|Commission on Human Rights (CHR)]] [[Amnesty International]] [[Human Rights Watch|Human Rights Watch (HRW)]] [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism|Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)]] National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL)
| website = 
}}

The '''Free Legal Assistance Group''' ('''FLAG''') is the largest and oldest organization pertaining to [[human rights]] and human rights lawyers in the [[Philippines]].<ref name="BantayogProfileDioknoJoseW">{{Cite web|date=2015-10-15|title=Heroes and Martyrs: Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805030611/http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|archive-date=2017-08-05|access-date=2019-07-21|website=[[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Medina20170221">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |title=IN THE KNOW: FLAG |last=Medina |first=Marielle |date=21 February 2017 |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224124734/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |archive-date=2017-02-24 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> FLAG handled over ninety percent of human rights cases during [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law and the authoritarian regime]] in 1974-1986 and continues to have a significant impact today.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|date=2017-02-20|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/162022-free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en|quote=Founded in 1974 by the late senators Jose W. Diokno, Lorenzo Tañada Sr, and Joker Arroyo, FLAG provided free legal services to victims of martial law during the Marcos years, and still leads the call in aiding human rights victims nationwide}}</ref>

FLAG has taken the lead in prosecuting abusive military and policemen and demanding accountability from the government. The groups' efforts have led to landmark legislations in habeas corpus. FLAG also questioned, in appropriate cases, the Supreme Court and the constitutionality of the death penalty and the Visiting Forces Agreement, among many others. Among its many advocacies are stopping political repression, military and police abuses, and capital punishment. It works on countering varied abuses of human rights and [[civil liberties]].

FLAG's current chair is [[Human rights lawyer|human rights attorney]] [[Chel Diokno|Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]] since 2001,<ref name="PatriciaDeniseChiu20190405">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |title=Unique killings, same language, lawyers say of drug war reports |last=Chiu |first=Patricia Denise M. |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404232824/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |archive-date=2019-04-04 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> who is the founding dean of the [[De La Salle University College of Law|De La Salle University (DLSU) College of Law]].

The services provided by this institution are generally carried out pro-bono. In fact, it is due to FLAG's innovative use of [[Legal aid|developmental legal aid or free legal assistance]] that it grew in popularity and has allowed for the passage of a new law, requiring newly sworn-in lawyers to conduct community legal aid service for a specified amount of time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore|title=[ANALYSIS {{!}} Deep Dive] Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-14}}</ref>

==History==
===Martial law and early years===
{{Main|Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship}}
{{See also|Human rights in the Philippines}}
[[File:Lorenzo Tanada portrait.jpg|thumb|left|FLAG co-founder Atty. Lorenzo Tañada]]
FLAG was founded in 1974 by [[Jose Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=DIOKNO, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|date=2015-10-15|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> [[Lorenzo Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Clarke|first=Gerard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=044qBgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&q=FLAG&hl=en|title=The Politics of NGOs in Southeast Asia: Participation and Protest in the Philippines|date=2006-05-17|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-69535-5|pages=168–169, 173|language=en}}</ref> and Atty. [[Joker Arroyo]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-10-07|title=Remembering Joker Arroyo|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/728691/remembering-joker-arroyo|access-date=2019-07-24|website=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|language=en}}</ref> during the [[Martial law in the Philippines|martial law era]] under the infamous ex-[[President of the Philippines|President]] [[Ferdinand Marcos]]. After Diokno was released from prison at [[Fort Bonifacio]], he immediately thought of creating a law firm that would support human rights victims through a new and innovative method called developmental legal aid, which he even promoted further by giving allowances to clients without any financial means. FLAG has defended farmers, similar victims of agrarian reform, and activists who were victims of paramilitary abuses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Survey of Private Legal Practitioners to Monitor Access to Justice by the Disadvantaged|url=https://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/UNDP4/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/PLP_Final.pdf|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

According to Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te, the popularization of developmental legal aid at this time eventually laid the foundations for the passing of new laws, particularly the Community Legal Aid Service (CLAS) Rule. The CLAS Rule requires those who have passed the bar and signed the Roll of Attorneys in any particular year after the Rule's effectivity – but specifically, those who passed the [[Philippine Bar Examination|2017 Bar examinations]] and beyond, and were subsequently admitted to the bar – to render 120 hours of legal service. This must be done within their first year of admission to the bar or else they will risk receiving sanctions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore O.|title=(ANALYSIS-Deep Dive) Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref> At the height of martial law, the FLAG firm led by Atty. Diokno, who is called the father of human rights, handled over 90 percent of human rights cases in the country, documenting torture, summary executions, and [[Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship|other abuses during that period]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.dlsaa.com/honors-and-awards/awardees/diokno-jose-w|date=2005|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref>

This sometimes placed lawyers working with FLAG at risk. Among the FLAG lawyers murdered during the dictatorship<ref name="NYTFLAGmurders">{{Cite news |last=Margolick |first=David |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1985-07-11 |title=BAR GROUP ASSAILS PHILIPPINES AS ABUSING LAWYERS (Published 1985) |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |url-status=live |access-date=2021-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524165848/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |archive-date=2015-05-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> were [[Zorro Aguilar]], [[Romraflo Taojo]], and Crisostomo Cailing, all of whom have since been honored by having their names inscribed on the wall of remembrance at the Philippines' [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]], which honors the martyrs and heroes who fought against the Marcos' authoritarian rule.<ref>http://www.bantayog.org/martyrs-heroes/</ref>

===1990s===
{{See also|Kuratong Baleleng}}
Kuratong Baleleng was once the largest syndicate in the country when the national crime rate was at its peak.<ref>{{Cite web|last=De Guzman|first=Naica|title=Most Wanted: Kuratong Baleleng Gang|url= https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/kuratong-baleleng-parojinog-a1729-20180918-lfrm3|date=2018-09-18|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> FLAG later became the chief prosecutor in the 1995 [[Kuratong Baleleng]] rubout case. At that time, eleven members of the organized syndicate Kuratong Baleleng were killed by the forces of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, led by then-police officer [[Panfilo Lacson]]. FLAG prosecuted 27 police officers involved in this case at the [[Regional Trial Court|Quezon City Regional Trial Court]] but to no avail.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/285090/news/nation/sc-upholds-dismissal-of-lacson-s-kuratong-baleleng-case|title=SC upholds dismissal of Lacson's Kuratong Baleleng case|date=December 4, 2012|publisher=gmanetwork.com|access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref> FLAG immediately appealed to the High Tribunal to remand the case to the trial court once more in order to present new evidence against Lacson, inter alia. Later on May 2, 2008, the Supreme Court finally resolved to consider the appeal.

Other famous cases include Leo Echegarray v. Secretary of Justice. In this case, the convicted Leo Echegarray was to be sentenced to death. The death penalty had been removed for years but reinstated in the 1990s. This case was to mark the very return of its implementation. Atty. Ted Te and FLAG's continuous pleadings and petitions for reconsideration managed to pave the way for intensive debate against the death penalty, until it was finally abolished in 2006.<Ref>{{Cite web|title=LEO ECHEGARAY, petitioner, vs. SECRETARY OF JUSTICE, ET AL., respondents.|url=https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1999/jan1999/gr_132601_1999.html|date=1999-01-19}}</ref>

===2000s and the Macapagal-Arroyo administration===
{{Main|Presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo}}
{{See also|Second EDSA Revolution|NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|Manila Peninsula siege}}
Atty. Chel Diokno helped prosecute then-President [[Joseph Estrada]] during his impeachment case from 2000 to 2001, which led to the [[Second EDSA Revolution]] that had him ousted and had Vice-president [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] inaugurated as the 14th president. Later on however, former Pres. Arroyo, who was the daughter of the ninth president [[Diosdado Macapagal]], would be involved in a [[NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|corruption scandal]] with Chinese telecom firm [[ZTE]]. Atty. Diokno would aid whistleblower [[Jun Lozada]] as part of his legal counsel during his court hearings against the administration.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

Around the same time in 2007, Atty. Diokno along with fellow FLAG lawyers Ted Te and Ricardo A. Sunga III, petitioned and were granted by the [[Philippine Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] to issue [[Writs of Amparo and Habeas Data|Writs of Amparo]] for leftist activists Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, two brothers who were allegedly tortured by the military under the Arroyo administration.<ref name="amparo">{{Cite news
|last = Panaligan
|first = Rey
|title = Supreme Court, QC RTC issue 1st Writs of Amparo
|newspaper = Manila Bulletin
|publisher = Manila Bulletin
|date = 2007-10-26
|url = http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|access-date = 2011-05-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120825185101/http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|archive-date = 2012-08-25
}}
</ref> FLAG also represented the media in a petition against the [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo|Arroyo administration]]. The case brought together members of [[ABS-CBN Corporation|ABS-CBN]], the [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]], Probe Productions, [[Newsbreak]], and the [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism]], among others for allegedly being rounded up for their "illegal" coverage of the [[Manila Peninsula siege|Manila Peninsula Siege]] that tried to force the president to resign.<ref name="mediavsarroyo">{{Cite news
|last = Jimenez-David
|first = Rina
|title = Who’s publicity-hungry?
|newspaper = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|publisher = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|date = 2008-01-29
|url = http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|access-date = 2020-10-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120326173919/http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|archive-date = 2012-03-26
}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=17 of 50 Journalists rounded up from The Pen released|url=http://www.gmanews.tv/story/70787/17-of-50-journalists-rounded-up-from-The-Pen-released|publisher=GMA News | date = 2007-11-29 | access-date = 2010-10-15}}</ref>

Pres. Arroyo would leave office with record-low approval ratings and was later imprisoned during the administration of the 15th President, [[Benigno Aquino III]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=David|title=Corruption was Gloria's biggest mistake: survey|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/08/04/10/corruption-was-glorias-biggest-mistake-survey|date=2010-08-04}}</ref>

===Legal battles with the Duterte administration===
{{Main|Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020}}
{{See also|Philippine drug war}}
[[File:TañadaPimentelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20181130Alternativity.jpg|thumb|Atty. [[Wigberto Tañada]], former Sen. [[Nene Pimentel]], and Atty. [[Chel Diokno]] at the 2018 Honoring of Martyrs and Heroes at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani on 30 November 2018]]
In 2017, FLAG lawyers Atty. Chel Diokno, Atty. Arno Sanidad, and former president of the [[Philippine Health Insurance Corporation]] (PhilHealth) Atty. Alexander Padilla became the legal counsel of retired police officer SPO3 Arturo Lascañas, a former officer of Duterte's [[Davao Death Squad]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-24}}</ref> Lascañas admitted to the court that he had to kill 300 civilians under Duterte, then the mayor of [[Davao City]]. The participation of FLAG in Lascañas's affidavit helped create credibility and exposed much of the controversial dealings concurrently happening in Davao City under the Duterte political family's watch. The case and its resulting revelation of Duterte's crimes became renowned through headlines all over top media groups around the world, which was brought to the attention of the [[International Criminal Court]] (ICC).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=Nikko|title=FLAG lawyers heighten Lascañas’ credibility – opposition solon|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873616/flag-lawyers-heighten-lascanas-credibility-opposition-solon|date=2017-02-21|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref>

In 2020, Atty. Diokno protested against the passing of the [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|Anti-Terror Law]], which was approved by the 16th President, [[Rodrigo Duterte]]. This would arrest those who are deemed terrorists by the government. Atty. Diokno quipped that not just terrorists would be arrested from this law but possibly any protestor could be harmed. He then questioned the Supreme Court on this decision.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title='Lawyers should strike' to demand Supreme Court actions vs abuses|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-should-strike-demand-supreme-court-actions-abuses|date=2021-03-09}}</ref> On July 23, FLAG, together with fellow columnists, statesmen, and political detainees issued the legal challenge G.R. No. 252741 against Anti-Terror Council member and Duterte's Executive Secretary [[Salvador Medialdea]] on the grounds and rationality of the signed law. Among the provisions in the law being questioned were Section 29 on detention without judicial warrant of arrest in which a suspect can be arrested even without a warrant of arrest and detained for up to 24 days. This has been compared to the time when [[History of the Philippines under Ferdinand Marcos|soon-to-be-ousted President Ferdinand Marcos]] removed the writ of habeas corpus in 1971. This has led to arrests without reason or without warrant, and has incited massive protests in the process.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno to question Anti-Terror law before Supreme Court|url=https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/human-rights-lawyer-chel-diokno-to-question-anti-terror-law-before-supreme-court/ar-BB16j0J5|access-date=2020-09-12}}</ref>

The Anti-Terror law has been denounced as being too vague and therefore very dangerous in its potential for wide-scale abuse.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Half of lawyer killings since 2016 were work-related – FLAG|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/half-lawyer-killings-since-2016-work-related-flag|date=2021-01-21}}</ref> FLAG served as the leader and legal council of the petition, together with at least 14 other early petitions coming from all different sectors: [[Rappler]] and [[Maria Ressa]] (whom FLAG defended a few years prior to the passage of the Anti-Terror Law), the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL), senators such as [[Leila de Lima]] and [[Francis Pangilinan|Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan]], labor groups and activists, and other members of the media and government.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Philippines: Media workers file petitions to reject Anti-Terror Law|url=https://www.ifj.org/es/centro-de-medios/noticias/detalle/category/press-releases/article/philippines-media-workers-file-petitions-to-reject-anti-terror-law.html|date=2020-07-23|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref> The extrajudicial killings have risen after the law was made official. After a few years into the Duterte administration, it has been reported that at least 61 lawyers have also been slain by police forces, which means that far more lawyers have been killed than in any previous presidential administration.<ref>{{Cite web|title=61 lawyers killed since Duterte assumed office in 2016, says group|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/11/21/61-lawyers-killed-since-duterte-assumed-office-in-2016-says-group|date=2021-03-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG report found almost half of lawyers killed linked to legal practice|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/03/11/2083558/flag-report-found-almost-half-lawyers-killed-linked-legal-practice|date=2021-03-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Lawyers killed: 61 under Duterte, 49 from Marcos to Aquino|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-killed-duterte-marcos-aquino-administrations-data-studies|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Conde|first=Carlos H.|title=Record High Killing of Philippine Lawyers|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/15/record-high-killing-philippine-lawyers|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Navallo|first=Mike|title=More lawyers killed during Duterte admin than under previous 6 presidents combined - study|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/15/21/more-lawyers-killed-during-duterte-admin-than-under-previous-6-presidents-combined-study|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=61 legal practitioners killed since 2016, zero convictions – lawyers’ group|url=https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/10/lawyers-killed-duterte-administration.html|date=2021-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG expresses concern over 61 lawyers killed since 2016|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/779980/flag-expresses-concern-over-61-lawyers-killed-since-2016/story/|date=2021-03-17}}</ref> In fact based on FLAG data, this statistic is still much larger than the preceding six administrations starting the Marcos dictatorship.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Santos|first=Tina G.|title=NUPL seeks UN help as more PH lawyers killed|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1407423/nupl-seeks-un-help-as-more-ph-lawyers-killed|date=2021-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=FLAG goes to Supreme Court to free ex-NPA chief Salas|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/flag-petition-supreme-court-free-ex-npa-chief|date=February 2020}}</ref>

==Functions and organization==
[[File:FvfBantayogBayani0100 15.JPG|thumb|300 px|right|FLAG founders and human rights activists [[Jose W. Diokno|Atty. Jose W. Diokno]] and [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Atty. Lorenzo M. Tañada]] at the [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]]]

===Purpose===
Among the main objectives of FLAG are:
# To promote civil and political rights through activism
# Handle cases of the urban poor, indigenous peoples, workers, students, NPA members, and other disenfranchised sectors of Philippine society
# To encourage developmental legal advocacy which may remedy injustice not merely by enforcing the law, but also by changing the law and underlying social structures that perpetrate or sustain injustice and inhibit development

===Organization===
[[File:Jose W. Diokno.png|thumb|left|[[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]]]
The law firm and [[Non-governmental organization|non-governmental organization (NGO)]] is headed by its chairman. The current chairman is Atty. Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno. Assisting the chairman is the secretary-general. The incumbent secretary-general is Atty. Maria Socorro "Cookie" Diokno, who was the former chairman of the [[National Historical Commission of the Philippines|National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG lawyers share selfie with ‘unwelcome’ UN expert|url=https://abogado.com.ph/flag-lawyers-share-selfie-with-unwelcome-un-expert/|date=2017-05-08|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> For regional cases, the regional coordinator helps in communications and managing the different logistics throughout several districts and cities. The present Manila regional coordinator is Atty. Ted Te.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> Mary Kathryn Sison is the network coordinator in charge of monitoring oversights in [[Metro Manila]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG)|url=https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/|date=2018|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

===ESC Rights Program===
In 1993, FLAG created the Economic, Social, and Cultural (ESC) Rights Program to properly design a framework that would government accountability over human suffering violations regarding ESC rights. The objective of the FLAG program serves to ultimately create a suitable Philippine system thay may also serve as a model for other developing countries with numerous human rights violations springing from socioeconomic causes. Countries that have been studied and formally addressed by FLAG include [[Thailand]], different [[Southeast Asia|Southeast Asian countries]], and parts of [[Africa]]. Within its ESC Rights Program, FLAG has established two technical core groups, one on the right to housing and the on the right to education. Each group consists of academicians and representatives of NGOs and public organizations, development organizations, professional associations, industries, and selected government departments. Consultations between the two working groups are promoted to share results, seek confirmation, resolve conflicts, and integrate work output. FLAG has established other right-specific working groups since that time, such as the right to health and food, beginning the last quarter of 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> The core functions of the ESC Rights Program are:
# To define the rights of survival in terms of their core content
# To develop legal standards for the rights of survival
# If the rights of survival are, realizable imperatives rather than development objectives, the working groups must lay out clear and precise state obligations under these rights
# Given the establishment of standards and obligations, indicators need to be developed so that systematic monitoring can take place
# For working groups to delineate and outline ways to make the rights of survival legally enforceable and justiciable

== Other Notable Members==
[[File:Justice Marvic MVF Leonen official portrait.jpg|thumb|right|Marvin Leonen, Supreme Court Justice and Human Rights Jurist]]
* [[Joker Arroyo]], human rights lawyer who later became a member of the [[Philippine Senate]]
* [[Quezon City's 6th congressional district#Representation history|Jose Christopher "Kit" Belmonte]], human rights lawyer, congressman, and deputy minority leader of the [[Philippine House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
* [[David Bueno]], lawyer, martial law activist, and martyr who defended Martial Law victims in [[Ilocos Norte]], which was the native province of Marcos
* [http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp Rosario "Chato" Olivas-Gallo], DLSU College of Law vice-dean and children's rights activist
* [[Marvic Leonen]], [[University of the Philippines College of Law|University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman College of Law Dean]], environmental activist, former legal commentator with [[ABS-CBN]] and [[GMA Network|GMA]], Chief Peace Negotiator with the [[Moro Islamic Liberation Front|MILF]], and the youngest [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines|Supreme Court Justice]] since [[WWII]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]], senator, professor, [[Manila Times]] columnist, and lawyer who served as the spokesman for President [[Corazon Aquino]] after the [[1986 People Power Revolution]]
* [https://politics.com.ph/tag/atty-arno-sanidad/ Arno Sanidad], law professor and member of the [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]]
* [[Erin Tañada|Lorenzo "Erin" Tañada III]], human rights lawyer, congressman, activist, and news anchor and broadcaster for [[UNTV (Philippines)|UNTV]]
* [https://r3.rappler.com/previous-articles?filterMeta=Ted%20Te Theodore O. "Ted" Te], Supreme Court spokesperson<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|date=2018-09-03|title=Spokesman Ted Te resigns from Supreme Court|url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/210999-supreme-court-spokesman-theodore-te-resigns|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en}}</ref> who represented journalist and [[Time Person of the Year]] [[Maria Ressa]] in her [[Maria Ressa cyberlibel case|cyberlibel case]] against the [[Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte|Rodrigo Duterte Administration]];<ref>{{Cite web|title=Board of Advisers|url=http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref> the Duterte administration has been compared to the Ferdinand Marcos administration for similar human rights abuses, and FLAG again leads the opposition in calling for justice and restitution for the oppressed<ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG lawyer: No place in imperfect justice system for 'absolute' punishments like death penalty|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/09/16/2042884/flag-lawyer-no-place-imperfect-justice-system-absolute-punishments-death-penalty|date=2020-09-16|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-15|title=Court convicts Rappler CEO Ressa in cyberlibel case|url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/6/15/maria-ressa-rappler-conviction.html|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[CNN Philippines]]|language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]
* [[Chel Diokno]]
* [[David Bueno]]
* [[Lorenzo Tañada]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]]
* [[Joker Arroyo]]
* [[Legal aid|Developmental Legal Aid]]
* [[People of the Philippines v. Santos, Ressa and Rappler]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://flagfaqs.blogspot.de/ official website]
* [https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/ Namati: Flag Network]

[[Category:Human rights organizations based in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Jose W. Diokno]]

Free Legal Assistance Group

2021-07-25T12:58:41Z

112.205.1.155: /* Other Notable Members */

{{Infobox organization
| name = FLAG
| image = [[File:ChelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20190223Alternativity.jpg|260 px|FLAG chairman Atty. Chel Diokno at a commemoration of [[Martial Law (Philippines)|martial law]] victims and human rights activists]]
| image_size =
| caption = FLAG chairman [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Chel Diokno]] at a commemoration of [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law]] victims and human rights activists
| logo =
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| abbreviation = FLAG
| formation = {{start date and age|1974}}
| founder = [[Joker Arroyo]] [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]] [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]
| founding_location =
| type = Non-profit lawyers organization, Human rights law firm
| tax_id = 
| registration_id = 
| purpose = [[Human rights]]
| headquarters = [[Quezon City, Philippines]]
| location = Philippines
| coords = 
| region = Nationwide
| services = Pro-bono legal service
| products = Advocacy, Representation, Advice
| methods = Developmental legal advocacy
| fields = [[Human rights]], [[Civil rights]]
| language = English/Filipino
| leader_title = Chairman
| leader_name = [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]]
| leader_title2 = Secretary-General
| leader_name2 = Atty. Maria Socorro I. "Cookie" Diokno
| leader_title3 = Deputy Secretary-General
| leader_name3 = Atty. Arno Sanidad
| leader_title4 = Regional Coordinator of FLAG Metro Manila
| leader_name4 = Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te
| affiliations = [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]] [[Commission on Human Rights|Commission on Human Rights (CHR)]] [[Amnesty International]] [[Human Rights Watch|Human Rights Watch (HRW)]] [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism|Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)]] National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL)
| website = 
}}

The '''Free Legal Assistance Group''' ('''FLAG''') is the largest and oldest organization pertaining to [[human rights]] and human rights lawyers in the [[Philippines]].<ref name="BantayogProfileDioknoJoseW">{{Cite web|date=2015-10-15|title=Heroes and Martyrs: Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805030611/http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|archive-date=2017-08-05|access-date=2019-07-21|website=[[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Medina20170221">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |title=IN THE KNOW: FLAG |last=Medina |first=Marielle |date=21 February 2017 |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224124734/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |archive-date=2017-02-24 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> FLAG handled over ninety percent of human rights cases during [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law and the authoritarian regime]] in 1974-1986 and continues to have a significant impact today.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|date=2017-02-20|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/162022-free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en|quote=Founded in 1974 by the late senators Jose W. Diokno, Lorenzo Tañada Sr, and Joker Arroyo, FLAG provided free legal services to victims of martial law during the Marcos years, and still leads the call in aiding human rights victims nationwide}}</ref>

FLAG has taken the lead in prosecuting abusive military and policemen and demanding accountability from the government. The groups' efforts have led to landmark legislations in habeas corpus. FLAG also questioned, in appropriate cases, the Supreme Court and the constitutionality of the death penalty and the Visiting Forces Agreement, among many others. Among its many advocacies are stopping political repression, military and police abuses, and capital punishment. It works on countering varied abuses of human rights and [[civil liberties]].

FLAG's current chair is [[Human rights lawyer|human rights attorney]] [[Chel Diokno|Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]] since 2001,<ref name="PatriciaDeniseChiu20190405">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |title=Unique killings, same language, lawyers say of drug war reports |last=Chiu |first=Patricia Denise M. |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404232824/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |archive-date=2019-04-04 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> who is the founding dean of the [[De La Salle University College of Law|De La Salle University (DLSU) College of Law]].

The services provided by this institution are generally carried out pro-bono. In fact, it is due to FLAG's innovative use of [[Legal aid|developmental legal aid or free legal assistance]] that it grew in popularity and has allowed for the passage of a new law, requiring newly sworn-in lawyers to conduct community legal aid service for a specified amount of time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore|title=[ANALYSIS {{!}} Deep Dive] Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-14}}</ref>

==History==
===Martial law and early years===
{{Main|Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship}}
{{See also|Human rights in the Philippines}}
[[File:Lorenzo Tanada portrait.jpg|thumb|left|FLAG co-founder Atty. Lorenzo Tañada]]
FLAG was founded in 1974 by [[Jose Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=DIOKNO, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|date=2015-10-15|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> [[Lorenzo Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Clarke|first=Gerard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=044qBgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&q=FLAG&hl=en|title=The Politics of NGOs in Southeast Asia: Participation and Protest in the Philippines|date=2006-05-17|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-69535-5|pages=168–169, 173|language=en}}</ref> and Atty. [[Joker Arroyo]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-10-07|title=Remembering Joker Arroyo|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/728691/remembering-joker-arroyo|access-date=2019-07-24|website=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|language=en}}</ref> during the [[Martial law in the Philippines|martial law era]] under the infamous ex-[[President of the Philippines|President]] [[Ferdinand Marcos]]. After Diokno was released from prison at [[Fort Bonifacio]], he immediately thought of creating a law firm that would support human rights victims through a new and innovative method called developmental legal aid, which he even promoted further by giving allowances to clients without any financial means. FLAG has defended farmers, similar victims of agrarian reform, and activists who were victims of paramilitary abuses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Survey of Private Legal Practitioners to Monitor Access to Justice by the Disadvantaged|url=https://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/UNDP4/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/PLP_Final.pdf|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

According to Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te, the popularization of developmental legal aid at this time eventually laid the foundations for the passing of new laws, particularly the Community Legal Aid Service (CLAS) Rule. The CLAS Rule requires those who have passed the bar and signed the Roll of Attorneys in any particular year after the Rule's effectivity – but specifically, those who passed the [[Philippine Bar Examination|2017 Bar examinations]] and beyond, and were subsequently admitted to the bar – to render 120 hours of legal service. This must be done within their first year of admission to the bar or else they will risk receiving sanctions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore O.|title=(ANALYSIS-Deep Dive) Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref> At the height of martial law, the FLAG firm led by Atty. Diokno, who is called the father of human rights, handled over 90 percent of human rights cases in the country, documenting torture, summary executions, and [[Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship|other abuses during that period]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.dlsaa.com/honors-and-awards/awardees/diokno-jose-w|date=2005|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref>

This sometimes placed lawyers working with FLAG at risk. Among the FLAG lawyers murdered during the dictatorship<ref name="NYTFLAGmurders">{{Cite news |last=Margolick |first=David |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1985-07-11 |title=BAR GROUP ASSAILS PHILIPPINES AS ABUSING LAWYERS (Published 1985) |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |url-status=live |access-date=2021-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524165848/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |archive-date=2015-05-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> were [[Zorro Aguilar]], [[Romraflo Taojo]], and Crisostomo Cailing, all of whom have since been honored by having their names inscribed on the wall of remembrance at the Philippines' [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]], which honors the martyrs and heroes who fought against the Marcos' authoritarian rule.<ref>http://www.bantayog.org/martyrs-heroes/</ref>

===1990s===
{{See also|Kuratong Baleleng}}
Kuratong Baleleng was once the largest syndicate in the country when the national crime rate was at its peak.<ref>{{Cite web|last=De Guzman|first=Naica|title=Most Wanted: Kuratong Baleleng Gang|url= https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/kuratong-baleleng-parojinog-a1729-20180918-lfrm3|date=2018-09-18|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> FLAG later became the chief prosecutor in the 1995 [[Kuratong Baleleng]] rubout case. At that time, eleven members of the organized syndicate Kuratong Baleleng were killed by the forces of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, led by then-police officer [[Panfilo Lacson]]. FLAG prosecuted 27 police officers involved in this case at the [[Regional Trial Court|Quezon City Regional Trial Court]] but to no avail.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/285090/news/nation/sc-upholds-dismissal-of-lacson-s-kuratong-baleleng-case|title=SC upholds dismissal of Lacson's Kuratong Baleleng case|date=December 4, 2012|publisher=gmanetwork.com|access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref> FLAG immediately appealed to the High Tribunal to remand the case to the trial court once more in order to present new evidence against Lacson, inter alia. Later on May 2, 2008, the Supreme Court finally resolved to consider the appeal.

Other famous cases include Leo Echegarray v. Secretary of Justice. In this case, the convicted Leo Echegarray was to be sentenced to death. The death penalty had been removed for years but reinstated in the 1990s. This case was to mark the very return of its implementation. Atty. Ted Te and FLAG's continuous pleadings and petitions for reconsideration managed to pave the way for intensive debate against the death penalty, until it was finally abolished in 2006.<Ref>{{Cite web|title=LEO ECHEGARAY, petitioner, vs. SECRETARY OF JUSTICE, ET AL., respondents.|url=https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1999/jan1999/gr_132601_1999.html|date=1999-01-19}}</ref>

===2000s and the Macapagal-Arroyo administration===
{{Main|Presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo}}
{{See also|Second EDSA Revolution|NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|Manila Peninsula siege}}
Atty. Chel Diokno helped prosecute then-President [[Joseph Estrada]] during his impeachment case from 2000 to 2001, which led to the [[Second EDSA Revolution]] that had him ousted and had Vice-president [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] inaugurated as the 14th president. Later on however, former Pres. Arroyo, who was the daughter of the ninth president [[Diosdado Macapagal]], would be involved in a [[NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|corruption scandal]] with Chinese telecom firm [[ZTE]]. Atty. Diokno would aid whistleblower [[Jun Lozada]] as part of his legal counsel during his court hearings against the administration.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

Around the same time in 2007, Atty. Diokno along with fellow FLAG lawyers Ted Te and Ricardo A. Sunga III, petitioned and were granted by the [[Philippine Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] to issue [[Writs of Amparo and Habeas Data|Writs of Amparo]] for leftist activists Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, two brothers who were allegedly tortured by the military under the Arroyo administration.<ref name="amparo">{{Cite news
|last = Panaligan
|first = Rey
|title = Supreme Court, QC RTC issue 1st Writs of Amparo
|newspaper = Manila Bulletin
|publisher = Manila Bulletin
|date = 2007-10-26
|url = http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|access-date = 2011-05-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120825185101/http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|archive-date = 2012-08-25
}}
</ref> FLAG also represented the media in a petition against the [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo|Arroyo administration]]. The case brought together members of [[ABS-CBN Corporation|ABS-CBN]], the [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]], Probe Productions, [[Newsbreak]], and the [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism]], among others for allegedly being rounded up for their "illegal" coverage of the [[Manila Peninsula siege|Manila Peninsula Siege]] that tried to force the president to resign.<ref name="mediavsarroyo">{{Cite news
|last = Jimenez-David
|first = Rina
|title = Who’s publicity-hungry?
|newspaper = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|publisher = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|date = 2008-01-29
|url = http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|access-date = 2020-10-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120326173919/http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|archive-date = 2012-03-26
}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=17 of 50 Journalists rounded up from The Pen released|url=http://www.gmanews.tv/story/70787/17-of-50-journalists-rounded-up-from-The-Pen-released|publisher=GMA News | date = 2007-11-29 | access-date = 2010-10-15}}</ref>

Pres. Arroyo would leave office with record-low approval ratings and was later imprisoned during the administration of the 15th President, [[Benigno Aquino III]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=David|title=Corruption was Gloria's biggest mistake: survey|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/08/04/10/corruption-was-glorias-biggest-mistake-survey|date=2010-08-04}}</ref>

===Legal battles with the Duterte administration===
{{Main|Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020}}
{{See also|Philippine drug war}}
[[File:TañadaPimentelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20181130Alternativity.jpg|thumb|Atty. [[Wigberto Tañada]], former Sen. [[Nene Pimentel]], and Atty. [[Chel Diokno]] at the 2018 Honoring of Martyrs and Heroes at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani on 30 November 2018]]
In 2017, FLAG lawyers Atty. Chel Diokno, Atty. Arno Sanidad, and former president of the [[Philippine Health Insurance Corporation]] (PhilHealth) Atty. Alexander Padilla became the legal counsel of retired police officer SPO3 Arturo Lascañas, a former officer of Duterte's [[Davao Death Squad]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-24}}</ref> Lascañas admitted to the court that he had to kill 300 civilians under Duterte, then the mayor of [[Davao City]]. The participation of FLAG in Lascañas's affidavit helped create credibility and exposed much of the controversial dealings concurrently happening in Davao City under the Duterte political family's watch. The case and its resulting revelation of Duterte's crimes became renowned through headlines all over top media groups around the world, which was brought to the attention of the [[International Criminal Court]] (ICC).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=Nikko|title=FLAG lawyers heighten Lascañas’ credibility – opposition solon|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873616/flag-lawyers-heighten-lascanas-credibility-opposition-solon|date=2017-02-21|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref>

In 2020, Atty. Diokno protested against the passing of the [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|Anti-Terror Law]], which was approved by the 16th President, [[Rodrigo Duterte]]. This would arrest those who are deemed terrorists by the government. Atty. Diokno quipped that not just terrorists would be arrested from this law but possibly any protestor could be harmed. He then questioned the Supreme Court on this decision.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title='Lawyers should strike' to demand Supreme Court actions vs abuses|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-should-strike-demand-supreme-court-actions-abuses|date=2021-03-09}}</ref> On July 23, FLAG, together with fellow columnists, statesmen, and political detainees issued the legal challenge G.R. No. 252741 against Anti-Terror Council member and Duterte's Executive Secretary [[Salvador Medialdea]] on the grounds and rationality of the signed law. Among the provisions in the law being questioned were Section 29 on detention without judicial warrant of arrest in which a suspect can be arrested even without a warrant of arrest and detained for up to 24 days. This has been compared to the time when [[History of the Philippines under Ferdinand Marcos|soon-to-be-ousted President Ferdinand Marcos]] removed the writ of habeas corpus in 1971. This has led to arrests without reason or without warrant, and has incited massive protests in the process.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno to question Anti-Terror law before Supreme Court|url=https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/human-rights-lawyer-chel-diokno-to-question-anti-terror-law-before-supreme-court/ar-BB16j0J5|access-date=2020-09-12}}</ref>

The Anti-Terror law has been denounced as being too vague and therefore very dangerous in its potential for wide-scale abuse.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Half of lawyer killings since 2016 were work-related – FLAG|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/half-lawyer-killings-since-2016-work-related-flag|date=2021-01-21}}</ref> FLAG served as the leader and legal council of the petition, together with at least 14 other early petitions coming from all different sectors: [[Rappler]] and [[Maria Ressa]] (whom FLAG defended a few years prior to the passage of the Anti-Terror Law), the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL), senators such as [[Leila de Lima]] and [[Francis Pangilinan|Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan]], labor groups and activists, and other members of the media and government.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Philippines: Media workers file petitions to reject Anti-Terror Law|url=https://www.ifj.org/es/centro-de-medios/noticias/detalle/category/press-releases/article/philippines-media-workers-file-petitions-to-reject-anti-terror-law.html|date=2020-07-23|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref> The extrajudicial killings have risen after the law was made official. After a few years into the Duterte administration, it has been reported that at least 61 lawyers have also been slain by police forces, which means that far more lawyers have been killed than in any previous presidential administration.<ref>{{Cite web|title=61 lawyers killed since Duterte assumed office in 2016, says group|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/11/21/61-lawyers-killed-since-duterte-assumed-office-in-2016-says-group|date=2021-03-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG report found almost half of lawyers killed linked to legal practice|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/03/11/2083558/flag-report-found-almost-half-lawyers-killed-linked-legal-practice|date=2021-03-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Lawyers killed: 61 under Duterte, 49 from Marcos to Aquino|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-killed-duterte-marcos-aquino-administrations-data-studies|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Conde|first=Carlos H.|title=Record High Killing of Philippine Lawyers|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/15/record-high-killing-philippine-lawyers|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Navallo|first=Mike|title=More lawyers killed during Duterte admin than under previous 6 presidents combined - study|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/15/21/more-lawyers-killed-during-duterte-admin-than-under-previous-6-presidents-combined-study|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=61 legal practitioners killed since 2016, zero convictions – lawyers’ group|url=https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/10/lawyers-killed-duterte-administration.html|date=2021-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG expresses concern over 61 lawyers killed since 2016|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/779980/flag-expresses-concern-over-61-lawyers-killed-since-2016/story/|date=2021-03-17}}</ref> In fact based on FLAG data, this statistic is still much larger than the preceding six administrations starting the Marcos dictatorship.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Santos|first=Tina G.|title=NUPL seeks UN help as more PH lawyers killed|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1407423/nupl-seeks-un-help-as-more-ph-lawyers-killed|date=2021-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=FLAG goes to Supreme Court to free ex-NPA chief Salas|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/flag-petition-supreme-court-free-ex-npa-chief|date=February 2020}}</ref>

==Functions and organization==
[[File:FvfBantayogBayani0100 15.JPG|thumb|300 px|right|FLAG founders and human rights activists [[Jose W. Diokno|Atty. Jose W. Diokno]] and [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Atty. Lorenzo M. Tañada]] at the [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]]]

===Purpose===
Among the main objectives of FLAG are:
# To promote civil and political rights through activism
# Handle cases of the urban poor, indigenous peoples, workers, students, NPA members, and other disenfranchised sectors of Philippine society
# To encourage developmental legal advocacy which may remedy injustice not merely by enforcing the law, but also by changing the law and underlying social structures that perpetrate or sustain injustice and inhibit development

===Organization===
[[File:Jose W. Diokno.png|thumb|left|[[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]]]
The law firm and [[Non-governmental organization|non-governmental organization (NGO)]] is headed by its chairman. The current chairman is Atty. Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno. Assisting the chairman is the secretary-general. The incumbent secretary-general is Atty. Maria Socorro "Cookie" Diokno, who was the former chairman of the [[National Historical Commission of the Philippines|National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG lawyers share selfie with ‘unwelcome’ UN expert|url=https://abogado.com.ph/flag-lawyers-share-selfie-with-unwelcome-un-expert/|date=2017-05-08|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> For regional cases, the regional coordinator helps in communications and managing the different logistics throughout several districts and cities. The present Manila regional coordinator is Atty. Ted Te.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> Mary Kathryn Sison is the network coordinator in charge of monitoring oversights in [[Metro Manila]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG)|url=https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/|date=2018|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

===ESC Rights Program===
In 1993, FLAG created the Economic, Social, and Cultural (ESC) Rights Program to properly design a framework that would government accountability over human suffering violations regarding ESC rights. The objective of the FLAG program serves to ultimately create a suitable Philippine system thay may also serve as a model for other developing countries with numerous human rights violations springing from socioeconomic causes. Countries that have been studied and formally addressed by FLAG include [[Thailand]], different [[Southeast Asia|Southeast Asian countries]], and parts of [[Africa]]. Within its ESC Rights Program, FLAG has established two technical core groups, one on the right to housing and the on the right to education. Each group consists of academicians and representatives of NGOs and public organizations, development organizations, professional associations, industries, and selected government departments. Consultations between the two working groups are promoted to share results, seek confirmation, resolve conflicts, and integrate work output. FLAG has established other right-specific working groups since that time, such as the right to health and food, beginning the last quarter of 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> The core functions of the ESC Rights Program are:
# To define the rights of survival in terms of their core content
# To develop legal standards for the rights of survival
# If the rights of survival are, realizable imperatives rather than development objectives, the working groups must lay out clear and precise state obligations under these rights
# Given the establishment of standards and obligations, indicators need to be developed so that systematic monitoring can take place
# For working groups to delineate and outline ways to make the rights of survival legally enforceable and justiciable

== Other Notable Members==
[[File:Justice Marvic MVF Leonen official portrait.jpg|thumb|right|Marvin Leonen, Supreme Court Justice and Human Rights Jurist]]
* [[Joker Arroyo]], human rights lawyer who later became a member of the [[Philippine Senate]]
* [[Quezon City's 6th congressional district#Representation history|Kit Belmonte]], human rights lawyer, congressman, and deputy minority leader of the [[Philippine House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
* [[David Bueno]], lawyer, martial law activist, and martyr who defended Martial Law victims in [[Ilocos Norte]], which was the native province of Marcos
* [http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp Rosario "Chato" Olivas-Gallo], DLSU College of Law vice-dean and children's rights activist
* [[Marvic Leonen]], [[University of the Philippines College of Law|University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman College of Law Dean]], environmental activist, former legal commentator with [[ABS-CBN]] and [[GMA Network|GMA]], Chief Peace Negotiator with the [[Moro Islamic Liberation Front|MILF]], and the youngest [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines|Supreme Court Justice]] since [[WWII]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]], senator, professor, [[Manila Times]] columnist, and lawyer who served as the spokesman for President [[Corazon Aquino]] after the [[1986 People Power Revolution]]
* [https://politics.com.ph/tag/atty-arno-sanidad/ Arno Sanidad], law professor and member of the [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]]
* [[Erin Tañada|Lorenzo "Erin" Tañada III]], human rights lawyer, congressman, activist, and news anchor and broadcaster for [[UNTV (Philippines)|UNTV]]
* [https://r3.rappler.com/previous-articles?filterMeta=Ted%20Te Theodore O. "Ted" Te], Supreme Court spokesperson<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|date=2018-09-03|title=Spokesman Ted Te resigns from Supreme Court|url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/210999-supreme-court-spokesman-theodore-te-resigns|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en}}</ref> who represented journalist and [[Time Person of the Year]] [[Maria Ressa]] in her [[Maria Ressa cyberlibel case|cyberlibel case]] against the [[Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte|Rodrigo Duterte Administration]];<ref>{{Cite web|title=Board of Advisers|url=http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref> the Duterte administration has been compared to the Ferdinand Marcos administration for similar human rights abuses, and FLAG again leads the opposition in calling for justice and restitution for the oppressed<ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG lawyer: No place in imperfect justice system for 'absolute' punishments like death penalty|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/09/16/2042884/flag-lawyer-no-place-imperfect-justice-system-absolute-punishments-death-penalty|date=2020-09-16|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-15|title=Court convicts Rappler CEO Ressa in cyberlibel case|url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/6/15/maria-ressa-rappler-conviction.html|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[CNN Philippines]]|language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]
* [[Chel Diokno]]
* [[David Bueno]]
* [[Lorenzo Tañada]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]]
* [[Joker Arroyo]]
* [[Legal aid|Developmental Legal Aid]]
* [[People of the Philippines v. Santos, Ressa and Rappler]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://flagfaqs.blogspot.de/ official website]
* [https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/ Namati: Flag Network]

[[Category:Human rights organizations based in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Jose W. Diokno]]

Free Legal Assistance Group

2021-07-25T12:55:12Z

112.205.1.155: /* Other Notable Members */

{{Infobox organization
| name = FLAG
| image = [[File:ChelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20190223Alternativity.jpg|260 px|FLAG chairman Atty. Chel Diokno at a commemoration of [[Martial Law (Philippines)|martial law]] victims and human rights activists]]
| image_size =
| caption = FLAG chairman [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Chel Diokno]] at a commemoration of [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law]] victims and human rights activists
| logo =
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| abbreviation = FLAG
| formation = {{start date and age|1974}}
| founder = [[Joker Arroyo]] [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]] [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]
| founding_location =
| type = Non-profit lawyers organization, Human rights law firm
| tax_id = 
| registration_id = 
| purpose = [[Human rights]]
| headquarters = [[Quezon City, Philippines]]
| location = Philippines
| coords = 
| region = Nationwide
| services = Pro-bono legal service
| products = Advocacy, Representation, Advice
| methods = Developmental legal advocacy
| fields = [[Human rights]], [[Civil rights]]
| language = English/Filipino
| leader_title = Chairman
| leader_name = [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]]
| leader_title2 = Secretary-General
| leader_name2 = Atty. Maria Socorro I. "Cookie" Diokno
| leader_title3 = Deputy Secretary-General
| leader_name3 = Atty. Arno Sanidad
| leader_title4 = Regional Coordinator of FLAG Metro Manila
| leader_name4 = Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te
| affiliations = [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]] [[Commission on Human Rights|Commission on Human Rights (CHR)]] [[Amnesty International]] [[Human Rights Watch|Human Rights Watch (HRW)]] [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism|Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)]] National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL)
| website = 
}}

The '''Free Legal Assistance Group''' ('''FLAG''') is the largest and oldest organization pertaining to [[human rights]] and human rights lawyers in the [[Philippines]].<ref name="BantayogProfileDioknoJoseW">{{Cite web|date=2015-10-15|title=Heroes and Martyrs: Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805030611/http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|archive-date=2017-08-05|access-date=2019-07-21|website=[[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Medina20170221">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |title=IN THE KNOW: FLAG |last=Medina |first=Marielle |date=21 February 2017 |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224124734/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |archive-date=2017-02-24 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> FLAG handled over ninety percent of human rights cases during [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law and the authoritarian regime]] in 1974-1986 and continues to have a significant impact today.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|date=2017-02-20|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/162022-free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en|quote=Founded in 1974 by the late senators Jose W. Diokno, Lorenzo Tañada Sr, and Joker Arroyo, FLAG provided free legal services to victims of martial law during the Marcos years, and still leads the call in aiding human rights victims nationwide}}</ref>

FLAG has taken the lead in prosecuting abusive military and policemen and demanding accountability from the government. The groups' efforts have led to landmark legislations in habeas corpus. FLAG also questioned, in appropriate cases, the Supreme Court and the constitutionality of the death penalty and the Visiting Forces Agreement, among many others. Among its many advocacies are stopping political repression, military and police abuses, and capital punishment. It works on countering varied abuses of human rights and [[civil liberties]].

FLAG's current chair is [[Human rights lawyer|human rights attorney]] [[Chel Diokno|Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]] since 2001,<ref name="PatriciaDeniseChiu20190405">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |title=Unique killings, same language, lawyers say of drug war reports |last=Chiu |first=Patricia Denise M. |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404232824/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |archive-date=2019-04-04 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> who is the founding dean of the [[De La Salle University College of Law|De La Salle University (DLSU) College of Law]].

The services provided by this institution are generally carried out pro-bono. In fact, it is due to FLAG's innovative use of [[Legal aid|developmental legal aid or free legal assistance]] that it grew in popularity and has allowed for the passage of a new law, requiring newly sworn-in lawyers to conduct community legal aid service for a specified amount of time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore|title=[ANALYSIS {{!}} Deep Dive] Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-14}}</ref>

==History==
===Martial law and early years===
{{Main|Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship}}
{{See also|Human rights in the Philippines}}
[[File:Lorenzo Tanada portrait.jpg|thumb|left|FLAG co-founder Atty. Lorenzo Tañada]]
FLAG was founded in 1974 by [[Jose Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=DIOKNO, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|date=2015-10-15|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> [[Lorenzo Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Clarke|first=Gerard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=044qBgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&q=FLAG&hl=en|title=The Politics of NGOs in Southeast Asia: Participation and Protest in the Philippines|date=2006-05-17|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-69535-5|pages=168–169, 173|language=en}}</ref> and Atty. [[Joker Arroyo]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-10-07|title=Remembering Joker Arroyo|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/728691/remembering-joker-arroyo|access-date=2019-07-24|website=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|language=en}}</ref> during the [[Martial law in the Philippines|martial law era]] under the infamous ex-[[President of the Philippines|President]] [[Ferdinand Marcos]]. After Diokno was released from prison at [[Fort Bonifacio]], he immediately thought of creating a law firm that would support human rights victims through a new and innovative method called developmental legal aid, which he even promoted further by giving allowances to clients without any financial means. FLAG has defended farmers, similar victims of agrarian reform, and activists who were victims of paramilitary abuses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Survey of Private Legal Practitioners to Monitor Access to Justice by the Disadvantaged|url=https://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/UNDP4/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/PLP_Final.pdf|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

According to Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te, the popularization of developmental legal aid at this time eventually laid the foundations for the passing of new laws, particularly the Community Legal Aid Service (CLAS) Rule. The CLAS Rule requires those who have passed the bar and signed the Roll of Attorneys in any particular year after the Rule's effectivity – but specifically, those who passed the [[Philippine Bar Examination|2017 Bar examinations]] and beyond, and were subsequently admitted to the bar – to render 120 hours of legal service. This must be done within their first year of admission to the bar or else they will risk receiving sanctions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore O.|title=(ANALYSIS-Deep Dive) Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref> At the height of martial law, the FLAG firm led by Atty. Diokno, who is called the father of human rights, handled over 90 percent of human rights cases in the country, documenting torture, summary executions, and [[Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship|other abuses during that period]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.dlsaa.com/honors-and-awards/awardees/diokno-jose-w|date=2005|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref>

This sometimes placed lawyers working with FLAG at risk. Among the FLAG lawyers murdered during the dictatorship<ref name="NYTFLAGmurders">{{Cite news |last=Margolick |first=David |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1985-07-11 |title=BAR GROUP ASSAILS PHILIPPINES AS ABUSING LAWYERS (Published 1985) |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |url-status=live |access-date=2021-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524165848/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |archive-date=2015-05-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> were [[Zorro Aguilar]], [[Romraflo Taojo]], and Crisostomo Cailing, all of whom have since been honored by having their names inscribed on the wall of remembrance at the Philippines' [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]], which honors the martyrs and heroes who fought against the Marcos' authoritarian rule.<ref>http://www.bantayog.org/martyrs-heroes/</ref>

===1990s===
{{See also|Kuratong Baleleng}}
Kuratong Baleleng was once the largest syndicate in the country when the national crime rate was at its peak.<ref>{{Cite web|last=De Guzman|first=Naica|title=Most Wanted: Kuratong Baleleng Gang|url= https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/kuratong-baleleng-parojinog-a1729-20180918-lfrm3|date=2018-09-18|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> FLAG later became the chief prosecutor in the 1995 [[Kuratong Baleleng]] rubout case. At that time, eleven members of the organized syndicate Kuratong Baleleng were killed by the forces of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, led by then-police officer [[Panfilo Lacson]]. FLAG prosecuted 27 police officers involved in this case at the [[Regional Trial Court|Quezon City Regional Trial Court]] but to no avail.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/285090/news/nation/sc-upholds-dismissal-of-lacson-s-kuratong-baleleng-case|title=SC upholds dismissal of Lacson's Kuratong Baleleng case|date=December 4, 2012|publisher=gmanetwork.com|access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref> FLAG immediately appealed to the High Tribunal to remand the case to the trial court once more in order to present new evidence against Lacson, inter alia. Later on May 2, 2008, the Supreme Court finally resolved to consider the appeal.

Other famous cases include Leo Echegarray v. Secretary of Justice. In this case, the convicted Leo Echegarray was to be sentenced to death. The death penalty had been removed for years but reinstated in the 1990s. This case was to mark the very return of its implementation. Atty. Ted Te and FLAG's continuous pleadings and petitions for reconsideration managed to pave the way for intensive debate against the death penalty, until it was finally abolished in 2006.<Ref>{{Cite web|title=LEO ECHEGARAY, petitioner, vs. SECRETARY OF JUSTICE, ET AL., respondents.|url=https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1999/jan1999/gr_132601_1999.html|date=1999-01-19}}</ref>

===2000s and the Macapagal-Arroyo administration===
{{Main|Presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo}}
{{See also|Second EDSA Revolution|NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|Manila Peninsula siege}}
Atty. Chel Diokno helped prosecute then-President [[Joseph Estrada]] during his impeachment case from 2000 to 2001, which led to the [[Second EDSA Revolution]] that had him ousted and had Vice-president [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] inaugurated as the 14th president. Later on however, former Pres. Arroyo, who was the daughter of the ninth president [[Diosdado Macapagal]], would be involved in a [[NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|corruption scandal]] with Chinese telecom firm [[ZTE]]. Atty. Diokno would aid whistleblower [[Jun Lozada]] as part of his legal counsel during his court hearings against the administration.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

Around the same time in 2007, Atty. Diokno along with fellow FLAG lawyers Ted Te and Ricardo A. Sunga III, petitioned and were granted by the [[Philippine Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] to issue [[Writs of Amparo and Habeas Data|Writs of Amparo]] for leftist activists Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, two brothers who were allegedly tortured by the military under the Arroyo administration.<ref name="amparo">{{Cite news
|last = Panaligan
|first = Rey
|title = Supreme Court, QC RTC issue 1st Writs of Amparo
|newspaper = Manila Bulletin
|publisher = Manila Bulletin
|date = 2007-10-26
|url = http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|access-date = 2011-05-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120825185101/http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|archive-date = 2012-08-25
}}
</ref> FLAG also represented the media in a petition against the [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo|Arroyo administration]]. The case brought together members of [[ABS-CBN Corporation|ABS-CBN]], the [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]], Probe Productions, [[Newsbreak]], and the [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism]], among others for allegedly being rounded up for their "illegal" coverage of the [[Manila Peninsula siege|Manila Peninsula Siege]] that tried to force the president to resign.<ref name="mediavsarroyo">{{Cite news
|last = Jimenez-David
|first = Rina
|title = Who’s publicity-hungry?
|newspaper = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|publisher = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|date = 2008-01-29
|url = http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|access-date = 2020-10-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120326173919/http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|archive-date = 2012-03-26
}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=17 of 50 Journalists rounded up from The Pen released|url=http://www.gmanews.tv/story/70787/17-of-50-journalists-rounded-up-from-The-Pen-released|publisher=GMA News | date = 2007-11-29 | access-date = 2010-10-15}}</ref>

Pres. Arroyo would leave office with record-low approval ratings and was later imprisoned during the administration of the 15th President, [[Benigno Aquino III]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=David|title=Corruption was Gloria's biggest mistake: survey|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/08/04/10/corruption-was-glorias-biggest-mistake-survey|date=2010-08-04}}</ref>

===Legal battles with the Duterte administration===
{{Main|Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020}}
{{See also|Philippine drug war}}
[[File:TañadaPimentelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20181130Alternativity.jpg|thumb|Atty. [[Wigberto Tañada]], former Sen. [[Nene Pimentel]], and Atty. [[Chel Diokno]] at the 2018 Honoring of Martyrs and Heroes at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani on 30 November 2018]]
In 2017, FLAG lawyers Atty. Chel Diokno, Atty. Arno Sanidad, and former president of the [[Philippine Health Insurance Corporation]] (PhilHealth) Atty. Alexander Padilla became the legal counsel of retired police officer SPO3 Arturo Lascañas, a former officer of Duterte's [[Davao Death Squad]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-24}}</ref> Lascañas admitted to the court that he had to kill 300 civilians under Duterte, then the mayor of [[Davao City]]. The participation of FLAG in Lascañas's affidavit helped create credibility and exposed much of the controversial dealings concurrently happening in Davao City under the Duterte political family's watch. The case and its resulting revelation of Duterte's crimes became renowned through headlines all over top media groups around the world, which was brought to the attention of the [[International Criminal Court]] (ICC).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=Nikko|title=FLAG lawyers heighten Lascañas’ credibility – opposition solon|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873616/flag-lawyers-heighten-lascanas-credibility-opposition-solon|date=2017-02-21|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref>

In 2020, Atty. Diokno protested against the passing of the [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|Anti-Terror Law]], which was approved by the 16th President, [[Rodrigo Duterte]]. This would arrest those who are deemed terrorists by the government. Atty. Diokno quipped that not just terrorists would be arrested from this law but possibly any protestor could be harmed. He then questioned the Supreme Court on this decision.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title='Lawyers should strike' to demand Supreme Court actions vs abuses|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-should-strike-demand-supreme-court-actions-abuses|date=2021-03-09}}</ref> On July 23, FLAG, together with fellow columnists, statesmen, and political detainees issued the legal challenge G.R. No. 252741 against Anti-Terror Council member and Duterte's Executive Secretary [[Salvador Medialdea]] on the grounds and rationality of the signed law. Among the provisions in the law being questioned were Section 29 on detention without judicial warrant of arrest in which a suspect can be arrested even without a warrant of arrest and detained for up to 24 days. This has been compared to the time when [[History of the Philippines under Ferdinand Marcos|soon-to-be-ousted President Ferdinand Marcos]] removed the writ of habeas corpus in 1971. This has led to arrests without reason or without warrant, and has incited massive protests in the process.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno to question Anti-Terror law before Supreme Court|url=https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/human-rights-lawyer-chel-diokno-to-question-anti-terror-law-before-supreme-court/ar-BB16j0J5|access-date=2020-09-12}}</ref>

The Anti-Terror law has been denounced as being too vague and therefore very dangerous in its potential for wide-scale abuse.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Half of lawyer killings since 2016 were work-related – FLAG|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/half-lawyer-killings-since-2016-work-related-flag|date=2021-01-21}}</ref> FLAG served as the leader and legal council of the petition, together with at least 14 other early petitions coming from all different sectors: [[Rappler]] and [[Maria Ressa]] (whom FLAG defended a few years prior to the passage of the Anti-Terror Law), the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL), senators such as [[Leila de Lima]] and [[Francis Pangilinan|Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan]], labor groups and activists, and other members of the media and government.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Philippines: Media workers file petitions to reject Anti-Terror Law|url=https://www.ifj.org/es/centro-de-medios/noticias/detalle/category/press-releases/article/philippines-media-workers-file-petitions-to-reject-anti-terror-law.html|date=2020-07-23|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref> The extrajudicial killings have risen after the law was made official. After a few years into the Duterte administration, it has been reported that at least 61 lawyers have also been slain by police forces, which means that far more lawyers have been killed than in any previous presidential administration.<ref>{{Cite web|title=61 lawyers killed since Duterte assumed office in 2016, says group|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/11/21/61-lawyers-killed-since-duterte-assumed-office-in-2016-says-group|date=2021-03-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG report found almost half of lawyers killed linked to legal practice|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/03/11/2083558/flag-report-found-almost-half-lawyers-killed-linked-legal-practice|date=2021-03-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Lawyers killed: 61 under Duterte, 49 from Marcos to Aquino|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-killed-duterte-marcos-aquino-administrations-data-studies|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Conde|first=Carlos H.|title=Record High Killing of Philippine Lawyers|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/15/record-high-killing-philippine-lawyers|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Navallo|first=Mike|title=More lawyers killed during Duterte admin than under previous 6 presidents combined - study|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/15/21/more-lawyers-killed-during-duterte-admin-than-under-previous-6-presidents-combined-study|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=61 legal practitioners killed since 2016, zero convictions – lawyers’ group|url=https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/10/lawyers-killed-duterte-administration.html|date=2021-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG expresses concern over 61 lawyers killed since 2016|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/779980/flag-expresses-concern-over-61-lawyers-killed-since-2016/story/|date=2021-03-17}}</ref> In fact based on FLAG data, this statistic is still much larger than the preceding six administrations starting the Marcos dictatorship.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Santos|first=Tina G.|title=NUPL seeks UN help as more PH lawyers killed|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1407423/nupl-seeks-un-help-as-more-ph-lawyers-killed|date=2021-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=FLAG goes to Supreme Court to free ex-NPA chief Salas|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/flag-petition-supreme-court-free-ex-npa-chief|date=February 2020}}</ref>

==Functions and organization==
[[File:FvfBantayogBayani0100 15.JPG|thumb|300 px|right|FLAG founders and human rights activists [[Jose W. Diokno|Atty. Jose W. Diokno]] and [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Atty. Lorenzo M. Tañada]] at the [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]]]

===Purpose===
Among the main objectives of FLAG are:
# To promote civil and political rights through activism
# Handle cases of the urban poor, indigenous peoples, workers, students, NPA members, and other disenfranchised sectors of Philippine society
# To encourage developmental legal advocacy which may remedy injustice not merely by enforcing the law, but also by changing the law and underlying social structures that perpetrate or sustain injustice and inhibit development

===Organization===
[[File:Jose W. Diokno.png|thumb|left|[[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]]]
The law firm and [[Non-governmental organization|non-governmental organization (NGO)]] is headed by its chairman. The current chairman is Atty. Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno. Assisting the chairman is the secretary-general. The incumbent secretary-general is Atty. Maria Socorro "Cookie" Diokno, who was the former chairman of the [[National Historical Commission of the Philippines|National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG lawyers share selfie with ‘unwelcome’ UN expert|url=https://abogado.com.ph/flag-lawyers-share-selfie-with-unwelcome-un-expert/|date=2017-05-08|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> For regional cases, the regional coordinator helps in communications and managing the different logistics throughout several districts and cities. The present Manila regional coordinator is Atty. Ted Te.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> Mary Kathryn Sison is the network coordinator in charge of monitoring oversights in [[Metro Manila]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG)|url=https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/|date=2018|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

===ESC Rights Program===
In 1993, FLAG created the Economic, Social, and Cultural (ESC) Rights Program to properly design a framework that would government accountability over human suffering violations regarding ESC rights. The objective of the FLAG program serves to ultimately create a suitable Philippine system thay may also serve as a model for other developing countries with numerous human rights violations springing from socioeconomic causes. Countries that have been studied and formally addressed by FLAG include [[Thailand]], different [[Southeast Asia|Southeast Asian countries]], and parts of [[Africa]]. Within its ESC Rights Program, FLAG has established two technical core groups, one on the right to housing and the on the right to education. Each group consists of academicians and representatives of NGOs and public organizations, development organizations, professional associations, industries, and selected government departments. Consultations between the two working groups are promoted to share results, seek confirmation, resolve conflicts, and integrate work output. FLAG has established other right-specific working groups since that time, such as the right to health and food, beginning the last quarter of 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> The core functions of the ESC Rights Program are:
# To define the rights of survival in terms of their core content
# To develop legal standards for the rights of survival
# If the rights of survival are, realizable imperatives rather than development objectives, the working groups must lay out clear and precise state obligations under these rights
# Given the establishment of standards and obligations, indicators need to be developed so that systematic monitoring can take place
# For working groups to delineate and outline ways to make the rights of survival legally enforceable and justiciable

== Other Notable Members==
[[File:Justice Marvic MVF Leonen official portrait.jpg|thumb|right|Marvin Leonen, Supreme Court Justice and Human Rights Jurist]]
* [[Joker Arroyo]], human rights lawyer who later became a member of the [[Philippine Senate]]
* [[Quezon City's 6th congressional district#Representation history|Kit Belmonte]], congressman
* [[David Bueno]], lawyer, martial law activist, and martyr who defended Martial Law victims in [[Ilocos Norte]], which was the native province of Marcos
* [http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp Rosario "Chato" Olivas-Gallo], DLSU College of Law vice-dean and children's rights activist
* [[Marvic Leonen]], [[University of the Philippines College of Law|University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman College of Law Dean]], environmental activist, former legal commentator with [[ABS-CBN]] and [[GMA Network|GMA]], Chief Peace Negotiator with the [[Moro Islamic Liberation Front|MILF]], and the youngest [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines|Supreme Court Justice]] since [[WWII]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]], senator, professor, [[Manila Times]] columnist, and lawyer who served as the spokesman for President [[Corazon Aquino]] after the [[1986 People Power Revolution]]
* [https://politics.com.ph/tag/atty-arno-sanidad/ Arno Sanidad], law professor and member of the [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]]
* [[Erin Tañada|Lorenzo "Erin" Tañada III]], human rights lawyer, congressman, activist, and news anchor and broadcaster for [[UNTV (Philippines)|UNTV]]
* [https://r3.rappler.com/previous-articles?filterMeta=Ted%20Te Theodore O. "Ted" Te], Supreme Court spokesperson<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|date=2018-09-03|title=Spokesman Ted Te resigns from Supreme Court|url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/210999-supreme-court-spokesman-theodore-te-resigns|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en}}</ref> who represented journalist and [[Time Person of the Year]] [[Maria Ressa]] in her [[Maria Ressa cyberlibel case|cyberlibel case]] against the [[Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte|Rodrigo Duterte Administration]];<ref>{{Cite web|title=Board of Advisers|url=http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref> the Duterte administration has been compared to the Ferdinand Marcos administration for similar human rights abuses, and FLAG again leads the opposition in calling for justice and restitution for the oppressed<ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG lawyer: No place in imperfect justice system for 'absolute' punishments like death penalty|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/09/16/2042884/flag-lawyer-no-place-imperfect-justice-system-absolute-punishments-death-penalty|date=2020-09-16|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-15|title=Court convicts Rappler CEO Ressa in cyberlibel case|url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/6/15/maria-ressa-rappler-conviction.html|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[CNN Philippines]]|language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]
* [[Chel Diokno]]
* [[David Bueno]]
* [[Lorenzo Tañada]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]]
* [[Joker Arroyo]]
* [[Legal aid|Developmental Legal Aid]]
* [[People of the Philippines v. Santos, Ressa and Rappler]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://flagfaqs.blogspot.de/ official website]
* [https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/ Namati: Flag Network]

[[Category:Human rights organizations based in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Jose W. Diokno]]

Free Legal Assistance Group

2021-07-25T12:43:18Z

112.205.1.155: /* Other Notable Members */

{{Infobox organization
| name = FLAG
| image = [[File:ChelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20190223Alternativity.jpg|260 px|FLAG chairman Atty. Chel Diokno at a commemoration of [[Martial Law (Philippines)|martial law]] victims and human rights activists]]
| image_size =
| caption = FLAG chairman [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Chel Diokno]] at a commemoration of [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law]] victims and human rights activists
| logo =
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| abbreviation = FLAG
| formation = {{start date and age|1974}}
| founder = [[Joker Arroyo]] [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]] [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]
| founding_location =
| type = Non-profit lawyers organization, Human rights law firm
| tax_id = 
| registration_id = 
| purpose = [[Human rights]]
| headquarters = [[Quezon City, Philippines]]
| location = Philippines
| coords = 
| region = Nationwide
| services = Pro-bono legal service
| products = Advocacy, Representation, Advice
| methods = Developmental legal advocacy
| fields = [[Human rights]], [[Civil rights]]
| language = English/Filipino
| leader_title = Chairman
| leader_name = [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]]
| leader_title2 = Secretary-General
| leader_name2 = Atty. Maria Socorro I. "Cookie" Diokno
| leader_title3 = Deputy Secretary-General
| leader_name3 = Atty. Arno Sanidad
| leader_title4 = Regional Coordinator of FLAG Metro Manila
| leader_name4 = Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te
| affiliations = [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]] [[Commission on Human Rights|Commission on Human Rights (CHR)]] [[Amnesty International]] [[Human Rights Watch|Human Rights Watch (HRW)]] [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism|Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)]] National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL)
| website = 
}}

The '''Free Legal Assistance Group''' ('''FLAG''') is the largest and oldest organization pertaining to [[human rights]] and human rights lawyers in the [[Philippines]].<ref name="BantayogProfileDioknoJoseW">{{Cite web|date=2015-10-15|title=Heroes and Martyrs: Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805030611/http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|archive-date=2017-08-05|access-date=2019-07-21|website=[[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Medina20170221">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |title=IN THE KNOW: FLAG |last=Medina |first=Marielle |date=21 February 2017 |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224124734/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |archive-date=2017-02-24 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> FLAG handled over ninety percent of human rights cases during [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law and the authoritarian regime]] in 1974-1986 and continues to have a significant impact today.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|date=2017-02-20|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/162022-free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en|quote=Founded in 1974 by the late senators Jose W. Diokno, Lorenzo Tañada Sr, and Joker Arroyo, FLAG provided free legal services to victims of martial law during the Marcos years, and still leads the call in aiding human rights victims nationwide}}</ref>

FLAG has taken the lead in prosecuting abusive military and policemen and demanding accountability from the government. The groups' efforts have led to landmark legislations in habeas corpus. FLAG also questioned, in appropriate cases, the Supreme Court and the constitutionality of the death penalty and the Visiting Forces Agreement, among many others. Among its many advocacies are stopping political repression, military and police abuses, and capital punishment. It works on countering varied abuses of human rights and [[civil liberties]].

FLAG's current chair is [[Human rights lawyer|human rights attorney]] [[Chel Diokno|Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]] since 2001,<ref name="PatriciaDeniseChiu20190405">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |title=Unique killings, same language, lawyers say of drug war reports |last=Chiu |first=Patricia Denise M. |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404232824/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |archive-date=2019-04-04 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> who is the founding dean of the [[De La Salle University College of Law|De La Salle University (DLSU) College of Law]].

The services provided by this institution are generally carried out pro-bono. In fact, it is due to FLAG's innovative use of [[Legal aid|developmental legal aid or free legal assistance]] that it grew in popularity and has allowed for the passage of a new law, requiring newly sworn-in lawyers to conduct community legal aid service for a specified amount of time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore|title=[ANALYSIS {{!}} Deep Dive] Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-14}}</ref>

==History==
===Martial law and early years===
{{Main|Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship}}
{{See also|Human rights in the Philippines}}
[[File:Lorenzo Tanada portrait.jpg|thumb|left|FLAG co-founder Atty. Lorenzo Tañada]]
FLAG was founded in 1974 by [[Jose Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=DIOKNO, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|date=2015-10-15|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> [[Lorenzo Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Clarke|first=Gerard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=044qBgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&q=FLAG&hl=en|title=The Politics of NGOs in Southeast Asia: Participation and Protest in the Philippines|date=2006-05-17|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-69535-5|pages=168–169, 173|language=en}}</ref> and Atty. [[Joker Arroyo]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-10-07|title=Remembering Joker Arroyo|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/728691/remembering-joker-arroyo|access-date=2019-07-24|website=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|language=en}}</ref> during the [[Martial law in the Philippines|martial law era]] under the infamous ex-[[President of the Philippines|President]] [[Ferdinand Marcos]]. After Diokno was released from prison at [[Fort Bonifacio]], he immediately thought of creating a law firm that would support human rights victims through a new and innovative method called developmental legal aid, which he even promoted further by giving allowances to clients without any financial means. FLAG has defended farmers, similar victims of agrarian reform, and activists who were victims of paramilitary abuses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Survey of Private Legal Practitioners to Monitor Access to Justice by the Disadvantaged|url=https://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/UNDP4/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/PLP_Final.pdf|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

According to Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te, the popularization of developmental legal aid at this time eventually laid the foundations for the passing of new laws, particularly the Community Legal Aid Service (CLAS) Rule. The CLAS Rule requires those who have passed the bar and signed the Roll of Attorneys in any particular year after the Rule's effectivity – but specifically, those who passed the [[Philippine Bar Examination|2017 Bar examinations]] and beyond, and were subsequently admitted to the bar – to render 120 hours of legal service. This must be done within their first year of admission to the bar or else they will risk receiving sanctions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore O.|title=(ANALYSIS-Deep Dive) Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref> At the height of martial law, the FLAG firm led by Atty. Diokno, who is called the father of human rights, handled over 90 percent of human rights cases in the country, documenting torture, summary executions, and [[Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship|other abuses during that period]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.dlsaa.com/honors-and-awards/awardees/diokno-jose-w|date=2005|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref>

This sometimes placed lawyers working with FLAG at risk. Among the FLAG lawyers murdered during the dictatorship<ref name="NYTFLAGmurders">{{Cite news |last=Margolick |first=David |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1985-07-11 |title=BAR GROUP ASSAILS PHILIPPINES AS ABUSING LAWYERS (Published 1985) |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |url-status=live |access-date=2021-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524165848/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |archive-date=2015-05-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> were [[Zorro Aguilar]], [[Romraflo Taojo]], and Crisostomo Cailing, all of whom have since been honored by having their names inscribed on the wall of remembrance at the Philippines' [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]], which honors the martyrs and heroes who fought against the Marcos' authoritarian rule.<ref>http://www.bantayog.org/martyrs-heroes/</ref>

===1990s===
{{See also|Kuratong Baleleng}}
Kuratong Baleleng was once the largest syndicate in the country when the national crime rate was at its peak.<ref>{{Cite web|last=De Guzman|first=Naica|title=Most Wanted: Kuratong Baleleng Gang|url= https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/kuratong-baleleng-parojinog-a1729-20180918-lfrm3|date=2018-09-18|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> FLAG later became the chief prosecutor in the 1995 [[Kuratong Baleleng]] rubout case. At that time, eleven members of the organized syndicate Kuratong Baleleng were killed by the forces of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, led by then-police officer [[Panfilo Lacson]]. FLAG prosecuted 27 police officers involved in this case at the [[Regional Trial Court|Quezon City Regional Trial Court]] but to no avail.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/285090/news/nation/sc-upholds-dismissal-of-lacson-s-kuratong-baleleng-case|title=SC upholds dismissal of Lacson's Kuratong Baleleng case|date=December 4, 2012|publisher=gmanetwork.com|access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref> FLAG immediately appealed to the High Tribunal to remand the case to the trial court once more in order to present new evidence against Lacson, inter alia. Later on May 2, 2008, the Supreme Court finally resolved to consider the appeal.

Other famous cases include Leo Echegarray v. Secretary of Justice. In this case, the convicted Leo Echegarray was to be sentenced to death. The death penalty had been removed for years but reinstated in the 1990s. This case was to mark the very return of its implementation. Atty. Ted Te and FLAG's continuous pleadings and petitions for reconsideration managed to pave the way for intensive debate against the death penalty, until it was finally abolished in 2006.<Ref>{{Cite web|title=LEO ECHEGARAY, petitioner, vs. SECRETARY OF JUSTICE, ET AL., respondents.|url=https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1999/jan1999/gr_132601_1999.html|date=1999-01-19}}</ref>

===2000s and the Macapagal-Arroyo administration===
{{Main|Presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo}}
{{See also|Second EDSA Revolution|NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|Manila Peninsula siege}}
Atty. Chel Diokno helped prosecute then-President [[Joseph Estrada]] during his impeachment case from 2000 to 2001, which led to the [[Second EDSA Revolution]] that had him ousted and had Vice-president [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] inaugurated as the 14th president. Later on however, former Pres. Arroyo, who was the daughter of the ninth president [[Diosdado Macapagal]], would be involved in a [[NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|corruption scandal]] with Chinese telecom firm [[ZTE]]. Atty. Diokno would aid whistleblower [[Jun Lozada]] as part of his legal counsel during his court hearings against the administration.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

Around the same time in 2007, Atty. Diokno along with fellow FLAG lawyers Ted Te and Ricardo A. Sunga III, petitioned and were granted by the [[Philippine Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] to issue [[Writs of Amparo and Habeas Data|Writs of Amparo]] for leftist activists Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, two brothers who were allegedly tortured by the military under the Arroyo administration.<ref name="amparo">{{Cite news
|last = Panaligan
|first = Rey
|title = Supreme Court, QC RTC issue 1st Writs of Amparo
|newspaper = Manila Bulletin
|publisher = Manila Bulletin
|date = 2007-10-26
|url = http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|access-date = 2011-05-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120825185101/http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|archive-date = 2012-08-25
}}
</ref> FLAG also represented the media in a petition against the [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo|Arroyo administration]]. The case brought together members of [[ABS-CBN Corporation|ABS-CBN]], the [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]], Probe Productions, [[Newsbreak]], and the [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism]], among others for allegedly being rounded up for their "illegal" coverage of the [[Manila Peninsula siege|Manila Peninsula Siege]] that tried to force the president to resign.<ref name="mediavsarroyo">{{Cite news
|last = Jimenez-David
|first = Rina
|title = Who’s publicity-hungry?
|newspaper = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|publisher = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|date = 2008-01-29
|url = http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|access-date = 2020-10-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120326173919/http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|archive-date = 2012-03-26
}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=17 of 50 Journalists rounded up from The Pen released|url=http://www.gmanews.tv/story/70787/17-of-50-journalists-rounded-up-from-The-Pen-released|publisher=GMA News | date = 2007-11-29 | access-date = 2010-10-15}}</ref>

Pres. Arroyo would leave office with record-low approval ratings and was later imprisoned during the administration of the 15th President, [[Benigno Aquino III]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=David|title=Corruption was Gloria's biggest mistake: survey|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/08/04/10/corruption-was-glorias-biggest-mistake-survey|date=2010-08-04}}</ref>

===Legal battles with the Duterte administration===
{{Main|Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020}}
{{See also|Philippine drug war}}
[[File:TañadaPimentelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20181130Alternativity.jpg|thumb|Atty. [[Wigberto Tañada]], former Sen. [[Nene Pimentel]], and Atty. [[Chel Diokno]] at the 2018 Honoring of Martyrs and Heroes at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani on 30 November 2018]]
In 2017, FLAG lawyers Atty. Chel Diokno, Atty. Arno Sanidad, and former president of the [[Philippine Health Insurance Corporation]] (PhilHealth) Atty. Alexander Padilla became the legal counsel of retired police officer SPO3 Arturo Lascañas, a former officer of Duterte's [[Davao Death Squad]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-24}}</ref> Lascañas admitted to the court that he had to kill 300 civilians under Duterte, then the mayor of [[Davao City]]. The participation of FLAG in Lascañas's affidavit helped create credibility and exposed much of the controversial dealings concurrently happening in Davao City under the Duterte political family's watch. The case and its resulting revelation of Duterte's crimes became renowned through headlines all over top media groups around the world, which was brought to the attention of the [[International Criminal Court]] (ICC).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=Nikko|title=FLAG lawyers heighten Lascañas’ credibility – opposition solon|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873616/flag-lawyers-heighten-lascanas-credibility-opposition-solon|date=2017-02-21|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref>

In 2020, Atty. Diokno protested against the passing of the [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|Anti-Terror Law]], which was approved by the 16th President, [[Rodrigo Duterte]]. This would arrest those who are deemed terrorists by the government. Atty. Diokno quipped that not just terrorists would be arrested from this law but possibly any protestor could be harmed. He then questioned the Supreme Court on this decision.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title='Lawyers should strike' to demand Supreme Court actions vs abuses|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-should-strike-demand-supreme-court-actions-abuses|date=2021-03-09}}</ref> On July 23, FLAG, together with fellow columnists, statesmen, and political detainees issued the legal challenge G.R. No. 252741 against Anti-Terror Council member and Duterte's Executive Secretary [[Salvador Medialdea]] on the grounds and rationality of the signed law. Among the provisions in the law being questioned were Section 29 on detention without judicial warrant of arrest in which a suspect can be arrested even without a warrant of arrest and detained for up to 24 days. This has been compared to the time when [[History of the Philippines under Ferdinand Marcos|soon-to-be-ousted President Ferdinand Marcos]] removed the writ of habeas corpus in 1971. This has led to arrests without reason or without warrant, and has incited massive protests in the process.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno to question Anti-Terror law before Supreme Court|url=https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/human-rights-lawyer-chel-diokno-to-question-anti-terror-law-before-supreme-court/ar-BB16j0J5|access-date=2020-09-12}}</ref>

The Anti-Terror law has been denounced as being too vague and therefore very dangerous in its potential for wide-scale abuse.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Half of lawyer killings since 2016 were work-related – FLAG|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/half-lawyer-killings-since-2016-work-related-flag|date=2021-01-21}}</ref> FLAG served as the leader and legal council of the petition, together with at least 14 other early petitions coming from all different sectors: [[Rappler]] and [[Maria Ressa]] (whom FLAG defended a few years prior to the passage of the Anti-Terror Law), the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL), senators such as [[Leila de Lima]] and [[Francis Pangilinan|Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan]], labor groups and activists, and other members of the media and government.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Philippines: Media workers file petitions to reject Anti-Terror Law|url=https://www.ifj.org/es/centro-de-medios/noticias/detalle/category/press-releases/article/philippines-media-workers-file-petitions-to-reject-anti-terror-law.html|date=2020-07-23|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref> The extrajudicial killings have risen after the law was made official. After a few years into the Duterte administration, it has been reported that at least 61 lawyers have also been slain by police forces, which means that far more lawyers have been killed than in any previous presidential administration.<ref>{{Cite web|title=61 lawyers killed since Duterte assumed office in 2016, says group|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/11/21/61-lawyers-killed-since-duterte-assumed-office-in-2016-says-group|date=2021-03-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG report found almost half of lawyers killed linked to legal practice|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/03/11/2083558/flag-report-found-almost-half-lawyers-killed-linked-legal-practice|date=2021-03-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Lawyers killed: 61 under Duterte, 49 from Marcos to Aquino|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-killed-duterte-marcos-aquino-administrations-data-studies|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Conde|first=Carlos H.|title=Record High Killing of Philippine Lawyers|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/15/record-high-killing-philippine-lawyers|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Navallo|first=Mike|title=More lawyers killed during Duterte admin than under previous 6 presidents combined - study|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/15/21/more-lawyers-killed-during-duterte-admin-than-under-previous-6-presidents-combined-study|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=61 legal practitioners killed since 2016, zero convictions – lawyers’ group|url=https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/10/lawyers-killed-duterte-administration.html|date=2021-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG expresses concern over 61 lawyers killed since 2016|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/779980/flag-expresses-concern-over-61-lawyers-killed-since-2016/story/|date=2021-03-17}}</ref> In fact based on FLAG data, this statistic is still much larger than the preceding six administrations starting the Marcos dictatorship.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Santos|first=Tina G.|title=NUPL seeks UN help as more PH lawyers killed|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1407423/nupl-seeks-un-help-as-more-ph-lawyers-killed|date=2021-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=FLAG goes to Supreme Court to free ex-NPA chief Salas|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/flag-petition-supreme-court-free-ex-npa-chief|date=February 2020}}</ref>

==Functions and organization==
[[File:FvfBantayogBayani0100 15.JPG|thumb|300 px|right|FLAG founders and human rights activists [[Jose W. Diokno|Atty. Jose W. Diokno]] and [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Atty. Lorenzo M. Tañada]] at the [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]]]

===Purpose===
Among the main objectives of FLAG are:
# To promote civil and political rights through activism
# Handle cases of the urban poor, indigenous peoples, workers, students, NPA members, and other disenfranchised sectors of Philippine society
# To encourage developmental legal advocacy which may remedy injustice not merely by enforcing the law, but also by changing the law and underlying social structures that perpetrate or sustain injustice and inhibit development

===Organization===
[[File:Jose W. Diokno.png|thumb|left|[[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]]]
The law firm and [[Non-governmental organization|non-governmental organization (NGO)]] is headed by its chairman. The current chairman is Atty. Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno. Assisting the chairman is the secretary-general. The incumbent secretary-general is Atty. Maria Socorro "Cookie" Diokno, who was the former chairman of the [[National Historical Commission of the Philippines|National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG lawyers share selfie with ‘unwelcome’ UN expert|url=https://abogado.com.ph/flag-lawyers-share-selfie-with-unwelcome-un-expert/|date=2017-05-08|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> For regional cases, the regional coordinator helps in communications and managing the different logistics throughout several districts and cities. The present Manila regional coordinator is Atty. Ted Te.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> Mary Kathryn Sison is the network coordinator in charge of monitoring oversights in [[Metro Manila]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG)|url=https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/|date=2018|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

===ESC Rights Program===
In 1993, FLAG created the Economic, Social, and Cultural (ESC) Rights Program to properly design a framework that would government accountability over human suffering violations regarding ESC rights. The objective of the FLAG program serves to ultimately create a suitable Philippine system thay may also serve as a model for other developing countries with numerous human rights violations springing from socioeconomic causes. Countries that have been studied and formally addressed by FLAG include [[Thailand]], different [[Southeast Asia|Southeast Asian countries]], and parts of [[Africa]]. Within its ESC Rights Program, FLAG has established two technical core groups, one on the right to housing and the on the right to education. Each group consists of academicians and representatives of NGOs and public organizations, development organizations, professional associations, industries, and selected government departments. Consultations between the two working groups are promoted to share results, seek confirmation, resolve conflicts, and integrate work output. FLAG has established other right-specific working groups since that time, such as the right to health and food, beginning the last quarter of 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> The core functions of the ESC Rights Program are:
# To define the rights of survival in terms of their core content
# To develop legal standards for the rights of survival
# If the rights of survival are, realizable imperatives rather than development objectives, the working groups must lay out clear and precise state obligations under these rights
# Given the establishment of standards and obligations, indicators need to be developed so that systematic monitoring can take place
# For working groups to delineate and outline ways to make the rights of survival legally enforceable and justiciable

== Other Notable Members==
[[File:Justice Marvic MVF Leonen official portrait.jpg|thumb|right|Marvin Leonen, Supreme Court Justice and Human Rights Jurist]]
* [[Joker Arroyo]], human rights lawyer who later became a member of the [[Philippine Senate]]
* [[Quezon City's 6th congressional district#Representation history|Kit Belmonte]], congressman
* [[David Bueno]], lawyer, martial law activist, and martyr who defended Martial Law victims in [[Ilocos Norte]], which was the native province of Marcos
* [http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp Rosario "Chato" Olivas-Gallo], DLSU College of Law vice-dean and children's rights activist
* [[Marvic Leonen]], [[University of the Philippines College of Law|University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman College of Law Dean]], environmental activist, former legal commentator with [[ABS-CBN]] and [[GMA Network|GMA]], Chief Peace Negotiator with the [[Moro Islamic Liberation Front|MILF]], and the youngest [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines|Supreme Court Justice]] since [[WWII]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]], senator, professor, [[Manila Times]] columnist, and lawyer who served as the spokesman for President [[Corazon Aquino]] after the [[1986 People Power Revolution]]
* [https://politics.com.ph/tag/atty-arno-sanidad/ Arno Sanidad], law professor and member of the [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]]
* [[Erin Tañada]], congressman
* [https://r3.rappler.com/previous-articles?filterMeta=Ted%20Te Theodore O. "Ted" Te], Supreme Court spokesperson<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|date=2018-09-03|title=Spokesman Ted Te resigns from Supreme Court|url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/210999-supreme-court-spokesman-theodore-te-resigns|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en}}</ref> who represented journalist and [[Time Person of the Year]] [[Maria Ressa]] in her [[Maria Ressa cyberlibel case|cyberlibel case]] against the [[Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte|Rodrigo Duterte Administration]];<ref>{{Cite web|title=Board of Advisers|url=http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref> the Duterte administration has been compared to the Ferdinand Marcos administration for similar human rights abuses, and FLAG again leads the opposition in calling for justice and restitution for the oppressed<ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG lawyer: No place in imperfect justice system for 'absolute' punishments like death penalty|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/09/16/2042884/flag-lawyer-no-place-imperfect-justice-system-absolute-punishments-death-penalty|date=2020-09-16|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-15|title=Court convicts Rappler CEO Ressa in cyberlibel case|url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/6/15/maria-ressa-rappler-conviction.html|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[CNN Philippines]]|language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]
* [[Chel Diokno]]
* [[David Bueno]]
* [[Lorenzo Tañada]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]]
* [[Joker Arroyo]]
* [[Legal aid|Developmental Legal Aid]]
* [[People of the Philippines v. Santos, Ressa and Rappler]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://flagfaqs.blogspot.de/ official website]
* [https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/ Namati: Flag Network]

[[Category:Human rights organizations based in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Jose W. Diokno]]

Free Legal Assistance Group

2021-07-25T12:39:27Z

112.205.1.155: /* Other Notable Members */

{{Infobox organization
| name = FLAG
| image = [[File:ChelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20190223Alternativity.jpg|260 px|FLAG chairman Atty. Chel Diokno at a commemoration of [[Martial Law (Philippines)|martial law]] victims and human rights activists]]
| image_size =
| caption = FLAG chairman [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Chel Diokno]] at a commemoration of [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law]] victims and human rights activists
| logo =
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| abbreviation = FLAG
| formation = {{start date and age|1974}}
| founder = [[Joker Arroyo]] [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]] [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]
| founding_location =
| type = Non-profit lawyers organization, Human rights law firm
| tax_id = 
| registration_id = 
| purpose = [[Human rights]]
| headquarters = [[Quezon City, Philippines]]
| location = Philippines
| coords = 
| region = Nationwide
| services = Pro-bono legal service
| products = Advocacy, Representation, Advice
| methods = Developmental legal advocacy
| fields = [[Human rights]], [[Civil rights]]
| language = English/Filipino
| leader_title = Chairman
| leader_name = [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]]
| leader_title2 = Secretary-General
| leader_name2 = Atty. Maria Socorro I. "Cookie" Diokno
| leader_title3 = Deputy Secretary-General
| leader_name3 = Atty. Arno Sanidad
| leader_title4 = Regional Coordinator of FLAG Metro Manila
| leader_name4 = Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te
| affiliations = [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]] [[Commission on Human Rights|Commission on Human Rights (CHR)]] [[Amnesty International]] [[Human Rights Watch|Human Rights Watch (HRW)]] [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism|Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)]] National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL)
| website = 
}}

The '''Free Legal Assistance Group''' ('''FLAG''') is the largest and oldest organization pertaining to [[human rights]] and human rights lawyers in the [[Philippines]].<ref name="BantayogProfileDioknoJoseW">{{Cite web|date=2015-10-15|title=Heroes and Martyrs: Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805030611/http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|archive-date=2017-08-05|access-date=2019-07-21|website=[[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Medina20170221">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |title=IN THE KNOW: FLAG |last=Medina |first=Marielle |date=21 February 2017 |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224124734/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |archive-date=2017-02-24 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> FLAG handled over ninety percent of human rights cases during [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law and the authoritarian regime]] in 1974-1986 and continues to have a significant impact today.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|date=2017-02-20|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/162022-free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en|quote=Founded in 1974 by the late senators Jose W. Diokno, Lorenzo Tañada Sr, and Joker Arroyo, FLAG provided free legal services to victims of martial law during the Marcos years, and still leads the call in aiding human rights victims nationwide}}</ref>

FLAG has taken the lead in prosecuting abusive military and policemen and demanding accountability from the government. The groups' efforts have led to landmark legislations in habeas corpus. FLAG also questioned, in appropriate cases, the Supreme Court and the constitutionality of the death penalty and the Visiting Forces Agreement, among many others. Among its many advocacies are stopping political repression, military and police abuses, and capital punishment. It works on countering varied abuses of human rights and [[civil liberties]].

FLAG's current chair is [[Human rights lawyer|human rights attorney]] [[Chel Diokno|Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]] since 2001,<ref name="PatriciaDeniseChiu20190405">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |title=Unique killings, same language, lawyers say of drug war reports |last=Chiu |first=Patricia Denise M. |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404232824/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |archive-date=2019-04-04 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> who is the founding dean of the [[De La Salle University College of Law|De La Salle University (DLSU) College of Law]].

The services provided by this institution are generally carried out pro-bono. In fact, it is due to FLAG's innovative use of [[Legal aid|developmental legal aid or free legal assistance]] that it grew in popularity and has allowed for the passage of a new law, requiring newly sworn-in lawyers to conduct community legal aid service for a specified amount of time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore|title=[ANALYSIS {{!}} Deep Dive] Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-14}}</ref>

==History==
===Martial law and early years===
{{Main|Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship}}
{{See also|Human rights in the Philippines}}
[[File:Lorenzo Tanada portrait.jpg|thumb|left|FLAG co-founder Atty. Lorenzo Tañada]]
FLAG was founded in 1974 by [[Jose Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=DIOKNO, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|date=2015-10-15|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> [[Lorenzo Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Clarke|first=Gerard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=044qBgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&q=FLAG&hl=en|title=The Politics of NGOs in Southeast Asia: Participation and Protest in the Philippines|date=2006-05-17|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-69535-5|pages=168–169, 173|language=en}}</ref> and Atty. [[Joker Arroyo]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-10-07|title=Remembering Joker Arroyo|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/728691/remembering-joker-arroyo|access-date=2019-07-24|website=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|language=en}}</ref> during the [[Martial law in the Philippines|martial law era]] under the infamous ex-[[President of the Philippines|President]] [[Ferdinand Marcos]]. After Diokno was released from prison at [[Fort Bonifacio]], he immediately thought of creating a law firm that would support human rights victims through a new and innovative method called developmental legal aid, which he even promoted further by giving allowances to clients without any financial means. FLAG has defended farmers, similar victims of agrarian reform, and activists who were victims of paramilitary abuses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Survey of Private Legal Practitioners to Monitor Access to Justice by the Disadvantaged|url=https://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/UNDP4/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/PLP_Final.pdf|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

According to Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te, the popularization of developmental legal aid at this time eventually laid the foundations for the passing of new laws, particularly the Community Legal Aid Service (CLAS) Rule. The CLAS Rule requires those who have passed the bar and signed the Roll of Attorneys in any particular year after the Rule's effectivity – but specifically, those who passed the [[Philippine Bar Examination|2017 Bar examinations]] and beyond, and were subsequently admitted to the bar – to render 120 hours of legal service. This must be done within their first year of admission to the bar or else they will risk receiving sanctions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore O.|title=(ANALYSIS-Deep Dive) Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref> At the height of martial law, the FLAG firm led by Atty. Diokno, who is called the father of human rights, handled over 90 percent of human rights cases in the country, documenting torture, summary executions, and [[Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship|other abuses during that period]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.dlsaa.com/honors-and-awards/awardees/diokno-jose-w|date=2005|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref>

This sometimes placed lawyers working with FLAG at risk. Among the FLAG lawyers murdered during the dictatorship<ref name="NYTFLAGmurders">{{Cite news |last=Margolick |first=David |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1985-07-11 |title=BAR GROUP ASSAILS PHILIPPINES AS ABUSING LAWYERS (Published 1985) |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |url-status=live |access-date=2021-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524165848/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |archive-date=2015-05-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> were [[Zorro Aguilar]], [[Romraflo Taojo]], and Crisostomo Cailing, all of whom have since been honored by having their names inscribed on the wall of remembrance at the Philippines' [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]], which honors the martyrs and heroes who fought against the Marcos' authoritarian rule.<ref>http://www.bantayog.org/martyrs-heroes/</ref>

===1990s===
{{See also|Kuratong Baleleng}}
Kuratong Baleleng was once the largest syndicate in the country when the national crime rate was at its peak.<ref>{{Cite web|last=De Guzman|first=Naica|title=Most Wanted: Kuratong Baleleng Gang|url= https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/kuratong-baleleng-parojinog-a1729-20180918-lfrm3|date=2018-09-18|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> FLAG later became the chief prosecutor in the 1995 [[Kuratong Baleleng]] rubout case. At that time, eleven members of the organized syndicate Kuratong Baleleng were killed by the forces of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, led by then-police officer [[Panfilo Lacson]]. FLAG prosecuted 27 police officers involved in this case at the [[Regional Trial Court|Quezon City Regional Trial Court]] but to no avail.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/285090/news/nation/sc-upholds-dismissal-of-lacson-s-kuratong-baleleng-case|title=SC upholds dismissal of Lacson's Kuratong Baleleng case|date=December 4, 2012|publisher=gmanetwork.com|access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref> FLAG immediately appealed to the High Tribunal to remand the case to the trial court once more in order to present new evidence against Lacson, inter alia. Later on May 2, 2008, the Supreme Court finally resolved to consider the appeal.

Other famous cases include Leo Echegarray v. Secretary of Justice. In this case, the convicted Leo Echegarray was to be sentenced to death. The death penalty had been removed for years but reinstated in the 1990s. This case was to mark the very return of its implementation. Atty. Ted Te and FLAG's continuous pleadings and petitions for reconsideration managed to pave the way for intensive debate against the death penalty, until it was finally abolished in 2006.<Ref>{{Cite web|title=LEO ECHEGARAY, petitioner, vs. SECRETARY OF JUSTICE, ET AL., respondents.|url=https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1999/jan1999/gr_132601_1999.html|date=1999-01-19}}</ref>

===2000s and the Macapagal-Arroyo administration===
{{Main|Presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo}}
{{See also|Second EDSA Revolution|NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|Manila Peninsula siege}}
Atty. Chel Diokno helped prosecute then-President [[Joseph Estrada]] during his impeachment case from 2000 to 2001, which led to the [[Second EDSA Revolution]] that had him ousted and had Vice-president [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] inaugurated as the 14th president. Later on however, former Pres. Arroyo, who was the daughter of the ninth president [[Diosdado Macapagal]], would be involved in a [[NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|corruption scandal]] with Chinese telecom firm [[ZTE]]. Atty. Diokno would aid whistleblower [[Jun Lozada]] as part of his legal counsel during his court hearings against the administration.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

Around the same time in 2007, Atty. Diokno along with fellow FLAG lawyers Ted Te and Ricardo A. Sunga III, petitioned and were granted by the [[Philippine Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] to issue [[Writs of Amparo and Habeas Data|Writs of Amparo]] for leftist activists Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, two brothers who were allegedly tortured by the military under the Arroyo administration.<ref name="amparo">{{Cite news
|last = Panaligan
|first = Rey
|title = Supreme Court, QC RTC issue 1st Writs of Amparo
|newspaper = Manila Bulletin
|publisher = Manila Bulletin
|date = 2007-10-26
|url = http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|access-date = 2011-05-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120825185101/http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|archive-date = 2012-08-25
}}
</ref> FLAG also represented the media in a petition against the [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo|Arroyo administration]]. The case brought together members of [[ABS-CBN Corporation|ABS-CBN]], the [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]], Probe Productions, [[Newsbreak]], and the [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism]], among others for allegedly being rounded up for their "illegal" coverage of the [[Manila Peninsula siege|Manila Peninsula Siege]] that tried to force the president to resign.<ref name="mediavsarroyo">{{Cite news
|last = Jimenez-David
|first = Rina
|title = Who’s publicity-hungry?
|newspaper = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|publisher = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|date = 2008-01-29
|url = http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|access-date = 2020-10-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120326173919/http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|archive-date = 2012-03-26
}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=17 of 50 Journalists rounded up from The Pen released|url=http://www.gmanews.tv/story/70787/17-of-50-journalists-rounded-up-from-The-Pen-released|publisher=GMA News | date = 2007-11-29 | access-date = 2010-10-15}}</ref>

Pres. Arroyo would leave office with record-low approval ratings and was later imprisoned during the administration of the 15th President, [[Benigno Aquino III]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=David|title=Corruption was Gloria's biggest mistake: survey|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/08/04/10/corruption-was-glorias-biggest-mistake-survey|date=2010-08-04}}</ref>

===Legal battles with the Duterte administration===
{{Main|Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020}}
{{See also|Philippine drug war}}
[[File:TañadaPimentelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20181130Alternativity.jpg|thumb|Atty. [[Wigberto Tañada]], former Sen. [[Nene Pimentel]], and Atty. [[Chel Diokno]] at the 2018 Honoring of Martyrs and Heroes at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani on 30 November 2018]]
In 2017, FLAG lawyers Atty. Chel Diokno, Atty. Arno Sanidad, and former president of the [[Philippine Health Insurance Corporation]] (PhilHealth) Atty. Alexander Padilla became the legal counsel of retired police officer SPO3 Arturo Lascañas, a former officer of Duterte's [[Davao Death Squad]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-24}}</ref> Lascañas admitted to the court that he had to kill 300 civilians under Duterte, then the mayor of [[Davao City]]. The participation of FLAG in Lascañas's affidavit helped create credibility and exposed much of the controversial dealings concurrently happening in Davao City under the Duterte political family's watch. The case and its resulting revelation of Duterte's crimes became renowned through headlines all over top media groups around the world, which was brought to the attention of the [[International Criminal Court]] (ICC).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=Nikko|title=FLAG lawyers heighten Lascañas’ credibility – opposition solon|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873616/flag-lawyers-heighten-lascanas-credibility-opposition-solon|date=2017-02-21|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref>

In 2020, Atty. Diokno protested against the passing of the [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|Anti-Terror Law]], which was approved by the 16th President, [[Rodrigo Duterte]]. This would arrest those who are deemed terrorists by the government. Atty. Diokno quipped that not just terrorists would be arrested from this law but possibly any protestor could be harmed. He then questioned the Supreme Court on this decision.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title='Lawyers should strike' to demand Supreme Court actions vs abuses|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-should-strike-demand-supreme-court-actions-abuses|date=2021-03-09}}</ref> On July 23, FLAG, together with fellow columnists, statesmen, and political detainees issued the legal challenge G.R. No. 252741 against Anti-Terror Council member and Duterte's Executive Secretary [[Salvador Medialdea]] on the grounds and rationality of the signed law. Among the provisions in the law being questioned were Section 29 on detention without judicial warrant of arrest in which a suspect can be arrested even without a warrant of arrest and detained for up to 24 days. This has been compared to the time when [[History of the Philippines under Ferdinand Marcos|soon-to-be-ousted President Ferdinand Marcos]] removed the writ of habeas corpus in 1971. This has led to arrests without reason or without warrant, and has incited massive protests in the process.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno to question Anti-Terror law before Supreme Court|url=https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/human-rights-lawyer-chel-diokno-to-question-anti-terror-law-before-supreme-court/ar-BB16j0J5|access-date=2020-09-12}}</ref>

The Anti-Terror law has been denounced as being too vague and therefore very dangerous in its potential for wide-scale abuse.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Half of lawyer killings since 2016 were work-related – FLAG|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/half-lawyer-killings-since-2016-work-related-flag|date=2021-01-21}}</ref> FLAG served as the leader and legal council of the petition, together with at least 14 other early petitions coming from all different sectors: [[Rappler]] and [[Maria Ressa]] (whom FLAG defended a few years prior to the passage of the Anti-Terror Law), the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL), senators such as [[Leila de Lima]] and [[Francis Pangilinan|Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan]], labor groups and activists, and other members of the media and government.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Philippines: Media workers file petitions to reject Anti-Terror Law|url=https://www.ifj.org/es/centro-de-medios/noticias/detalle/category/press-releases/article/philippines-media-workers-file-petitions-to-reject-anti-terror-law.html|date=2020-07-23|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref> The extrajudicial killings have risen after the law was made official. After a few years into the Duterte administration, it has been reported that at least 61 lawyers have also been slain by police forces, which means that far more lawyers have been killed than in any previous presidential administration.<ref>{{Cite web|title=61 lawyers killed since Duterte assumed office in 2016, says group|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/11/21/61-lawyers-killed-since-duterte-assumed-office-in-2016-says-group|date=2021-03-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG report found almost half of lawyers killed linked to legal practice|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/03/11/2083558/flag-report-found-almost-half-lawyers-killed-linked-legal-practice|date=2021-03-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Lawyers killed: 61 under Duterte, 49 from Marcos to Aquino|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-killed-duterte-marcos-aquino-administrations-data-studies|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Conde|first=Carlos H.|title=Record High Killing of Philippine Lawyers|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/15/record-high-killing-philippine-lawyers|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Navallo|first=Mike|title=More lawyers killed during Duterte admin than under previous 6 presidents combined - study|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/15/21/more-lawyers-killed-during-duterte-admin-than-under-previous-6-presidents-combined-study|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=61 legal practitioners killed since 2016, zero convictions – lawyers’ group|url=https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/10/lawyers-killed-duterte-administration.html|date=2021-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG expresses concern over 61 lawyers killed since 2016|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/779980/flag-expresses-concern-over-61-lawyers-killed-since-2016/story/|date=2021-03-17}}</ref> In fact based on FLAG data, this statistic is still much larger than the preceding six administrations starting the Marcos dictatorship.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Santos|first=Tina G.|title=NUPL seeks UN help as more PH lawyers killed|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1407423/nupl-seeks-un-help-as-more-ph-lawyers-killed|date=2021-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=FLAG goes to Supreme Court to free ex-NPA chief Salas|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/flag-petition-supreme-court-free-ex-npa-chief|date=February 2020}}</ref>

==Functions and organization==
[[File:FvfBantayogBayani0100 15.JPG|thumb|300 px|right|FLAG founders and human rights activists [[Jose W. Diokno|Atty. Jose W. Diokno]] and [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Atty. Lorenzo M. Tañada]] at the [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]]]

===Purpose===
Among the main objectives of FLAG are:
# To promote civil and political rights through activism
# Handle cases of the urban poor, indigenous peoples, workers, students, NPA members, and other disenfranchised sectors of Philippine society
# To encourage developmental legal advocacy which may remedy injustice not merely by enforcing the law, but also by changing the law and underlying social structures that perpetrate or sustain injustice and inhibit development

===Organization===
[[File:Jose W. Diokno.png|thumb|left|[[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]]]
The law firm and [[Non-governmental organization|non-governmental organization (NGO)]] is headed by its chairman. The current chairman is Atty. Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno. Assisting the chairman is the secretary-general. The incumbent secretary-general is Atty. Maria Socorro "Cookie" Diokno, who was the former chairman of the [[National Historical Commission of the Philippines|National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG lawyers share selfie with ‘unwelcome’ UN expert|url=https://abogado.com.ph/flag-lawyers-share-selfie-with-unwelcome-un-expert/|date=2017-05-08|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> For regional cases, the regional coordinator helps in communications and managing the different logistics throughout several districts and cities. The present Manila regional coordinator is Atty. Ted Te.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> Mary Kathryn Sison is the network coordinator in charge of monitoring oversights in [[Metro Manila]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG)|url=https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/|date=2018|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

===ESC Rights Program===
In 1993, FLAG created the Economic, Social, and Cultural (ESC) Rights Program to properly design a framework that would government accountability over human suffering violations regarding ESC rights. The objective of the FLAG program serves to ultimately create a suitable Philippine system thay may also serve as a model for other developing countries with numerous human rights violations springing from socioeconomic causes. Countries that have been studied and formally addressed by FLAG include [[Thailand]], different [[Southeast Asia|Southeast Asian countries]], and parts of [[Africa]]. Within its ESC Rights Program, FLAG has established two technical core groups, one on the right to housing and the on the right to education. Each group consists of academicians and representatives of NGOs and public organizations, development organizations, professional associations, industries, and selected government departments. Consultations between the two working groups are promoted to share results, seek confirmation, resolve conflicts, and integrate work output. FLAG has established other right-specific working groups since that time, such as the right to health and food, beginning the last quarter of 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> The core functions of the ESC Rights Program are:
# To define the rights of survival in terms of their core content
# To develop legal standards for the rights of survival
# If the rights of survival are, realizable imperatives rather than development objectives, the working groups must lay out clear and precise state obligations under these rights
# Given the establishment of standards and obligations, indicators need to be developed so that systematic monitoring can take place
# For working groups to delineate and outline ways to make the rights of survival legally enforceable and justiciable

== Other Notable Members==
[[File:Justice Marvic MVF Leonen official portrait.jpg|thumb|right|Marvin Leonen, Supreme Court Justice and Human Rights Jurist]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]], senator, professor, [[Manila Times]] columnist, and lawyer who served as the spokesman for President [[Corazon Aquino]] after the [[1986 People Power Revolution]]
* [[David Bueno]], lawyer, martial law activist, and martyr who defended Martial Law victims in [[Ilocos Norte]], which was the native province of Marcos
* [http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp Rosario "Chato" Olivas-Gallo], DLSU College of Law vice-dean and children's rights activist
* [[Marvic Leonen]], [[University of the Philippines College of Law|University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman College of Law Dean]], environmental activist, former legal commentator with [[ABS-CBN]] and [[GMA Network|GMA]], Chief Peace Negotiator with the [[Moro Islamic Liberation Front|MILF]], and the youngest [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines|Supreme Court Justice]] since WWII
* [https://politics.com.ph/tag/atty-arno-sanidad/ Arno Sanidad], law professor and member of the [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]]
* [[Erin Tañada]], congressman
* [[Quezon City's 6th congressional district#Representation history|Kit Belmonte]], congressman
* [https://r3.rappler.com/previous-articles?filterMeta=Ted%20Te Theodore O. "Ted" Te], Supreme Court spokesperson<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|date=2018-09-03|title=Spokesman Ted Te resigns from Supreme Court|url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/210999-supreme-court-spokesman-theodore-te-resigns|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en}}</ref> who represented journalist and [[Time Person of the Year]] [[Maria Ressa]] in her [[Maria Ressa cyberlibel case|cyberlibel case]] against the [[Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte|Rodrigo Duterte Administration]];<ref>{{Cite web|title=Board of Advisers|url=http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref> the Duterte administration has been compared to the Ferdinand Marcos administration for similar human rights abuses, and FLAG again leads the opposition in calling for justice and restitution for the oppressed<ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG lawyer: No place in imperfect justice system for 'absolute' punishments like death penalty|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/09/16/2042884/flag-lawyer-no-place-imperfect-justice-system-absolute-punishments-death-penalty|date=2020-09-16|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-15|title=Court convicts Rappler CEO Ressa in cyberlibel case|url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/6/15/maria-ressa-rappler-conviction.html|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[CNN Philippines]]|language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]
* [[Chel Diokno]]
* [[David Bueno]]
* [[Lorenzo Tañada]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]]
* [[Joker Arroyo]]
* [[Legal aid|Developmental Legal Aid]]
* [[People of the Philippines v. Santos, Ressa and Rappler]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://flagfaqs.blogspot.de/ official website]
* [https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/ Namati: Flag Network]

[[Category:Human rights organizations based in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Jose W. Diokno]]

Free Legal Assistance Group

2021-07-25T12:29:16Z

112.205.1.155: /* Other Notable Members */

{{Infobox organization
| name = FLAG
| image = [[File:ChelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20190223Alternativity.jpg|260 px|FLAG chairman Atty. Chel Diokno at a commemoration of [[Martial Law (Philippines)|martial law]] victims and human rights activists]]
| image_size =
| caption = FLAG chairman [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Chel Diokno]] at a commemoration of [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law]] victims and human rights activists
| logo =
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| abbreviation = FLAG
| formation = {{start date and age|1974}}
| founder = [[Joker Arroyo]] [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]] [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]
| founding_location =
| type = Non-profit lawyers organization, Human rights law firm
| tax_id = 
| registration_id = 
| purpose = [[Human rights]]
| headquarters = [[Quezon City, Philippines]]
| location = Philippines
| coords = 
| region = Nationwide
| services = Pro-bono legal service
| products = Advocacy, Representation, Advice
| methods = Developmental legal advocacy
| fields = [[Human rights]], [[Civil rights]]
| language = English/Filipino
| leader_title = Chairman
| leader_name = [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]]
| leader_title2 = Secretary-General
| leader_name2 = Atty. Maria Socorro I. "Cookie" Diokno
| leader_title3 = Deputy Secretary-General
| leader_name3 = Atty. Arno Sanidad
| leader_title4 = Regional Coordinator of FLAG Metro Manila
| leader_name4 = Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te
| affiliations = [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]] [[Commission on Human Rights|Commission on Human Rights (CHR)]] [[Amnesty International]] [[Human Rights Watch|Human Rights Watch (HRW)]] [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism|Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)]] National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL)
| website = 
}}

The '''Free Legal Assistance Group''' ('''FLAG''') is the largest and oldest organization pertaining to [[human rights]] and human rights lawyers in the [[Philippines]].<ref name="BantayogProfileDioknoJoseW">{{Cite web|date=2015-10-15|title=Heroes and Martyrs: Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805030611/http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|archive-date=2017-08-05|access-date=2019-07-21|website=[[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Medina20170221">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |title=IN THE KNOW: FLAG |last=Medina |first=Marielle |date=21 February 2017 |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224124734/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |archive-date=2017-02-24 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> FLAG handled over ninety percent of human rights cases during [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law and the authoritarian regime]] in 1974-1986 and continues to have a significant impact today.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|date=2017-02-20|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/162022-free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en|quote=Founded in 1974 by the late senators Jose W. Diokno, Lorenzo Tañada Sr, and Joker Arroyo, FLAG provided free legal services to victims of martial law during the Marcos years, and still leads the call in aiding human rights victims nationwide}}</ref>

FLAG has taken the lead in prosecuting abusive military and policemen and demanding accountability from the government. The groups' efforts have led to landmark legislations in habeas corpus. FLAG also questioned, in appropriate cases, the Supreme Court and the constitutionality of the death penalty and the Visiting Forces Agreement, among many others. Among its many advocacies are stopping political repression, military and police abuses, and capital punishment. It works on countering varied abuses of human rights and [[civil liberties]].

FLAG's current chair is [[Human rights lawyer|human rights attorney]] [[Chel Diokno|Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]] since 2001,<ref name="PatriciaDeniseChiu20190405">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |title=Unique killings, same language, lawyers say of drug war reports |last=Chiu |first=Patricia Denise M. |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404232824/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |archive-date=2019-04-04 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> who is the founding dean of the [[De La Salle University College of Law|De La Salle University (DLSU) College of Law]].

The services provided by this institution are generally carried out pro-bono. In fact, it is due to FLAG's innovative use of [[Legal aid|developmental legal aid or free legal assistance]] that it grew in popularity and has allowed for the passage of a new law, requiring newly sworn-in lawyers to conduct community legal aid service for a specified amount of time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore|title=[ANALYSIS {{!}} Deep Dive] Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-14}}</ref>

==History==
===Martial law and early years===
{{Main|Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship}}
{{See also|Human rights in the Philippines}}
[[File:Lorenzo Tanada portrait.jpg|thumb|left|FLAG co-founder Atty. Lorenzo Tañada]]
FLAG was founded in 1974 by [[Jose Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=DIOKNO, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|date=2015-10-15|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> [[Lorenzo Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Clarke|first=Gerard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=044qBgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&q=FLAG&hl=en|title=The Politics of NGOs in Southeast Asia: Participation and Protest in the Philippines|date=2006-05-17|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-69535-5|pages=168–169, 173|language=en}}</ref> and Atty. [[Joker Arroyo]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-10-07|title=Remembering Joker Arroyo|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/728691/remembering-joker-arroyo|access-date=2019-07-24|website=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|language=en}}</ref> during the [[Martial law in the Philippines|martial law era]] under the infamous ex-[[President of the Philippines|President]] [[Ferdinand Marcos]]. After Diokno was released from prison at [[Fort Bonifacio]], he immediately thought of creating a law firm that would support human rights victims through a new and innovative method called developmental legal aid, which he even promoted further by giving allowances to clients without any financial means. FLAG has defended farmers, similar victims of agrarian reform, and activists who were victims of paramilitary abuses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Survey of Private Legal Practitioners to Monitor Access to Justice by the Disadvantaged|url=https://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/UNDP4/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/PLP_Final.pdf|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

According to Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te, the popularization of developmental legal aid at this time eventually laid the foundations for the passing of new laws, particularly the Community Legal Aid Service (CLAS) Rule. The CLAS Rule requires those who have passed the bar and signed the Roll of Attorneys in any particular year after the Rule's effectivity – but specifically, those who passed the [[Philippine Bar Examination|2017 Bar examinations]] and beyond, and were subsequently admitted to the bar – to render 120 hours of legal service. This must be done within their first year of admission to the bar or else they will risk receiving sanctions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore O.|title=(ANALYSIS-Deep Dive) Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref> At the height of martial law, the FLAG firm led by Atty. Diokno, who is called the father of human rights, handled over 90 percent of human rights cases in the country, documenting torture, summary executions, and [[Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship|other abuses during that period]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.dlsaa.com/honors-and-awards/awardees/diokno-jose-w|date=2005|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref>

This sometimes placed lawyers working with FLAG at risk. Among the FLAG lawyers murdered during the dictatorship<ref name="NYTFLAGmurders">{{Cite news |last=Margolick |first=David |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1985-07-11 |title=BAR GROUP ASSAILS PHILIPPINES AS ABUSING LAWYERS (Published 1985) |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |url-status=live |access-date=2021-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524165848/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |archive-date=2015-05-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> were [[Zorro Aguilar]], [[Romraflo Taojo]], and Crisostomo Cailing, all of whom have since been honored by having their names inscribed on the wall of remembrance at the Philippines' [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]], which honors the martyrs and heroes who fought against the Marcos' authoritarian rule.<ref>http://www.bantayog.org/martyrs-heroes/</ref>

===1990s===
{{See also|Kuratong Baleleng}}
Kuratong Baleleng was once the largest syndicate in the country when the national crime rate was at its peak.<ref>{{Cite web|last=De Guzman|first=Naica|title=Most Wanted: Kuratong Baleleng Gang|url= https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/kuratong-baleleng-parojinog-a1729-20180918-lfrm3|date=2018-09-18|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> FLAG later became the chief prosecutor in the 1995 [[Kuratong Baleleng]] rubout case. At that time, eleven members of the organized syndicate Kuratong Baleleng were killed by the forces of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, led by then-police officer [[Panfilo Lacson]]. FLAG prosecuted 27 police officers involved in this case at the [[Regional Trial Court|Quezon City Regional Trial Court]] but to no avail.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/285090/news/nation/sc-upholds-dismissal-of-lacson-s-kuratong-baleleng-case|title=SC upholds dismissal of Lacson's Kuratong Baleleng case|date=December 4, 2012|publisher=gmanetwork.com|access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref> FLAG immediately appealed to the High Tribunal to remand the case to the trial court once more in order to present new evidence against Lacson, inter alia. Later on May 2, 2008, the Supreme Court finally resolved to consider the appeal.

Other famous cases include Leo Echegarray v. Secretary of Justice. In this case, the convicted Leo Echegarray was to be sentenced to death. The death penalty had been removed for years but reinstated in the 1990s. This case was to mark the very return of its implementation. Atty. Ted Te and FLAG's continuous pleadings and petitions for reconsideration managed to pave the way for intensive debate against the death penalty, until it was finally abolished in 2006.<Ref>{{Cite web|title=LEO ECHEGARAY, petitioner, vs. SECRETARY OF JUSTICE, ET AL., respondents.|url=https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1999/jan1999/gr_132601_1999.html|date=1999-01-19}}</ref>

===2000s and the Macapagal-Arroyo administration===
{{Main|Presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo}}
{{See also|Second EDSA Revolution|NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|Manila Peninsula siege}}
Atty. Chel Diokno helped prosecute then-President [[Joseph Estrada]] during his impeachment case from 2000 to 2001, which led to the [[Second EDSA Revolution]] that had him ousted and had Vice-president [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] inaugurated as the 14th president. Later on however, former Pres. Arroyo, who was the daughter of the ninth president [[Diosdado Macapagal]], would be involved in a [[NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|corruption scandal]] with Chinese telecom firm [[ZTE]]. Atty. Diokno would aid whistleblower [[Jun Lozada]] as part of his legal counsel during his court hearings against the administration.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

Around the same time in 2007, Atty. Diokno along with fellow FLAG lawyers Ted Te and Ricardo A. Sunga III, petitioned and were granted by the [[Philippine Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] to issue [[Writs of Amparo and Habeas Data|Writs of Amparo]] for leftist activists Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, two brothers who were allegedly tortured by the military under the Arroyo administration.<ref name="amparo">{{Cite news
|last = Panaligan
|first = Rey
|title = Supreme Court, QC RTC issue 1st Writs of Amparo
|newspaper = Manila Bulletin
|publisher = Manila Bulletin
|date = 2007-10-26
|url = http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|access-date = 2011-05-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120825185101/http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|archive-date = 2012-08-25
}}
</ref> FLAG also represented the media in a petition against the [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo|Arroyo administration]]. The case brought together members of [[ABS-CBN Corporation|ABS-CBN]], the [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]], Probe Productions, [[Newsbreak]], and the [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism]], among others for allegedly being rounded up for their "illegal" coverage of the [[Manila Peninsula siege|Manila Peninsula Siege]] that tried to force the president to resign.<ref name="mediavsarroyo">{{Cite news
|last = Jimenez-David
|first = Rina
|title = Who’s publicity-hungry?
|newspaper = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|publisher = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|date = 2008-01-29
|url = http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|access-date = 2020-10-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120326173919/http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|archive-date = 2012-03-26
}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=17 of 50 Journalists rounded up from The Pen released|url=http://www.gmanews.tv/story/70787/17-of-50-journalists-rounded-up-from-The-Pen-released|publisher=GMA News | date = 2007-11-29 | access-date = 2010-10-15}}</ref>

Pres. Arroyo would leave office with record-low approval ratings and was later imprisoned during the administration of the 15th President, [[Benigno Aquino III]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=David|title=Corruption was Gloria's biggest mistake: survey|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/08/04/10/corruption-was-glorias-biggest-mistake-survey|date=2010-08-04}}</ref>

===Legal battles with the Duterte administration===
{{Main|Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020}}
{{See also|Philippine drug war}}
[[File:TañadaPimentelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20181130Alternativity.jpg|thumb|Atty. [[Wigberto Tañada]], former Sen. [[Nene Pimentel]], and Atty. [[Chel Diokno]] at the 2018 Honoring of Martyrs and Heroes at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani on 30 November 2018]]
In 2017, FLAG lawyers Atty. Chel Diokno, Atty. Arno Sanidad, and former president of the [[Philippine Health Insurance Corporation]] (PhilHealth) Atty. Alexander Padilla became the legal counsel of retired police officer SPO3 Arturo Lascañas, a former officer of Duterte's [[Davao Death Squad]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-24}}</ref> Lascañas admitted to the court that he had to kill 300 civilians under Duterte, then the mayor of [[Davao City]]. The participation of FLAG in Lascañas's affidavit helped create credibility and exposed much of the controversial dealings concurrently happening in Davao City under the Duterte political family's watch. The case and its resulting revelation of Duterte's crimes became renowned through headlines all over top media groups around the world, which was brought to the attention of the [[International Criminal Court]] (ICC).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=Nikko|title=FLAG lawyers heighten Lascañas’ credibility – opposition solon|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873616/flag-lawyers-heighten-lascanas-credibility-opposition-solon|date=2017-02-21|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref>

In 2020, Atty. Diokno protested against the passing of the [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|Anti-Terror Law]], which was approved by the 16th President, [[Rodrigo Duterte]]. This would arrest those who are deemed terrorists by the government. Atty. Diokno quipped that not just terrorists would be arrested from this law but possibly any protestor could be harmed. He then questioned the Supreme Court on this decision.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title='Lawyers should strike' to demand Supreme Court actions vs abuses|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-should-strike-demand-supreme-court-actions-abuses|date=2021-03-09}}</ref> On July 23, FLAG, together with fellow columnists, statesmen, and political detainees issued the legal challenge G.R. No. 252741 against Anti-Terror Council member and Duterte's Executive Secretary [[Salvador Medialdea]] on the grounds and rationality of the signed law. Among the provisions in the law being questioned were Section 29 on detention without judicial warrant of arrest in which a suspect can be arrested even without a warrant of arrest and detained for up to 24 days. This has been compared to the time when [[History of the Philippines under Ferdinand Marcos|soon-to-be-ousted President Ferdinand Marcos]] removed the writ of habeas corpus in 1971. This has led to arrests without reason or without warrant, and has incited massive protests in the process.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno to question Anti-Terror law before Supreme Court|url=https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/human-rights-lawyer-chel-diokno-to-question-anti-terror-law-before-supreme-court/ar-BB16j0J5|access-date=2020-09-12}}</ref>

The Anti-Terror law has been denounced as being too vague and therefore very dangerous in its potential for wide-scale abuse.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Half of lawyer killings since 2016 were work-related – FLAG|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/half-lawyer-killings-since-2016-work-related-flag|date=2021-01-21}}</ref> FLAG served as the leader and legal council of the petition, together with at least 14 other early petitions coming from all different sectors: [[Rappler]] and [[Maria Ressa]] (whom FLAG defended a few years prior to the passage of the Anti-Terror Law), the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL), senators such as [[Leila de Lima]] and [[Francis Pangilinan|Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan]], labor groups and activists, and other members of the media and government.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Philippines: Media workers file petitions to reject Anti-Terror Law|url=https://www.ifj.org/es/centro-de-medios/noticias/detalle/category/press-releases/article/philippines-media-workers-file-petitions-to-reject-anti-terror-law.html|date=2020-07-23|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref> The extrajudicial killings have risen after the law was made official. After a few years into the Duterte administration, it has been reported that at least 61 lawyers have also been slain by police forces, which means that far more lawyers have been killed than in any previous presidential administration.<ref>{{Cite web|title=61 lawyers killed since Duterte assumed office in 2016, says group|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/11/21/61-lawyers-killed-since-duterte-assumed-office-in-2016-says-group|date=2021-03-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG report found almost half of lawyers killed linked to legal practice|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/03/11/2083558/flag-report-found-almost-half-lawyers-killed-linked-legal-practice|date=2021-03-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Lawyers killed: 61 under Duterte, 49 from Marcos to Aquino|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-killed-duterte-marcos-aquino-administrations-data-studies|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Conde|first=Carlos H.|title=Record High Killing of Philippine Lawyers|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/15/record-high-killing-philippine-lawyers|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Navallo|first=Mike|title=More lawyers killed during Duterte admin than under previous 6 presidents combined - study|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/15/21/more-lawyers-killed-during-duterte-admin-than-under-previous-6-presidents-combined-study|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=61 legal practitioners killed since 2016, zero convictions – lawyers’ group|url=https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/10/lawyers-killed-duterte-administration.html|date=2021-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG expresses concern over 61 lawyers killed since 2016|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/779980/flag-expresses-concern-over-61-lawyers-killed-since-2016/story/|date=2021-03-17}}</ref> In fact based on FLAG data, this statistic is still much larger than the preceding six administrations starting the Marcos dictatorship.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Santos|first=Tina G.|title=NUPL seeks UN help as more PH lawyers killed|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1407423/nupl-seeks-un-help-as-more-ph-lawyers-killed|date=2021-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=FLAG goes to Supreme Court to free ex-NPA chief Salas|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/flag-petition-supreme-court-free-ex-npa-chief|date=February 2020}}</ref>

==Functions and organization==
[[File:FvfBantayogBayani0100 15.JPG|thumb|300 px|right|FLAG founders and human rights activists [[Jose W. Diokno|Atty. Jose W. Diokno]] and [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Atty. Lorenzo M. Tañada]] at the [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]]]

===Purpose===
Among the main objectives of FLAG are:
# To promote civil and political rights through activism
# Handle cases of the urban poor, indigenous peoples, workers, students, NPA members, and other disenfranchised sectors of Philippine society
# To encourage developmental legal advocacy which may remedy injustice not merely by enforcing the law, but also by changing the law and underlying social structures that perpetrate or sustain injustice and inhibit development

===Organization===
[[File:Jose W. Diokno.png|thumb|left|[[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]]]
The law firm and [[Non-governmental organization|non-governmental organization (NGO)]] is headed by its chairman. The current chairman is Atty. Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno. Assisting the chairman is the secretary-general. The incumbent secretary-general is Atty. Maria Socorro "Cookie" Diokno, who was the former chairman of the [[National Historical Commission of the Philippines|National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG lawyers share selfie with ‘unwelcome’ UN expert|url=https://abogado.com.ph/flag-lawyers-share-selfie-with-unwelcome-un-expert/|date=2017-05-08|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> For regional cases, the regional coordinator helps in communications and managing the different logistics throughout several districts and cities. The present Manila regional coordinator is Atty. Ted Te.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> Mary Kathryn Sison is the network coordinator in charge of monitoring oversights in [[Metro Manila]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG)|url=https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/|date=2018|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

===ESC Rights Program===
In 1993, FLAG created the Economic, Social, and Cultural (ESC) Rights Program to properly design a framework that would government accountability over human suffering violations regarding ESC rights. The objective of the FLAG program serves to ultimately create a suitable Philippine system thay may also serve as a model for other developing countries with numerous human rights violations springing from socioeconomic causes. Countries that have been studied and formally addressed by FLAG include [[Thailand]], different [[Southeast Asia|Southeast Asian countries]], and parts of [[Africa]]. Within its ESC Rights Program, FLAG has established two technical core groups, one on the right to housing and the on the right to education. Each group consists of academicians and representatives of NGOs and public organizations, development organizations, professional associations, industries, and selected government departments. Consultations between the two working groups are promoted to share results, seek confirmation, resolve conflicts, and integrate work output. FLAG has established other right-specific working groups since that time, such as the right to health and food, beginning the last quarter of 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> The core functions of the ESC Rights Program are:
# To define the rights of survival in terms of their core content
# To develop legal standards for the rights of survival
# If the rights of survival are, realizable imperatives rather than development objectives, the working groups must lay out clear and precise state obligations under these rights
# Given the establishment of standards and obligations, indicators need to be developed so that systematic monitoring can take place
# For working groups to delineate and outline ways to make the rights of survival legally enforceable and justiciable

== Other Notable Members==
[[File:Justice Marvic MVF Leonen official portrait.jpg|thumb|right|Marvin Leonen, Supreme Court Justice and Human Rights Jurist]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]], senator, professor, [[Manila Times]] columnist, and lawyer who served as the spokesman for President [[Corazon Aquino]] after the [[1986 People Power Revolution]]
* [[David Bueno]], martial law activist and martyr
* [http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp Rosario "Chato" Olivas-Gallo], DLSU College of Law vice-dean and children's rights activist
* [[Marvic Leonen]], the youngest [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines|Supreme Court Justice]] since WWII and [[University of the Philippines College of Law|University of the Philippines Law Dean]]
* [https://politics.com.ph/tag/atty-arno-sanidad/ Arno Sanidad], law professor and member of the [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]]
* [[Erin Tañada]], congressman
* [[Quezon City's 6th congressional district#Representation history|Kit Belmonte]], congressman
* [https://r3.rappler.com/previous-articles?filterMeta=Ted%20Te Theodore O. "Ted" Te], Supreme Court spokesperson<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|date=2018-09-03|title=Spokesman Ted Te resigns from Supreme Court|url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/210999-supreme-court-spokesman-theodore-te-resigns|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en}}</ref> who represented journalist and [[Time Person of the Year]] [[Maria Ressa]] in her [[Maria Ressa cyberlibel case|cyberlibel case]] against the [[Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte|Rodrigo Duterte Administration]];<ref>{{Cite web|title=Board of Advisers|url=http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref> the Duterte administration has been compared to the Ferdinand Marcos administration for similar human rights abuses, and FLAG again leads the opposition in calling for justice and restitution for the oppressed<ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG lawyer: No place in imperfect justice system for 'absolute' punishments like death penalty|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/09/16/2042884/flag-lawyer-no-place-imperfect-justice-system-absolute-punishments-death-penalty|date=2020-09-16|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-15|title=Court convicts Rappler CEO Ressa in cyberlibel case|url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/6/15/maria-ressa-rappler-conviction.html|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[CNN Philippines]]|language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]
* [[Chel Diokno]]
* [[David Bueno]]
* [[Lorenzo Tañada]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]]
* [[Joker Arroyo]]
* [[Legal aid|Developmental Legal Aid]]
* [[People of the Philippines v. Santos, Ressa and Rappler]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://flagfaqs.blogspot.de/ official website]
* [https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/ Namati: Flag Network]

[[Category:Human rights organizations based in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Jose W. Diokno]]

Free Legal Assistance Group

2021-07-25T12:21:00Z

112.205.1.155:

{{Infobox organization
| name = FLAG
| image = [[File:ChelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20190223Alternativity.jpg|260 px|FLAG chairman Atty. Chel Diokno at a commemoration of [[Martial Law (Philippines)|martial law]] victims and human rights activists]]
| image_size =
| caption = FLAG chairman [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Chel Diokno]] at a commemoration of [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law]] victims and human rights activists
| logo =
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| abbreviation = FLAG
| formation = {{start date and age|1974}}
| founder = [[Joker Arroyo]] [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]] [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]
| founding_location =
| type = Non-profit lawyers organization, Human rights law firm
| tax_id = 
| registration_id = 
| purpose = [[Human rights]]
| headquarters = [[Quezon City, Philippines]]
| location = Philippines
| coords = 
| region = Nationwide
| services = Pro-bono legal service
| products = Advocacy, Representation, Advice
| methods = Developmental legal advocacy
| fields = [[Human rights]], [[Civil rights]]
| language = English/Filipino
| leader_title = Chairman
| leader_name = [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]]
| leader_title2 = Secretary-General
| leader_name2 = Atty. Maria Socorro I. "Cookie" Diokno
| leader_title3 = Deputy Secretary-General
| leader_name3 = Atty. Arno Sanidad
| leader_title4 = Regional Coordinator of FLAG Metro Manila
| leader_name4 = Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te
| affiliations = [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]] [[Commission on Human Rights|Commission on Human Rights (CHR)]] [[Amnesty International]] [[Human Rights Watch|Human Rights Watch (HRW)]] [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism|Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)]] National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL)
| website = 
}}

The '''Free Legal Assistance Group''' ('''FLAG''') is the largest and oldest organization pertaining to [[human rights]] and human rights lawyers in the [[Philippines]].<ref name="BantayogProfileDioknoJoseW">{{Cite web|date=2015-10-15|title=Heroes and Martyrs: Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805030611/http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|archive-date=2017-08-05|access-date=2019-07-21|website=[[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Medina20170221">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |title=IN THE KNOW: FLAG |last=Medina |first=Marielle |date=21 February 2017 |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224124734/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |archive-date=2017-02-24 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> FLAG handled over ninety percent of human rights cases during [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law and the authoritarian regime]] in 1974-1986 and continues to have a significant impact today.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|date=2017-02-20|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/162022-free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en|quote=Founded in 1974 by the late senators Jose W. Diokno, Lorenzo Tañada Sr, and Joker Arroyo, FLAG provided free legal services to victims of martial law during the Marcos years, and still leads the call in aiding human rights victims nationwide}}</ref>

FLAG has taken the lead in prosecuting abusive military and policemen and demanding accountability from the government. The groups' efforts have led to landmark legislations in habeas corpus. FLAG also questioned, in appropriate cases, the Supreme Court and the constitutionality of the death penalty and the Visiting Forces Agreement, among many others. Among its many advocacies are stopping political repression, military and police abuses, and capital punishment. It works on countering varied abuses of human rights and [[civil liberties]].

FLAG's current chair is [[Human rights lawyer|human rights attorney]] [[Chel Diokno|Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]] since 2001,<ref name="PatriciaDeniseChiu20190405">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |title=Unique killings, same language, lawyers say of drug war reports |last=Chiu |first=Patricia Denise M. |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404232824/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |archive-date=2019-04-04 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> who is the founding dean of the [[De La Salle University College of Law|De La Salle University (DLSU) College of Law]].

The services provided by this institution are generally carried out pro-bono. In fact, it is due to FLAG's innovative use of [[Legal aid|developmental legal aid or free legal assistance]] that it grew in popularity and has allowed for the passage of a new law, requiring newly sworn-in lawyers to conduct community legal aid service for a specified amount of time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore|title=[ANALYSIS {{!}} Deep Dive] Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-14}}</ref>

==History==
===Martial law and early years===
{{Main|Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship}}
{{See also|Human rights in the Philippines}}
[[File:Lorenzo Tanada portrait.jpg|thumb|left|FLAG co-founder Atty. Lorenzo Tañada]]
FLAG was founded in 1974 by [[Jose Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=DIOKNO, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|date=2015-10-15|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> [[Lorenzo Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Clarke|first=Gerard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=044qBgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&q=FLAG&hl=en|title=The Politics of NGOs in Southeast Asia: Participation and Protest in the Philippines|date=2006-05-17|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-69535-5|pages=168–169, 173|language=en}}</ref> and Atty. [[Joker Arroyo]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-10-07|title=Remembering Joker Arroyo|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/728691/remembering-joker-arroyo|access-date=2019-07-24|website=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|language=en}}</ref> during the [[Martial law in the Philippines|martial law era]] under the infamous ex-[[President of the Philippines|President]] [[Ferdinand Marcos]]. After Diokno was released from prison at [[Fort Bonifacio]], he immediately thought of creating a law firm that would support human rights victims through a new and innovative method called developmental legal aid, which he even promoted further by giving allowances to clients without any financial means. FLAG has defended farmers, similar victims of agrarian reform, and activists who were victims of paramilitary abuses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Survey of Private Legal Practitioners to Monitor Access to Justice by the Disadvantaged|url=https://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/UNDP4/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/PLP_Final.pdf|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

According to Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te, the popularization of developmental legal aid at this time eventually laid the foundations for the passing of new laws, particularly the Community Legal Aid Service (CLAS) Rule. The CLAS Rule requires those who have passed the bar and signed the Roll of Attorneys in any particular year after the Rule's effectivity – but specifically, those who passed the [[Philippine Bar Examination|2017 Bar examinations]] and beyond, and were subsequently admitted to the bar – to render 120 hours of legal service. This must be done within their first year of admission to the bar or else they will risk receiving sanctions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore O.|title=(ANALYSIS-Deep Dive) Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref> At the height of martial law, the FLAG firm led by Atty. Diokno, who is called the father of human rights, handled over 90 percent of human rights cases in the country, documenting torture, summary executions, and [[Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship|other abuses during that period]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.dlsaa.com/honors-and-awards/awardees/diokno-jose-w|date=2005|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref>

This sometimes placed lawyers working with FLAG at risk. Among the FLAG lawyers murdered during the dictatorship<ref name="NYTFLAGmurders">{{Cite news |last=Margolick |first=David |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1985-07-11 |title=BAR GROUP ASSAILS PHILIPPINES AS ABUSING LAWYERS (Published 1985) |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |url-status=live |access-date=2021-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524165848/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |archive-date=2015-05-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> were [[Zorro Aguilar]], [[Romraflo Taojo]], and Crisostomo Cailing, all of whom have since been honored by having their names inscribed on the wall of remembrance at the Philippines' [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]], which honors the martyrs and heroes who fought against the Marcos' authoritarian rule.<ref>http://www.bantayog.org/martyrs-heroes/</ref>

===1990s===
{{See also|Kuratong Baleleng}}
Kuratong Baleleng was once the largest syndicate in the country when the national crime rate was at its peak.<ref>{{Cite web|last=De Guzman|first=Naica|title=Most Wanted: Kuratong Baleleng Gang|url= https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/kuratong-baleleng-parojinog-a1729-20180918-lfrm3|date=2018-09-18|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> FLAG later became the chief prosecutor in the 1995 [[Kuratong Baleleng]] rubout case. At that time, eleven members of the organized syndicate Kuratong Baleleng were killed by the forces of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, led by then-police officer [[Panfilo Lacson]]. FLAG prosecuted 27 police officers involved in this case at the [[Regional Trial Court|Quezon City Regional Trial Court]] but to no avail.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/285090/news/nation/sc-upholds-dismissal-of-lacson-s-kuratong-baleleng-case|title=SC upholds dismissal of Lacson's Kuratong Baleleng case|date=December 4, 2012|publisher=gmanetwork.com|access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref> FLAG immediately appealed to the High Tribunal to remand the case to the trial court once more in order to present new evidence against Lacson, inter alia. Later on May 2, 2008, the Supreme Court finally resolved to consider the appeal.

Other famous cases include Leo Echegarray v. Secretary of Justice. In this case, the convicted Leo Echegarray was to be sentenced to death. The death penalty had been removed for years but reinstated in the 1990s. This case was to mark the very return of its implementation. Atty. Ted Te and FLAG's continuous pleadings and petitions for reconsideration managed to pave the way for intensive debate against the death penalty, until it was finally abolished in 2006.<Ref>{{Cite web|title=LEO ECHEGARAY, petitioner, vs. SECRETARY OF JUSTICE, ET AL., respondents.|url=https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1999/jan1999/gr_132601_1999.html|date=1999-01-19}}</ref>

===2000s and the Macapagal-Arroyo administration===
{{Main|Presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo}}
{{See also|Second EDSA Revolution|NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|Manila Peninsula siege}}
Atty. Chel Diokno helped prosecute then-President [[Joseph Estrada]] during his impeachment case from 2000 to 2001, which led to the [[Second EDSA Revolution]] that had him ousted and had Vice-president [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] inaugurated as the 14th president. Later on however, former Pres. Arroyo, who was the daughter of the ninth president [[Diosdado Macapagal]], would be involved in a [[NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|corruption scandal]] with Chinese telecom firm [[ZTE]]. Atty. Diokno would aid whistleblower [[Jun Lozada]] as part of his legal counsel during his court hearings against the administration.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

Around the same time in 2007, Atty. Diokno along with fellow FLAG lawyers Ted Te and Ricardo A. Sunga III, petitioned and were granted by the [[Philippine Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] to issue [[Writs of Amparo and Habeas Data|Writs of Amparo]] for leftist activists Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, two brothers who were allegedly tortured by the military under the Arroyo administration.<ref name="amparo">{{Cite news
|last = Panaligan
|first = Rey
|title = Supreme Court, QC RTC issue 1st Writs of Amparo
|newspaper = Manila Bulletin
|publisher = Manila Bulletin
|date = 2007-10-26
|url = http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|access-date = 2011-05-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120825185101/http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|archive-date = 2012-08-25
}}
</ref> FLAG also represented the media in a petition against the [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo|Arroyo administration]]. The case brought together members of [[ABS-CBN Corporation|ABS-CBN]], the [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]], Probe Productions, [[Newsbreak]], and the [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism]], among others for allegedly being rounded up for their "illegal" coverage of the [[Manila Peninsula siege|Manila Peninsula Siege]] that tried to force the president to resign.<ref name="mediavsarroyo">{{Cite news
|last = Jimenez-David
|first = Rina
|title = Who’s publicity-hungry?
|newspaper = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|publisher = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|date = 2008-01-29
|url = http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|access-date = 2020-10-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120326173919/http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|archive-date = 2012-03-26
}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=17 of 50 Journalists rounded up from The Pen released|url=http://www.gmanews.tv/story/70787/17-of-50-journalists-rounded-up-from-The-Pen-released|publisher=GMA News | date = 2007-11-29 | access-date = 2010-10-15}}</ref>

Pres. Arroyo would leave office with record-low approval ratings and was later imprisoned during the administration of the 15th President, [[Benigno Aquino III]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=David|title=Corruption was Gloria's biggest mistake: survey|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/08/04/10/corruption-was-glorias-biggest-mistake-survey|date=2010-08-04}}</ref>

===Legal battles with the Duterte administration===
{{Main|Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020}}
{{See also|Philippine drug war}}
[[File:TañadaPimentelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20181130Alternativity.jpg|thumb|Atty. [[Wigberto Tañada]], former Sen. [[Nene Pimentel]], and Atty. [[Chel Diokno]] at the 2018 Honoring of Martyrs and Heroes at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani on 30 November 2018]]
In 2017, FLAG lawyers Atty. Chel Diokno, Atty. Arno Sanidad, and former president of the [[Philippine Health Insurance Corporation]] (PhilHealth) Atty. Alexander Padilla became the legal counsel of retired police officer SPO3 Arturo Lascañas, a former officer of Duterte's [[Davao Death Squad]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-24}}</ref> Lascañas admitted to the court that he had to kill 300 civilians under Duterte, then the mayor of [[Davao City]]. The participation of FLAG in Lascañas's affidavit helped create credibility and exposed much of the controversial dealings concurrently happening in Davao City under the Duterte political family's watch. The case and its resulting revelation of Duterte's crimes became renowned through headlines all over top media groups around the world, which was brought to the attention of the [[International Criminal Court]] (ICC).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=Nikko|title=FLAG lawyers heighten Lascañas’ credibility – opposition solon|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873616/flag-lawyers-heighten-lascanas-credibility-opposition-solon|date=2017-02-21|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref>

In 2020, Atty. Diokno protested against the passing of the [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|Anti-Terror Law]], which was approved by the 16th President, [[Rodrigo Duterte]]. This would arrest those who are deemed terrorists by the government. Atty. Diokno quipped that not just terrorists would be arrested from this law but possibly any protestor could be harmed. He then questioned the Supreme Court on this decision.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title='Lawyers should strike' to demand Supreme Court actions vs abuses|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-should-strike-demand-supreme-court-actions-abuses|date=2021-03-09}}</ref> On July 23, FLAG, together with fellow columnists, statesmen, and political detainees issued the legal challenge G.R. No. 252741 against Anti-Terror Council member and Duterte's Executive Secretary [[Salvador Medialdea]] on the grounds and rationality of the signed law. Among the provisions in the law being questioned were Section 29 on detention without judicial warrant of arrest in which a suspect can be arrested even without a warrant of arrest and detained for up to 24 days. This has been compared to the time when [[History of the Philippines under Ferdinand Marcos|soon-to-be-ousted President Ferdinand Marcos]] removed the writ of habeas corpus in 1971. This has led to arrests without reason or without warrant, and has incited massive protests in the process.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno to question Anti-Terror law before Supreme Court|url=https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/human-rights-lawyer-chel-diokno-to-question-anti-terror-law-before-supreme-court/ar-BB16j0J5|access-date=2020-09-12}}</ref>

The Anti-Terror law has been denounced as being too vague and therefore very dangerous in its potential for wide-scale abuse.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Half of lawyer killings since 2016 were work-related – FLAG|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/half-lawyer-killings-since-2016-work-related-flag|date=2021-01-21}}</ref> FLAG served as the leader and legal council of the petition, together with at least 14 other early petitions coming from all different sectors: [[Rappler]] and [[Maria Ressa]] (whom FLAG defended a few years prior to the passage of the Anti-Terror Law), the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL), senators such as [[Leila de Lima]] and [[Francis Pangilinan|Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan]], labor groups and activists, and other members of the media and government.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Philippines: Media workers file petitions to reject Anti-Terror Law|url=https://www.ifj.org/es/centro-de-medios/noticias/detalle/category/press-releases/article/philippines-media-workers-file-petitions-to-reject-anti-terror-law.html|date=2020-07-23|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref> The extrajudicial killings have risen after the law was made official. After a few years into the Duterte administration, it has been reported that at least 61 lawyers have also been slain by police forces, which means that far more lawyers have been killed than in any previous presidential administration.<ref>{{Cite web|title=61 lawyers killed since Duterte assumed office in 2016, says group|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/11/21/61-lawyers-killed-since-duterte-assumed-office-in-2016-says-group|date=2021-03-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG report found almost half of lawyers killed linked to legal practice|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/03/11/2083558/flag-report-found-almost-half-lawyers-killed-linked-legal-practice|date=2021-03-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Lawyers killed: 61 under Duterte, 49 from Marcos to Aquino|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-killed-duterte-marcos-aquino-administrations-data-studies|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Conde|first=Carlos H.|title=Record High Killing of Philippine Lawyers|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/15/record-high-killing-philippine-lawyers|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Navallo|first=Mike|title=More lawyers killed during Duterte admin than under previous 6 presidents combined - study|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/15/21/more-lawyers-killed-during-duterte-admin-than-under-previous-6-presidents-combined-study|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=61 legal practitioners killed since 2016, zero convictions – lawyers’ group|url=https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/10/lawyers-killed-duterte-administration.html|date=2021-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG expresses concern over 61 lawyers killed since 2016|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/779980/flag-expresses-concern-over-61-lawyers-killed-since-2016/story/|date=2021-03-17}}</ref> In fact based on FLAG data, this statistic is still much larger than the preceding six administrations starting the Marcos dictatorship.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Santos|first=Tina G.|title=NUPL seeks UN help as more PH lawyers killed|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1407423/nupl-seeks-un-help-as-more-ph-lawyers-killed|date=2021-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=FLAG goes to Supreme Court to free ex-NPA chief Salas|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/flag-petition-supreme-court-free-ex-npa-chief|date=February 2020}}</ref>

==Functions and organization==
[[File:FvfBantayogBayani0100 15.JPG|thumb|300 px|right|FLAG founders and human rights activists [[Jose W. Diokno|Atty. Jose W. Diokno]] and [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Atty. Lorenzo M. Tañada]] at the [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]]]

===Purpose===
Among the main objectives of FLAG are:
# To promote civil and political rights through activism
# Handle cases of the urban poor, indigenous peoples, workers, students, NPA members, and other disenfranchised sectors of Philippine society
# To encourage developmental legal advocacy which may remedy injustice not merely by enforcing the law, but also by changing the law and underlying social structures that perpetrate or sustain injustice and inhibit development

===Organization===
[[File:Jose W. Diokno.png|thumb|left|[[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]]]
The law firm and [[Non-governmental organization|non-governmental organization (NGO)]] is headed by its chairman. The current chairman is Atty. Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno. Assisting the chairman is the secretary-general. The incumbent secretary-general is Atty. Maria Socorro "Cookie" Diokno, who was the former chairman of the [[National Historical Commission of the Philippines|National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG lawyers share selfie with ‘unwelcome’ UN expert|url=https://abogado.com.ph/flag-lawyers-share-selfie-with-unwelcome-un-expert/|date=2017-05-08|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> For regional cases, the regional coordinator helps in communications and managing the different logistics throughout several districts and cities. The present Manila regional coordinator is Atty. Ted Te.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> Mary Kathryn Sison is the network coordinator in charge of monitoring oversights in [[Metro Manila]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG)|url=https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/|date=2018|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

===ESC Rights Program===
In 1993, FLAG created the Economic, Social, and Cultural (ESC) Rights Program to properly design a framework that would government accountability over human suffering violations regarding ESC rights. The objective of the FLAG program serves to ultimately create a suitable Philippine system thay may also serve as a model for other developing countries with numerous human rights violations springing from socioeconomic causes. Countries that have been studied and formally addressed by FLAG include [[Thailand]], different [[Southeast Asia|Southeast Asian countries]], and parts of [[Africa]]. Within its ESC Rights Program, FLAG has established two technical core groups, one on the right to housing and the on the right to education. Each group consists of academicians and representatives of NGOs and public organizations, development organizations, professional associations, industries, and selected government departments. Consultations between the two working groups are promoted to share results, seek confirmation, resolve conflicts, and integrate work output. FLAG has established other right-specific working groups since that time, such as the right to health and food, beginning the last quarter of 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> The core functions of the ESC Rights Program are:
# To define the rights of survival in terms of their core content
# To develop legal standards for the rights of survival
# If the rights of survival are, realizable imperatives rather than development objectives, the working groups must lay out clear and precise state obligations under these rights
# Given the establishment of standards and obligations, indicators need to be developed so that systematic monitoring can take place
# For working groups to delineate and outline ways to make the rights of survival legally enforceable and justiciable

== Other Notable Members==
[[File:Justice Marvic MVF Leonen official portrait.jpg|thumb|right|Marvin Leonen, Supreme Court Justice and Human Rights Jurist]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]], senator
* [[David Bueno]], martial law activist and martyr
* [http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp Rosario "Chato" Olivas-Gallo], DLSU College of Law vice-dean and children's rights activist
* [[Marvic Leonen]], the youngest [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines|Supreme Court Justice]] since WWII and [[University of the Philippines College of Law|University of the Philippines Law Dean]]
* [https://politics.com.ph/tag/atty-arno-sanidad/ Arno Sanidad], law professor and member of the [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]]
* [[Erin Tañada]], congressman
* [[Quezon City's 6th congressional district#Representation history|Kit Belmonte]], congressman
* [https://r3.rappler.com/previous-articles?filterMeta=Ted%20Te Theodore O. "Ted" Te], Supreme Court spokesperson<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|date=2018-09-03|title=Spokesman Ted Te resigns from Supreme Court|url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/210999-supreme-court-spokesman-theodore-te-resigns|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en}}</ref> who represented journalist and [[Time Person of the Year]] [[Maria Ressa]] in her [[Maria Ressa cyberlibel case|cyberlibel case]] against the [[Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte|Rodrigo Duterte Administration]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Board of Advisers|url=http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref> The Duterte administration has been compared to the Ferdinand Marcos administration for similar human rights abuses, and FLAG again leads the opposition in calling for justice and restitution for the oppressed.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG lawyer: No place in imperfect justice system for 'absolute' punishments like death penalty|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/09/16/2042884/flag-lawyer-no-place-imperfect-justice-system-absolute-punishments-death-penalty|date=2020-09-16|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-15|title=Court convicts Rappler CEO Ressa in cyberlibel case|url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/6/15/maria-ressa-rappler-conviction.html|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[CNN Philippines]]|language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]
* [[Chel Diokno]]
* [[David Bueno]]
* [[Lorenzo Tañada]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]]
* [[Joker Arroyo]]
* [[Legal aid|Developmental Legal Aid]]
* [[People of the Philippines v. Santos, Ressa and Rappler]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://flagfaqs.blogspot.de/ official website]
* [https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/ Namati: Flag Network]

[[Category:Human rights organizations based in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Jose W. Diokno]]

Free Legal Assistance Group

2021-07-25T10:59:46Z

112.205.1.155:

{{Infobox organization
| name = FLAG
| image = [[File:ChelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20190223Alternativity.jpg|260 px|FLAG chairman Atty. Chel Diokno at a commemoration of [[Martial Law (Philippines)|martial law]] victims and human rights activists]]
| image_size =
| caption = FLAG chairman [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Chel Diokno]] at a commemoration of [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law]] victims and human rights activists
| logo =
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| abbreviation = FLAG
| formation = {{start date and age|1974}}
| founder = [[Joker Arroyo]] [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]] [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]
| founding_location =
| type = Non-profit lawyers organization, Human rights law firm
| tax_id = 
| registration_id = 
| purpose = [[Human rights]]
| headquarters = [[Quezon City, Philippines]]
| location = Philippines
| coords = 
| region = Nationwide
| services = Pro-bono legal service
| products = Advocacy, Representation, Advice
| methods = Developmental legal advocacy
| fields = [[Human rights]], [[Civil rights]]
| language = English/Filipino
| leader_title = Chairman
| leader_name = [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]]
| leader_title2 = Secretary-General
| leader_name2 = Atty. Maria Socorro I. "Cookie" Diokno
| leader_title3 = Deputy Secretary-General
| leader_name3 = Atty. Arno Sanidad
| leader_title4 = Regional Coordinator of FLAG Metro Manila
| leader_name4 = Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te
| affiliations = [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]] [[Commission on Human Rights|Commission on Human Rights (CHR)]] [[Amnesty International]] [[Human Rights Watch|Human Rights Watch (HRW)]] [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism|Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)]] National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL)
| website = 
}}

The '''Free Legal Assistance Group''' ('''FLAG''') is the largest and oldest organization pertaining to [[human rights]] and human rights lawyers in the [[Philippines]].<ref name="BantayogProfileDioknoJoseW">{{Cite web|date=2015-10-15|title=Heroes and Martyrs: Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805030611/http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|archive-date=2017-08-05|access-date=2019-07-21|website=[[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Medina20170221">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |title=IN THE KNOW: FLAG |last=Medina |first=Marielle |date=21 February 2017 |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224124734/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |archive-date=2017-02-24 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> FLAG handled over ninety percent of human rights cases during [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law and the authoritarian regime]] in 1974-1986 and continues to have a significant impact today.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|date=2017-02-20|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/162022-free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en|quote=Founded in 1974 by the late senators Jose W. Diokno, Lorenzo Tañada Sr, and Joker Arroyo, FLAG provided free legal services to victims of martial law during the Marcos years, and still leads the call in aiding human rights victims nationwide}}</ref>

FLAG has taken the lead in prosecuting abusive military and policemen and demanding accountability from the government. The groups' efforts have led to landmark legislations in habeas corpus. FLAG also questioned, in appropriate cases, the Supreme Court and the constitutionality of the death penalty and the Visiting Forces Agreement, among many others. Among its many advocacies are stopping political repression, military and police abuses, and capital punishment. It works on countering varied abuses of human rights and [[civil liberties]].

Its current chairperson is [[Human rights lawyer|human rights attorney]] [[Chel Diokno|Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]],<ref name="PatriciaDeniseChiu20190405">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |title=Unique killings, same language, lawyers say of drug war reports |last=Chiu |first=Patricia Denise M. |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404232824/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |archive-date=2019-04-04 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> who is the founding dean of the [[De La Salle University College of Law|De La Salle University (DLSU) College of Law]].

The services provided by this institution are generally carried out pro-bono. In fact, it is due to FLAG's innovative use of [[Legal aid|developmental legal aid or free legal assistance]] that it grew in popularity and has allowed for the passage of a new law, requiring newly sworn-in lawyers to conduct community legal aid service for a specified amount of time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore|title=[ANALYSIS {{!}} Deep Dive] Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-14}}</ref>

==History==
===Martial law and early years===
{{Main|Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship}}
{{See also|Human rights in the Philippines}}
[[File:Lorenzo Tanada portrait.jpg|thumb|left|FLAG co-founder Atty. Lorenzo Tañada]]
FLAG was founded in 1974 by [[Jose Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=DIOKNO, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|date=2015-10-15|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> [[Lorenzo Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Clarke|first=Gerard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=044qBgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&q=FLAG&hl=en|title=The Politics of NGOs in Southeast Asia: Participation and Protest in the Philippines|date=2006-05-17|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-69535-5|pages=168–169, 173|language=en}}</ref> and Atty. [[Joker Arroyo]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-10-07|title=Remembering Joker Arroyo|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/728691/remembering-joker-arroyo|access-date=2019-07-24|website=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|language=en}}</ref> during the [[Martial law in the Philippines|martial law era]] under the infamous ex-[[President of the Philippines|President]] [[Ferdinand Marcos]]. After Diokno was released from prison at [[Fort Bonifacio]], he immediately thought of creating a law firm that would support human rights victims through a new and innovative method called developmental legal aid, which he even promoted further by giving allowances to clients without any financial means. FLAG has defended farmers, similar victims of agrarian reform, and activists who were victims of paramilitary abuses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Survey of Private Legal Practitioners to Monitor Access to Justice by the Disadvantaged|url=https://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/UNDP4/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/PLP_Final.pdf|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

According to Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te, the popularization of developmental legal aid at this time eventually laid the foundations for the passing of new laws, particularly the Community Legal Aid Service (CLAS) Rule. The CLAS Rule requires those who have passed the bar and signed the Roll of Attorneys in any particular year after the Rule's effectivity – but specifically, those who passed the [[Philippine Bar Examination|2017 Bar examinations]] and beyond, and were subsequently admitted to the bar – to render 120 hours of legal service. This must be done within their first year of admission to the bar or else they will risk receiving sanctions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore O.|title=(ANALYSIS-Deep Dive) Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref> At the height of martial law, the FLAG firm led by Atty. Diokno, who is called the father of human rights, handled over 90 percent of human rights cases in the country, documenting torture, summary executions, and [[Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship|other abuses during that period]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.dlsaa.com/honors-and-awards/awardees/diokno-jose-w|date=2005|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref>

This sometimes placed lawyers working with FLAG at risk. Among the FLAG lawyers murdered during the dictatorship<ref name="NYTFLAGmurders">{{Cite news |last=Margolick |first=David |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1985-07-11 |title=BAR GROUP ASSAILS PHILIPPINES AS ABUSING LAWYERS (Published 1985) |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |url-status=live |access-date=2021-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524165848/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |archive-date=2015-05-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> were [[Zorro Aguilar]], [[Romraflo Taojo]], and Crisostomo Cailing, all of whom have since been honored by having their names inscribed on the wall of remembrance at the Philippines' [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]], which honors the martyrs and heroes who fought against the Marcos' authoritarian rule.<ref>http://www.bantayog.org/martyrs-heroes/</ref>

===1990s===
{{See also|Kuratong Baleleng}}
Kuratong Baleleng was once the largest syndicate in the country when the national crime rate was at its peak.<ref>{{Cite web|last=De Guzman|first=Naica|title=Most Wanted: Kuratong Baleleng Gang|url= https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/kuratong-baleleng-parojinog-a1729-20180918-lfrm3|date=2018-09-18|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> FLAG later became the chief prosecutor in the 1995 [[Kuratong Baleleng]] rubout case. At that time, eleven members of the organized syndicate Kuratong Baleleng were killed by the forces of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, led by then-police officer [[Panfilo Lacson]]. FLAG prosecuted 27 police officers involved in this case at the [[Regional Trial Court|Quezon City Regional Trial Court]] but to no avail.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/285090/news/nation/sc-upholds-dismissal-of-lacson-s-kuratong-baleleng-case|title=SC upholds dismissal of Lacson's Kuratong Baleleng case|date=December 4, 2012|publisher=gmanetwork.com|access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref> FLAG immediately appealed to the High Tribunal to remand the case to the trial court once more in order to present new evidence against Lacson, inter alia. Later on May 2, 2008, the Supreme Court finally resolved to consider the appeal.

Other famous cases include Leo Echegarray v. Secretary of Justice. In this case, the convicted Leo Echegarray was to be sentenced to death. The death penalty had been removed for years but reinstated in the 1990s. This case was to mark the very return of its implementation. Atty. Ted Te and FLAG's continuous pleadings and petitions for reconsideration managed to pave the way for intensive debate against the death penalty, until it was finally abolished in 2006.<Ref>{{Cite web|title=LEO ECHEGARAY, petitioner, vs. SECRETARY OF JUSTICE, ET AL., respondents.|url=https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1999/jan1999/gr_132601_1999.html|date=1999-01-19}}</ref>

===2000s and the Macapagal-Arroyo administration===
{{Main|Presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo}}
{{See also|Second EDSA Revolution|NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|Manila Peninsula siege}}
Atty. Chel Diokno helped prosecute then-President [[Joseph Estrada]] during his impeachment case from 2000 to 2001, which led to the [[Second EDSA Revolution]] that had him ousted and had Vice-president [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] inaugurated as the 14th president. Later on however, former Pres. Arroyo, who was the daughter of the ninth president [[Diosdado Macapagal]], would be involved in a [[NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|corruption scandal]] with Chinese telecom firm [[ZTE]]. Atty. Diokno would aid whistleblower [[Jun Lozada]] as part of his legal counsel during his court hearings against the administration.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

Around the same time in 2007, Atty. Diokno along with fellow FLAG lawyers Ted Te and Ricardo A. Sunga III, petitioned and were granted by the [[Philippine Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] to issue [[Writs of Amparo and Habeas Data|Writs of Amparo]] for leftist activists Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, two brothers who were allegedly tortured by the military under the Arroyo administration.<ref name="amparo">{{Cite news
|last = Panaligan
|first = Rey
|title = Supreme Court, QC RTC issue 1st Writs of Amparo
|newspaper = Manila Bulletin
|publisher = Manila Bulletin
|date = 2007-10-26
|url = http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|access-date = 2011-05-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120825185101/http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|archive-date = 2012-08-25
}}
</ref> FLAG also represented the media in a petition against the [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo|Arroyo administration]]. The case brought together members of [[ABS-CBN Corporation|ABS-CBN]], the [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]], Probe Productions, [[Newsbreak]], and the [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism]], among others for allegedly being rounded up for their "illegal" coverage of the [[Manila Peninsula siege|Manila Peninsula Siege]] that tried to force the president to resign.<ref name="mediavsarroyo">{{Cite news
|last = Jimenez-David
|first = Rina
|title = Who’s publicity-hungry?
|newspaper = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|publisher = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|date = 2008-01-29
|url = http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|access-date = 2020-10-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120326173919/http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|archive-date = 2012-03-26
}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=17 of 50 Journalists rounded up from The Pen released|url=http://www.gmanews.tv/story/70787/17-of-50-journalists-rounded-up-from-The-Pen-released|publisher=GMA News | date = 2007-11-29 | access-date = 2010-10-15}}</ref>

Pres. Arroyo would leave office with record-low approval ratings and was later imprisoned during the administration of the 15th President, [[Benigno Aquino III]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=David|title=Corruption was Gloria's biggest mistake: survey|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/08/04/10/corruption-was-glorias-biggest-mistake-survey|date=2010-08-04}}</ref>

===Legal battles with the Duterte administration===
{{Main|Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020}}
{{See also|Philippine drug war}}
[[File:TañadaPimentelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20181130Alternativity.jpg|thumb|Atty. [[Wigberto Tañada]], former Sen. [[Nene Pimentel]], and Atty. [[Chel Diokno]] at the 2018 Honoring of Martyrs and Heroes at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani on 30 November 2018]]
In 2017, FLAG lawyers Atty. Chel Diokno, Atty. Arno Sanidad, and former president of the [[Philippine Health Insurance Corporation]] (PhilHealth) Atty. Alexander Padilla became the legal counsel of retired police officer SPO3 Arturo Lascañas, a former officer of Duterte's [[Davao Death Squad]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-24}}</ref> Lascañas admitted to the court that he had to kill 300 civilians under Duterte, then the mayor of [[Davao City]]. The participation of FLAG in Lascañas's affidavit helped create credibility and exposed much of the controversial dealings concurrently happening in Davao City under the Duterte political family's watch. The case and its resulting revelation of Duterte's crimes became renowned through headlines all over top media groups around the world, which was brought to the attention of the [[International Criminal Court]] (ICC).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=Nikko|title=FLAG lawyers heighten Lascañas’ credibility – opposition solon|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873616/flag-lawyers-heighten-lascanas-credibility-opposition-solon|date=2017-02-21|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref>

In 2020, Atty. Diokno protested against the passing of the [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|Anti-Terror Law]], which was approved by the 16th President, [[Rodrigo Duterte]]. This would arrest those who are deemed terrorists by the government. Atty. Diokno quipped that not just terrorists would be arrested from this law but possibly any protestor could be harmed. He then questioned the Supreme Court on this decision.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title='Lawyers should strike' to demand Supreme Court actions vs abuses|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-should-strike-demand-supreme-court-actions-abuses|date=2021-03-09}}</ref> On July 23, FLAG, together with fellow columnists, statesmen, and political detainees issued the legal challenge G.R. No. 252741 against Anti-Terror Council member and Duterte's Executive Secretary [[Salvador Medialdea]] on the grounds and rationality of the signed law. Among the provisions in the law being questioned were Section 29 on detention without judicial warrant of arrest in which a suspect can be arrested even without a warrant of arrest and detained for up to 24 days. This has been compared to the time when [[History of the Philippines under Ferdinand Marcos|soon-to-be-ousted President Ferdinand Marcos]] removed the writ of habeas corpus in 1971. This has led to arrests without reason or without warrant, and has incited massive protests in the process.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno to question Anti-Terror law before Supreme Court|url=https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/human-rights-lawyer-chel-diokno-to-question-anti-terror-law-before-supreme-court/ar-BB16j0J5|access-date=2020-09-12}}</ref>

The Anti-Terror law has been denounced as being too vague and therefore very dangerous in its potential for wide-scale abuse.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Half of lawyer killings since 2016 were work-related – FLAG|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/half-lawyer-killings-since-2016-work-related-flag|date=2021-01-21}}</ref> FLAG served as the leader and legal council of the petition, together with at least 14 other early petitions coming from all different sectors: [[Rappler]] and [[Maria Ressa]] (whom FLAG defended a few years prior to the passage of the Anti-Terror Law), the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL), senators such as [[Leila de Lima]] and [[Francis Pangilinan|Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan]], labor groups and activists, and other members of the media and government.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Philippines: Media workers file petitions to reject Anti-Terror Law|url=https://www.ifj.org/es/centro-de-medios/noticias/detalle/category/press-releases/article/philippines-media-workers-file-petitions-to-reject-anti-terror-law.html|date=2020-07-23|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref> The extrajudicial killings have risen after the law was made official. After a few years into the Duterte administration, it has been reported that at least 61 lawyers have also been slain by police forces, which means that far more lawyers have been killed than in any previous presidential administration.<ref>{{Cite web|title=61 lawyers killed since Duterte assumed office in 2016, says group|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/11/21/61-lawyers-killed-since-duterte-assumed-office-in-2016-says-group|date=2021-03-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG report found almost half of lawyers killed linked to legal practice|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/03/11/2083558/flag-report-found-almost-half-lawyers-killed-linked-legal-practice|date=2021-03-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Lawyers killed: 61 under Duterte, 49 from Marcos to Aquino|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-killed-duterte-marcos-aquino-administrations-data-studies|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Conde|first=Carlos H.|title=Record High Killing of Philippine Lawyers|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/15/record-high-killing-philippine-lawyers|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Navallo|first=Mike|title=More lawyers killed during Duterte admin than under previous 6 presidents combined - study|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/15/21/more-lawyers-killed-during-duterte-admin-than-under-previous-6-presidents-combined-study|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=61 legal practitioners killed since 2016, zero convictions – lawyers’ group|url=https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/10/lawyers-killed-duterte-administration.html|date=2021-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG expresses concern over 61 lawyers killed since 2016|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/779980/flag-expresses-concern-over-61-lawyers-killed-since-2016/story/|date=2021-03-17}}</ref> In fact based on FLAG data, this statistic is still much larger than the preceding six administrations starting the Marcos dictatorship.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Santos|first=Tina G.|title=NUPL seeks UN help as more PH lawyers killed|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1407423/nupl-seeks-un-help-as-more-ph-lawyers-killed|date=2021-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=FLAG goes to Supreme Court to free ex-NPA chief Salas|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/flag-petition-supreme-court-free-ex-npa-chief|date=February 2020}}</ref>

==Functions and organization==
[[File:FvfBantayogBayani0100 15.JPG|thumb|300 px|right|FLAG founders and human rights activists [[Jose W. Diokno|Atty. Jose W. Diokno]] and [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Atty. Lorenzo M. Tañada]] at the [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]]]

===Purpose===
Among the main objectives of FLAG are:
# To promote civil and political rights through activism
# Handle cases of the urban poor, indigenous peoples, workers, students, NPA members, and other disenfranchised sectors of Philippine society
# To encourage developmental legal advocacy which may remedy injustice not merely by enforcing the law, but also by changing the law and underlying social structures that perpetrate or sustain injustice and inhibit development

===Organization===
[[File:Jose W. Diokno.png|thumb|left|[[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]]]
The law firm and [[Non-governmental organization|non-governmental organization (NGO)]] is headed by its chairman. The current chairman is Atty. Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno. Assisting the chairman is the secretary-general. The incumbent secretary-general is Atty. Maria Socorro "Cookie" Diokno, who was the former chairman of the [[National Historical Commission of the Philippines|National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG lawyers share selfie with ‘unwelcome’ UN expert|url=https://abogado.com.ph/flag-lawyers-share-selfie-with-unwelcome-un-expert/|date=2017-05-08|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> For regional cases, the regional coordinator helps in communications and managing the different logistics throughout several districts and cities. The present Manila regional coordinator is Atty. Ted Te.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> Mary Kathryn Sison is the network coordinator in charge of monitoring oversights in [[Metro Manila]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG)|url=https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/|date=2018|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

===ESC Rights Program===
In 1993, FLAG created the Economic, Social, and Cultural (ESC) Rights Program to properly design a framework that would government accountability over human suffering violations regarding ESC rights. The objective of the FLAG program serves to ultimately create a suitable Philippine system thay may also serve as a model for other developing countries with numerous human rights violations springing from socioeconomic causes. Countries that have been studied and formally addressed by FLAG include [[Thailand]], different [[Southeast Asia|Southeast Asian countries]], and parts of [[Africa]]. Within its ESC Rights Program, FLAG has established two technical core groups, one on the right to housing and the on the right to education. Each group consists of academicians and representatives of NGOs and public organizations, development organizations, professional associations, industries, and selected government departments. Consultations between the two working groups are promoted to share results, seek confirmation, resolve conflicts, and integrate work output. FLAG has established other right-specific working groups since that time, such as the right to health and food, beginning the last quarter of 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> The core functions of the ESC Rights Program are:
# To define the rights of survival in terms of their core content
# To develop legal standards for the rights of survival
# If the rights of survival are, realizable imperatives rather than development objectives, the working groups must lay out clear and precise state obligations under these rights
# Given the establishment of standards and obligations, indicators need to be developed so that systematic monitoring can take place
# For working groups to delineate and outline ways to make the rights of survival legally enforceable and justiciable

== Other Notable Members==
[[File:Justice Marvic MVF Leonen official portrait.jpg|thumb|right|Marvin Leonen, Supreme Court Justice and Human Rights Jurist]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]], senator
* [[David Bueno]], martial law activist and martyr
* [http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp Rosario "Chato" Olivas-Gallo], DLSU College of Law vice-dean and children's rights activist
* [[Marvic Leonen]], the youngest [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines|Supreme Court Justice]] since WWII and [[University of the Philippines College of Law|University of the Philippines Law Dean]]
* [https://politics.com.ph/tag/atty-arno-sanidad/ Arno Sanidad], law professor and member of the [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]]
* [[Erin Tañada]], congressman
* [[Quezon City's 6th congressional district#Representation history|Kit Belmonte]], congressman
* [https://r3.rappler.com/previous-articles?filterMeta=Ted%20Te Theodore O. "Ted" Te], Supreme Court spokesperson<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|date=2018-09-03|title=Spokesman Ted Te resigns from Supreme Court|url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/210999-supreme-court-spokesman-theodore-te-resigns|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en}}</ref> who represented journalist and [[Time Person of the Year]] [[Maria Ressa]] in her [[Maria Ressa cyberlibel case|cyberlibel case]] against the [[Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte|Rodrigo Duterte Administration]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Board of Advisers|url=http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref> The Duterte administration has been compared to the Ferdinand Marcos administration for similar human rights abuses, and FLAG again leads the opposition in calling for justice and restitution for the oppressed.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG lawyer: No place in imperfect justice system for 'absolute' punishments like death penalty|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/09/16/2042884/flag-lawyer-no-place-imperfect-justice-system-absolute-punishments-death-penalty|date=2020-09-16|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-15|title=Court convicts Rappler CEO Ressa in cyberlibel case|url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/6/15/maria-ressa-rappler-conviction.html|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[CNN Philippines]]|language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]
* [[Chel Diokno]]
* [[David Bueno]]
* [[Lorenzo Tañada]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]]
* [[Joker Arroyo]]
* [[Legal aid|Developmental Legal Aid]]
* [[People of the Philippines v. Santos, Ressa and Rappler]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://flagfaqs.blogspot.de/ official website]
* [https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/ Namati: Flag Network]

[[Category:Human rights organizations based in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Jose W. Diokno]]

Free Legal Assistance Group

2021-07-25T10:54:55Z

112.205.1.155: /* History */

{{Infobox organization
| name = FLAG
| image = [[File:ChelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20190223Alternativity.jpg|260 px|FLAG chairman Atty. Chel Diokno at a commemoration of [[Martial Law (Philippines)|martial law]] victims and human rights activists]]
| image_size =
| caption = FLAG chairman [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Chel Diokno]] at a commemoration of [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law]] victims and human rights activists
| logo =
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| abbreviation = FLAG
| formation = {{start date and age|1974}}
| founder = [[Joker Arroyo]] [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]] [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]
| founding_location =
| type = Non-profit lawyers organization, Human rights law firm
| tax_id = 
| registration_id = 
| purpose = [[Human rights]]
| headquarters = [[Quezon City, Philippines]]
| location = Philippines
| coords = 
| region = Nationwide
| services = Pro-bono legal service
| products = Advocacy, Representation, Advice
| methods = Developmental legal advocacy
| fields = [[Human rights]], [[Civil rights]]
| language = English/Filipino
| leader_title = Chairman
| leader_name = [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]]
| leader_title2 = Secretary-General
| leader_name2 = Atty. Maria Socorro I. "Cookie" Diokno
| leader_title3 = Deputy Secretary-General
| leader_name3 = Atty. Arno Sanidad
| leader_title4 = Regional Coordinator of FLAG Metro Manila
| leader_name4 = Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te
| affiliations = [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]] [[Commission on Human Rights|Commission on Human Rights (CHR)]] [[Amnesty International]] [[Human Rights Watch|Human Rights Watch (HRW)]] [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism|Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)]] National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL)
| website = 
}}

The '''Free Legal Assistance Group''' ('''FLAG''') is the largest and oldest organization pertaining to [[human rights]] and human rights lawyers in the [[Philippines]].<ref name="BantayogProfileDioknoJoseW">{{Cite web|date=2015-10-15|title=Heroes and Martyrs: Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805030611/http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|archive-date=2017-08-05|access-date=2019-07-21|website=[[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Medina20170221">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |title=IN THE KNOW: FLAG |last=Medina |first=Marielle |date=21 February 2017 |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224124734/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |archive-date=2017-02-24 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> FLAG handled over ninety percent of human rights cases during [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law and the authoritarian regime]] in 1974-1986 and continues to have a significant impact today.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|date=2017-02-20|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/162022-free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en|quote=Founded in 1974 by the late senators Jose W. Diokno, Lorenzo Tañada Sr, and Joker Arroyo, FLAG provided free legal services to victims of martial law during the Marcos years, and still leads the call in aiding human rights victims nationwide}}</ref>

FLAG has taken the lead in prosecuting abusive military and policemen and demanding accountability from the government. The groups' efforts have led to landmark legislations in habeas corpus. FLAG also questioned, in appropriate cases, the Supreme Court and the constitutionality of the death penalty and the Visiting Forces Agreement, among many others. Among its many advocacies are stopping political repression, military and police abuses, and capital punishment. It works on countering varied abuses of human rights and [[civil liberties]].

Its current chair is [[Human rights lawyer|human rights attorney]] [[Chel Diokno]],<ref name="PatriciaDeniseChiu20190405">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |title=Unique killings, same language, lawyers say of drug war reports |last=Chiu |first=Patricia Denise M. |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404232824/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |archive-date=2019-04-04 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> the founding dean of the [[De La Salle University College of Law|De La Salle University (DLSU) College of Law]].

The services provided by this institution are generally carried out pro-bono. In fact, it is due to FLAG's innovative use of [[Legal aid|developmental legal aid or free legal assistance]] that it grew in popularity and has allowed for the passage of a new law, requiring newly sworn-in lawyers to conduct community legal aid service for a specified amount of time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore|title=[ANALYSIS {{!}} Deep Dive] Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-14}}</ref>

==History==
===Martial law and early years===
{{Main|Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship}}
{{See also|Human rights in the Philippines}}
[[File:Lorenzo Tanada portrait.jpg|thumb|left|FLAG co-founder Atty. Lorenzo Tañada]]
FLAG was founded in 1974 by [[Jose Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=DIOKNO, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|date=2015-10-15|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> [[Lorenzo Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Clarke|first=Gerard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=044qBgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&q=FLAG&hl=en|title=The Politics of NGOs in Southeast Asia: Participation and Protest in the Philippines|date=2006-05-17|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-69535-5|pages=168–169, 173|language=en}}</ref> and Atty. [[Joker Arroyo]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-10-07|title=Remembering Joker Arroyo|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/728691/remembering-joker-arroyo|access-date=2019-07-24|website=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|language=en}}</ref> during the [[Martial law in the Philippines|martial law era]] under the infamous ex-[[President of the Philippines|President]] [[Ferdinand Marcos]]. After Diokno was released from prison at [[Fort Bonifacio]], he immediately thought of creating a law firm that would support human rights victims through a new and innovative method called developmental legal aid, which he even promoted further by giving allowances to clients without any financial means. FLAG has defended farmers, similar victims of agrarian reform, and activists who were victims of paramilitary abuses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Survey of Private Legal Practitioners to Monitor Access to Justice by the Disadvantaged|url=https://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/UNDP4/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/PLP_Final.pdf|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

According to Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te, the popularization of developmental legal aid at this time eventually laid the foundations for the passing of new laws, particularly the Community Legal Aid Service (CLAS) Rule. The CLAS Rule requires those who have passed the bar and signed the Roll of Attorneys in any particular year after the Rule's effectivity – but specifically, those who passed the [[Philippine Bar Examination|2017 Bar examinations]] and beyond, and were subsequently admitted to the bar – to render 120 hours of legal service. This must be done within their first year of admission to the bar or else they will risk receiving sanctions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore O.|title=(ANALYSIS-Deep Dive) Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref> At the height of martial law, the FLAG firm led by Atty. Diokno, who is called the father of human rights, handled over 90 percent of human rights cases in the country, documenting torture, summary executions, and [[Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship|other abuses during that period]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.dlsaa.com/honors-and-awards/awardees/diokno-jose-w|date=2005|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref>

This sometimes placed lawyers working with FLAG at risk. Among the FLAG lawyers murdered during the dictatorship<ref name="NYTFLAGmurders">{{Cite news |last=Margolick |first=David |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1985-07-11 |title=BAR GROUP ASSAILS PHILIPPINES AS ABUSING LAWYERS (Published 1985) |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |url-status=live |access-date=2021-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524165848/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |archive-date=2015-05-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> were [[Zorro Aguilar]], [[Romraflo Taojo]], and Crisostomo Cailing, all of whom have since been honored by having their names inscribed on the wall of remembrance at the Philippines' [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]], which honors the martyrs and heroes who fought against the Marcos' authoritarian rule.<ref>http://www.bantayog.org/martyrs-heroes/</ref>

===1990s===
{{See also|Kuratong Baleleng}}
Kuratong Baleleng was once the largest syndicate in the country when the national crime rate was at its peak.<ref>{{Cite web|last=De Guzman|first=Naica|title=Most Wanted: Kuratong Baleleng Gang|url= https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/kuratong-baleleng-parojinog-a1729-20180918-lfrm3|date=2018-09-18|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> FLAG later became the chief prosecutor in the 1995 [[Kuratong Baleleng]] rubout case. At that time, eleven members of the organized syndicate Kuratong Baleleng were killed by the forces of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, led by then-police officer [[Panfilo Lacson]]. FLAG prosecuted 27 police officers involved in this case at the [[Regional Trial Court|Quezon City Regional Trial Court]] but to no avail.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/285090/news/nation/sc-upholds-dismissal-of-lacson-s-kuratong-baleleng-case|title=SC upholds dismissal of Lacson's Kuratong Baleleng case|date=December 4, 2012|publisher=gmanetwork.com|access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref> FLAG immediately appealed to the High Tribunal to remand the case to the trial court once more in order to present new evidence against Lacson, inter alia. Later on May 2, 2008, the Supreme Court finally resolved to consider the appeal.

Other famous cases include Leo Echegarray v. Secretary of Justice. In this case, the convicted Leo Echegarray was to be sentenced to death. The death penalty had been removed for years but reinstated in the 1990s. This case was to mark the very return of its implementation. Atty. Ted Te and FLAG's continuous pleadings and petitions for reconsideration managed to pave the way for intensive debate against the death penalty, until it was finally abolished in 2006.<Ref>{{Cite web|title=LEO ECHEGARAY, petitioner, vs. SECRETARY OF JUSTICE, ET AL., respondents.|url=https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1999/jan1999/gr_132601_1999.html|date=1999-01-19}}</ref>

===2000s and the Macapagal-Arroyo administration===
{{Main|Presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo}}
{{See also|Second EDSA Revolution|NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|Manila Peninsula siege}}
Atty. Chel Diokno helped prosecute then-President [[Joseph Estrada]] during his impeachment case from 2000 to 2001, which led to the [[Second EDSA Revolution]] that had him ousted and had Vice-president [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] inaugurated as the 14th president. Later on however, former Pres. Arroyo, who was the daughter of the ninth president [[Diosdado Macapagal]], would be involved in a [[NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|corruption scandal]] with Chinese telecom firm [[ZTE]]. Atty. Diokno would aid whistleblower [[Jun Lozada]] as part of his legal counsel during his court hearings against the administration.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

Around the same time in 2007, Atty. Diokno along with fellow FLAG lawyers Ted Te and Ricardo A. Sunga III, petitioned and were granted by the [[Philippine Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] to issue [[Writs of Amparo and Habeas Data|Writs of Amparo]] for leftist activists Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, two brothers who were allegedly tortured by the military under the Arroyo administration.<ref name="amparo">{{Cite news
|last = Panaligan
|first = Rey
|title = Supreme Court, QC RTC issue 1st Writs of Amparo
|newspaper = Manila Bulletin
|publisher = Manila Bulletin
|date = 2007-10-26
|url = http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|access-date = 2011-05-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120825185101/http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|archive-date = 2012-08-25
}}
</ref> FLAG also represented the media in a petition against the [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo|Arroyo administration]]. The case brought together members of [[ABS-CBN Corporation|ABS-CBN]], the [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]], Probe Productions, [[Newsbreak]], and the [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism]], among others for allegedly being rounded up for their "illegal" coverage of the [[Manila Peninsula siege|Manila Peninsula Siege]] that tried to force the president to resign.<ref name="mediavsarroyo">{{Cite news
|last = Jimenez-David
|first = Rina
|title = Who’s publicity-hungry?
|newspaper = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|publisher = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|date = 2008-01-29
|url = http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|access-date = 2020-10-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120326173919/http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|archive-date = 2012-03-26
}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=17 of 50 Journalists rounded up from The Pen released|url=http://www.gmanews.tv/story/70787/17-of-50-journalists-rounded-up-from-The-Pen-released|publisher=GMA News | date = 2007-11-29 | access-date = 2010-10-15}}</ref>

Pres. Arroyo would leave office with record-low approval ratings and was later imprisoned during the administration of the 15th President, [[Benigno Aquino III]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=David|title=Corruption was Gloria's biggest mistake: survey|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/08/04/10/corruption-was-glorias-biggest-mistake-survey|date=2010-08-04}}</ref>

===Legal battles with the Duterte administration===
{{Main|Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020}}
{{See also|Philippine drug war}}
[[File:TañadaPimentelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20181130Alternativity.jpg|thumb|Atty. [[Wigberto Tañada]], former Sen. [[Nene Pimentel]], and Atty. [[Chel Diokno]] at the 2018 Honoring of Martyrs and Heroes at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani on 30 November 2018]]
In 2017, FLAG lawyers Atty. Chel Diokno, Atty. Arno Sanidad, and former president of the [[Philippine Health Insurance Corporation]] (PhilHealth) Atty. Alexander Padilla became the legal counsel of retired police officer SPO3 Arturo Lascañas, a former officer of Duterte's [[Davao Death Squad]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-24}}</ref> Lascañas admitted to the court that he had to kill 300 civilians under Duterte, then the mayor of [[Davao City]]. The participation of FLAG in Lascañas's affidavit helped create credibility and exposed much of the controversial dealings concurrently happening in Davao City under the Duterte political family's watch. The case and its resulting revelation of Duterte's crimes became renowned through headlines all over top media groups around the world, which was brought to the attention of the [[International Criminal Court]] (ICC).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=Nikko|title=FLAG lawyers heighten Lascañas’ credibility – opposition solon|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873616/flag-lawyers-heighten-lascanas-credibility-opposition-solon|date=2017-02-21|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref>

In 2020, Atty. Diokno protested against the passing of the [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|Anti-Terror Law]], which was approved by the 16th President, [[Rodrigo Duterte]]. This would arrest those who are deemed terrorists by the government. Atty. Diokno quipped that not just terrorists would be arrested from this law but possibly any protestor could be harmed. He then questioned the Supreme Court on this decision.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title='Lawyers should strike' to demand Supreme Court actions vs abuses|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-should-strike-demand-supreme-court-actions-abuses|date=2021-03-09}}</ref> On July 23, FLAG, together with fellow columnists, statesmen, and political detainees issued the legal challenge G.R. No. 252741 against Anti-Terror Council member and Duterte's Executive Secretary [[Salvador Medialdea]] on the grounds and rationality of the signed law. Among the provisions in the law being questioned were Section 29 on detention without judicial warrant of arrest in which a suspect can be arrested even without a warrant of arrest and detained for up to 24 days. This has been compared to the time when [[History of the Philippines under Ferdinand Marcos|soon-to-be-ousted President Ferdinand Marcos]] removed the writ of habeas corpus in 1971. This has led to arrests without reason or without warrant, and has incited massive protests in the process.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno to question Anti-Terror law before Supreme Court|url=https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/human-rights-lawyer-chel-diokno-to-question-anti-terror-law-before-supreme-court/ar-BB16j0J5|access-date=2020-09-12}}</ref>

The Anti-Terror law has been denounced as being too vague and therefore very dangerous in its potential for wide-scale abuse.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Half of lawyer killings since 2016 were work-related – FLAG|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/half-lawyer-killings-since-2016-work-related-flag|date=2021-01-21}}</ref> FLAG served as the leader and legal council of the petition, together with at least 14 other early petitions coming from all different sectors: [[Rappler]] and [[Maria Ressa]] (whom FLAG defended a few years prior to the passage of the Anti-Terror Law), the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL), senators such as [[Leila de Lima]] and [[Francis Pangilinan|Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan]], labor groups and activists, and other members of the media and government.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Philippines: Media workers file petitions to reject Anti-Terror Law|url=https://www.ifj.org/es/centro-de-medios/noticias/detalle/category/press-releases/article/philippines-media-workers-file-petitions-to-reject-anti-terror-law.html|date=2020-07-23|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref> The extrajudicial killings have risen after the law was made official. After a few years into the Duterte administration, it has been reported that at least 61 lawyers have also been slain by police forces, which means that far more lawyers have been killed than in any previous presidential administration.<ref>{{Cite web|title=61 lawyers killed since Duterte assumed office in 2016, says group|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/11/21/61-lawyers-killed-since-duterte-assumed-office-in-2016-says-group|date=2021-03-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG report found almost half of lawyers killed linked to legal practice|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/03/11/2083558/flag-report-found-almost-half-lawyers-killed-linked-legal-practice|date=2021-03-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Lawyers killed: 61 under Duterte, 49 from Marcos to Aquino|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-killed-duterte-marcos-aquino-administrations-data-studies|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Conde|first=Carlos H.|title=Record High Killing of Philippine Lawyers|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/15/record-high-killing-philippine-lawyers|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Navallo|first=Mike|title=More lawyers killed during Duterte admin than under previous 6 presidents combined - study|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/15/21/more-lawyers-killed-during-duterte-admin-than-under-previous-6-presidents-combined-study|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=61 legal practitioners killed since 2016, zero convictions – lawyers’ group|url=https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/10/lawyers-killed-duterte-administration.html|date=2021-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG expresses concern over 61 lawyers killed since 2016|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/779980/flag-expresses-concern-over-61-lawyers-killed-since-2016/story/|date=2021-03-17}}</ref> In fact based on FLAG data, this statistic is still much larger than the preceding six administrations starting the Marcos dictatorship.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Santos|first=Tina G.|title=NUPL seeks UN help as more PH lawyers killed|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1407423/nupl-seeks-un-help-as-more-ph-lawyers-killed|date=2021-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=FLAG goes to Supreme Court to free ex-NPA chief Salas|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/flag-petition-supreme-court-free-ex-npa-chief|date=February 2020}}</ref>

==Functions and organization==
[[File:FvfBantayogBayani0100 15.JPG|thumb|300 px|right|FLAG founders and human rights activists [[Jose W. Diokno|Atty. Jose W. Diokno]] and [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Atty. Lorenzo M. Tañada]] at the [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]]]

===Purpose===
Among the main objectives of FLAG are:
# To promote civil and political rights through activism
# Handle cases of the urban poor, indigenous peoples, workers, students, NPA members, and other disenfranchised sectors of Philippine society
# To encourage developmental legal advocacy which may remedy injustice not merely by enforcing the law, but also by changing the law and underlying social structures that perpetrate or sustain injustice and inhibit development

===Organization===
[[File:Jose W. Diokno.png|thumb|left|[[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]]]
The law firm and [[Non-governmental organization|non-governmental organization (NGO)]] is headed by its chairman. The current chairman is Atty. Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno. Assisting the chairman is the secretary-general. The incumbent secretary-general is Atty. Maria Socorro "Cookie" Diokno, who was the former chairman of the [[National Historical Commission of the Philippines|National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG lawyers share selfie with ‘unwelcome’ UN expert|url=https://abogado.com.ph/flag-lawyers-share-selfie-with-unwelcome-un-expert/|date=2017-05-08|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> For regional cases, the regional coordinator helps in communications and managing the different logistics throughout several districts and cities. The present Manila regional coordinator is Atty. Ted Te.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> Mary Kathryn Sison is the network coordinator in charge of monitoring oversights in [[Metro Manila]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG)|url=https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/|date=2018|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

===ESC Rights Program===
In 1993, FLAG created the Economic, Social, and Cultural (ESC) Rights Program to properly design a framework that would government accountability over human suffering violations regarding ESC rights. The objective of the FLAG program serves to ultimately create a suitable Philippine system thay may also serve as a model for other developing countries with numerous human rights violations springing from socioeconomic causes. Countries that have been studied and formally addressed by FLAG include [[Thailand]], different [[Southeast Asia|Southeast Asian countries]], and parts of [[Africa]]. Within its ESC Rights Program, FLAG has established two technical core groups, one on the right to housing and the on the right to education. Each group consists of academicians and representatives of NGOs and public organizations, development organizations, professional associations, industries, and selected government departments. Consultations between the two working groups are promoted to share results, seek confirmation, resolve conflicts, and integrate work output. FLAG has established other right-specific working groups since that time, such as the right to health and food, beginning the last quarter of 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> The core functions of the ESC Rights Program are:
# To define the rights of survival in terms of their core content
# To develop legal standards for the rights of survival
# If the rights of survival are, realizable imperatives rather than development objectives, the working groups must lay out clear and precise state obligations under these rights
# Given the establishment of standards and obligations, indicators need to be developed so that systematic monitoring can take place
# For working groups to delineate and outline ways to make the rights of survival legally enforceable and justiciable

== Other Notable Members==
[[File:Justice Marvic MVF Leonen official portrait.jpg|thumb|right|Marvin Leonen, Supreme Court Justice and Human Rights Jurist]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]], senator
* [[David Bueno]], martial law activist and martyr
* [http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp Rosario "Chato" Olivas-Gallo], DLSU College of Law vice-dean and children's rights activist
* [[Marvic Leonen]], the youngest [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines|Supreme Court Justice]] since WWII and [[University of the Philippines College of Law|University of the Philippines Law Dean]]
* [https://politics.com.ph/tag/atty-arno-sanidad/ Arno Sanidad], law professor and member of the [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]]
* [[Erin Tañada]], congressman
* [[Quezon City's 6th congressional district#Representation history|Kit Belmonte]], congressman
* [https://r3.rappler.com/previous-articles?filterMeta=Ted%20Te Theodore O. "Ted" Te], Supreme Court spokesperson<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|date=2018-09-03|title=Spokesman Ted Te resigns from Supreme Court|url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/210999-supreme-court-spokesman-theodore-te-resigns|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en}}</ref> who represented journalist and [[Time Person of the Year]] [[Maria Ressa]] in her [[Maria Ressa cyberlibel case|cyberlibel case]] against the [[Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte|Rodrigo Duterte Administration]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Board of Advisers|url=http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref> The Duterte administration has been compared to the Ferdinand Marcos administration for similar human rights abuses, and FLAG again leads the opposition in calling for justice and restitution for the oppressed.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG lawyer: No place in imperfect justice system for 'absolute' punishments like death penalty|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/09/16/2042884/flag-lawyer-no-place-imperfect-justice-system-absolute-punishments-death-penalty|date=2020-09-16|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-15|title=Court convicts Rappler CEO Ressa in cyberlibel case|url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/6/15/maria-ressa-rappler-conviction.html|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[CNN Philippines]]|language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]
* [[Chel Diokno]]
* [[David Bueno]]
* [[Lorenzo Tañada]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]]
* [[Joker Arroyo]]
* [[Legal aid|Developmental Legal Aid]]
* [[People of the Philippines v. Santos, Ressa and Rappler]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://flagfaqs.blogspot.de/ official website]
* [https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/ Namati: Flag Network]

[[Category:Human rights organizations based in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Jose W. Diokno]]

Free Legal Assistance Group

2021-07-20T10:27:33Z

112.205.1.155:

{{Infobox organization
| name = FLAG
| image = [[File:ChelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20190223Alternativity.jpg|260 px|FLAG chairman Atty. Chel Diokno at a commemoration of [[Martial Law (Philippines)|martial law]] victims and human rights activists]]
| image_size =
| caption = FLAG chairman [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Chel Diokno]] at a commemoration of [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law]] victims and human rights activists
| logo =
| logo_size =
| logo_alt =
| logo_caption =
| abbreviation = FLAG
| formation = {{start date and age|1974}}
| founder = [[Joker Arroyo]] [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]] [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]
| founding_location =
| type = Non-profit lawyers organization, Human rights law firm
| tax_id = 
| registration_id = 
| purpose = [[Human rights]]
| headquarters = [[Quezon City, Philippines]]
| location = Philippines
| coords = 
| region = Nationwide
| services = Pro-bono legal service
| products = Advocacy, Representation, Advice
| methods = Developmental legal advocacy
| fields = [[Human rights]], [[Civil rights]]
| language = English/Filipino
| leader_title = Chairman
| leader_name = [[Chel Diokno|Atty. Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno]]
| leader_title2 = Secretary-General
| leader_name2 = Atty. Maria Socorro I. "Cookie" Diokno
| leader_title3 = Deputy Secretary-General
| leader_name3 = Atty. Arno Sanidad
| leader_title4 = Regional Coordinator of FLAG Metro Manila
| leader_name4 = Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te
| affiliations = [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]] [[Commission on Human Rights|Commission on Human Rights (CHR)]] [[Amnesty International]] [[Human Rights Watch|Human Rights Watch (HRW)]] [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism|Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ)]] National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL)
| website = 
}}

The '''Free Legal Assistance Group''' ('''FLAG''') is the largest and oldest organization pertaining to [[human rights]] and human rights lawyers in the [[Philippines]].<ref name="BantayogProfileDioknoJoseW">{{Cite web|date=2015-10-15|title=Heroes and Martyrs: Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805030611/http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|archive-date=2017-08-05|access-date=2019-07-21|website=[[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="Medina20170221">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |title=IN THE KNOW: FLAG |last=Medina |first=Marielle |date=21 February 2017 |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224124734/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873563/in-the-know-flag |archive-date=2017-02-24 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> FLAG handled over ninety percent of human rights cases during [[Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos|martial law and the authoritarian regime]] in 1974-1986 and continues to have a significant impact today.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|date=2017-02-20|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/162022-free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en|quote=Founded in 1974 by the late senators Jose W. Diokno, Lorenzo Tañada Sr, and Joker Arroyo, FLAG provided free legal services to victims of martial law during the Marcos years, and still leads the call in aiding human rights victims nationwide}}</ref>

FLAG has taken the lead in prosecuting abusive military and policemen and demanding accountability from the government. The groups' efforts have led to landmark legislations in habeas corpus. FLAG also questioned, in appropriate cases, the Supreme Court and the constitutionality of the death penalty and the Visiting Forces Agreement, among many others. Among its many advocacies are stopping political repression, military and police abuses, and capital punishment. It works on countering varied abuses of human rights and [[civil liberties]].

Its current chair is [[Human rights lawyer|human rights attorney]] [[Chel Diokno]],<ref name="PatriciaDeniseChiu20190405">{{Cite news |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |title=Unique killings, same language, lawyers say of drug war reports |last=Chiu |first=Patricia Denise M. |work=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |access-date=2019-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404232824/https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1103440/unique-killings-same-language-lawyers-say-of-drug-war-reports |archive-date=2019-04-04 |url-status=live |language=en}}</ref> the founding dean of the [[De La Salle University College of Law|De La Salle University (DLSU) College of Law]]. Notable past members include former Sen. [[Rene Saguisag]] and martial law hero [[David Bueno]]. Some of the current noteworthy FLAG lawyers are DLSU College of Law vice-dean and children's rights activist Rosario "Chato" Olivas-Gallo, [[Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines|Supreme Court Justice]] [[Marvic Leonen]], law professor and member of the [[Human rights in Asia#Southeast Asia|Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia]] Arno Sanidad, former Rep. [[Erin Tañada]], Rep. [[Quezon City's 6th congressional district#Representation history|Kit Belmonte]], and former Supreme Court spokesperson<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|date=2018-09-03|title=Spokesman Ted Te resigns from Supreme Court|url=http://www.rappler.com/nation/210999-supreme-court-spokesman-theodore-te-resigns|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[Rappler]]|language=en}}</ref> Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te, who represented journalist and [[Time Person of the Year]] [[Maria Ressa]] in her [[Maria Ressa cyberlibel case|cyberlibel case]] against the [[Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte|Rodrigo Duterte Administration]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Board of Advisers|url=http://law.dlsu.edu.ph/about/faculty.asp|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref> The Duterte administration has been compared to the Ferdinand Marcos administration for similar human rights abuses, and FLAG again leads the opposition in calling for justice and restitution for the oppressed.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG lawyer: No place in imperfect justice system for 'absolute' punishments like death penalty|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/09/16/2042884/flag-lawyer-no-place-imperfect-justice-system-absolute-punishments-death-penalty|date=2020-09-16|access-date=2020-10-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-15|title=Court convicts Rappler CEO Ressa in cyberlibel case|url=https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/6/15/maria-ressa-rappler-conviction.html|access-date=2020-06-18|website=[[CNN Philippines]]|language=en}}</ref>

The services provided by this institution are generally carried out pro-bono. In fact, it is due to FLAG's innovative use of [[Legal aid|developmental legal aid or free legal assistance]] that it grew in popularity and has allowed for the passage of a new law, requiring newly sworn-in lawyers to conduct community legal aid service for a specified amount of time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore|title=[ANALYSIS {{!}} Deep Dive] Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-14}}</ref>

==History==
===Martial law and early years===
{{Main|Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship}}
{{See also|Human rights in the Philippines}}
[[File:Lorenzo Tanada portrait.jpg|thumb|left|FLAG co-founder Atty. Lorenzo Tañada]]
FLAG was founded in 1974 by [[Jose Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=DIOKNO, Jose W.|url=http://www.bantayog.org/diokno-jose-w/|date=2015-10-15|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> [[Lorenzo Tañada|Sen. Lorenzo M. Tañada]]<ref>{{Cite book|last=Clarke|first=Gerard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=044qBgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&q=FLAG&hl=en|title=The Politics of NGOs in Southeast Asia: Participation and Protest in the Philippines|date=2006-05-17|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-69535-5|pages=168–169, 173|language=en}}</ref> and Atty. [[Joker Arroyo]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-10-07|title=Remembering Joker Arroyo|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/728691/remembering-joker-arroyo|access-date=2019-07-24|website=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]|language=en}}</ref> during the [[Martial law in the Philippines|martial law era]] under the infamous ex-[[President of the Philippines|President]] [[Ferdinand Marcos]]. After Diokno was released from prison at [[Fort Bonifacio]], he immediately thought of creating a law firm that would support human rights victims through a new and innovative method called developmental legal aid, which he even promoted further by giving allowances to clients without any financial means. FLAG has defended farmers, similar victims of agrarian reform, and activists who were victims of paramilitary abuses.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Survey of Private Legal Practitioners to Monitor Access to Justice by the Disadvantaged|url=https://www.ombudsman.gov.ph/UNDP4/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/PLP_Final.pdf|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

According to Atty. Ted Te, the popularization of developmental legal aid at this time eventually laid the foundations for the passing of new laws, particularly the Community Legal Aid Service (CLAS) Rule. The CLAS Rule requires those who have passed the bar and signed the Roll of Attorneys in any particular year after the Rule's effectivity – but specifically, those who passed the [[Philippine Bar Examination|2017 Bar examinations]] and beyond, and were subsequently admitted to the bar – to render 120 hours of legal service. This must be done within their first year of admission to the bar or else they will risk receiving sanctions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Te|first=Theodore O.|title=(ANALYSIS-Deep Dive) Community legal aid service: Too much, too soon?|url=https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/analysis-deep-dive-community-legal-aid-service-too-much-soon|date=2018-12-20|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref> At the height of martial law, the FLAG firm led by Atty. Diokno, who is called the father of human rights, handled over 90 percent of human rights cases in the country, documenting torture, summary executions, and [[Human rights abuses of the Marcos dictatorship|other abuses during that period]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Diokno, Jose W.|url=http://www.dlsaa.com/honors-and-awards/awardees/diokno-jose-w|date=2005|access-date=2020-10-16}}</ref>

This sometimes placed lawyers working with FLAG at risk. Among the FLAG lawyers murdered during the dictatorship<ref name="NYTFLAGmurders">{{Cite news |last=Margolick |first=David |last2=Times |first2=Special To the New York |date=1985-07-11 |title=BAR GROUP ASSAILS PHILIPPINES AS ABUSING LAWYERS (Published 1985) |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |url-status=live |access-date=2021-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524165848/http://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/11/world/bar-group-assails-philippines-as-abusing-lawyers.html |archive-date=2015-05-24 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> were [[Zorro Aguilar]], [[Romraflo Taojo]], and Crisostomo Cailing, all of whom have since been honored by having their names inscribed on the wall of remembrance at the Philippines' [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]], which honors the martyrs and heroes who fought against the Marcos' authoritarian rule.<ref>http://www.bantayog.org/martyrs-heroes/</ref>

===1990s===
{{See also|Kuratong Baleleng}}
Kuratong Baleleng was once the largest syndicate in the country when the national crime rate was at its peak.<ref>{{Cite web|last=De Guzman|first=Naica|title=Most Wanted: Kuratong Baleleng Gang|url= https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/kuratong-baleleng-parojinog-a1729-20180918-lfrm3|date=2018-09-18|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> FLAG later became the chief prosecutor in the 1995 [[Kuratong Baleleng]] rubout case. At that time, eleven members of the organized syndicate Kuratong Baleleng were killed by the forces of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission, led by then-police officer [[Panfilo Lacson]]. FLAG prosecuted 27 police officers involved in this case at the [[Regional Trial Court|Quezon City Regional Trial Court]] but to no avail.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/285090/news/nation/sc-upholds-dismissal-of-lacson-s-kuratong-baleleng-case|title=SC upholds dismissal of Lacson's Kuratong Baleleng case|date=December 4, 2012|publisher=gmanetwork.com|access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref> FLAG immediately appealed to the High Tribunal to remand the case to the trial court once more in order to present new evidence against Lacson, inter alia. Later on May 2, 2008, the Supreme Court finally resolved to consider the appeal.

===2000s and the Macapagal-Arroyo administration===
{{Main|Presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo}}
{{See also|Second EDSA Revolution|NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|Manila Peninsula siege}}
Atty. Chel Diokno helped prosecute then-President [[Joseph Estrada]] during his impeachment case from 2000 to 2001, which led to the [[Second EDSA Revolution]] that had him ousted and had Vice-president [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] inaugurated as the 14th president. Later on however, former Pres. Arroyo, who was the daughter of the ninth president [[Diosdado Macapagal]], would be involved in a [[NBN–ZTE deal corruption scandal|corruption scandal]] with Chinese telecom firm [[ZTE]]. Atty. Diokno would aid whistleblower [[Jun Lozada]] as part of his legal counsel during his court hearings against the administration.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

Around the same time in 2007, Atty. Diokno along with fellow FLAG lawyers Ted Te and Ricardo A. Sunga III, petitioned and were granted by the [[Philippine Supreme Court|Supreme Court]] to issue [[Writs of Amparo and Habeas Data|Writs of Amparo]] for leftist activists Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo, two brothers who were allegedly tortured by the military under the Arroyo administration.<ref name="amparo">{{Cite news
|last = Panaligan
|first = Rey
|title = Supreme Court, QC RTC issue 1st Writs of Amparo
|newspaper = Manila Bulletin
|publisher = Manila Bulletin
|date = 2007-10-26
|url = http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|access-date = 2011-05-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120825185101/http://www.mb.com.ph/node/41585
|archive-date = 2012-08-25
}}
</ref> FLAG also represented the media in a petition against the [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo|Arroyo administration]]. The case brought together members of [[ABS-CBN Corporation|ABS-CBN]], the [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]], Probe Productions, [[Newsbreak]], and the [[Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism]], among others for allegedly being rounded up for their "illegal" coverage of the [[Manila Peninsula siege|Manila Peninsula Siege]] that tried to force the president to resign.<ref name="mediavsarroyo">{{Cite news
|last = Jimenez-David
|first = Rina
|title = Who’s publicity-hungry?
|newspaper = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|publisher = Philippine Daily Inquirer
|date = 2008-01-29
|url = http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|access-date = 2020-10-15
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120326173919/http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view/20080129-115614/Whos-publicity-hungry
|archive-date = 2012-03-26
}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=17 of 50 Journalists rounded up from The Pen released|url=http://www.gmanews.tv/story/70787/17-of-50-journalists-rounded-up-from-The-Pen-released|publisher=GMA News | date = 2007-11-29 | access-date = 2010-10-15}}</ref>

Pres. Arroyo would leave office with record-low approval ratings and was later imprisoned during the administration of the 15th President, [[Benigno Aquino III]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=David|title=Corruption was Gloria's biggest mistake: survey|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/nation/08/04/10/corruption-was-glorias-biggest-mistake-survey|date=2010-08-04}}</ref>

===Legal battles with the Duterte administration===
{{Main|Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020}}
{{See also|Philippine drug war}}
[[File:TañadaPimentelDioknoBantayogngmgaBayani20181130Alternativity.jpg|thumb|Atty. [[Wigberto Tañada]], former Sen. [[Nene Pimentel]], and Atty. [[Chel Diokno]] at the 2018 Honoring of Martyrs and Heroes at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani on 30 November 2018]]
In 2017, FLAG lawyers Atty. Chel Diokno, Atty. Arno Sanidad, and former president of the [[Philippine Health Insurance Corporation]] (PhilHealth) Atty. Alexander Padilla became the legal counsel of retired police officer SPO3 Arturo Lascañas, a former officer of Duterte's [[Davao Death Squad]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Francisco|first=Katerina|title=Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers|url=https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/free-legal-assistance-group-lawyers-lascanas|date=2017-02-20|access-date=2020-10-24}}</ref> Lascañas admitted to the court that he had to kill 300 civilians under Duterte, then the mayor of [[Davao City]]. The participation of FLAG in Lascañas's affidavit helped create credibility and exposed much of the controversial dealings concurrently happening in Davao City under the Duterte political family's watch. The case and its resulting revelation of Duterte's crimes became renowned through headlines all over top media groups around the world, which was brought to the attention of the [[International Criminal Court]] (ICC).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dizon|first=Nikko|title=FLAG lawyers heighten Lascañas’ credibility – opposition solon|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/873616/flag-lawyers-heighten-lascanas-credibility-opposition-solon|date=2017-02-21|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref>

In 2020, Atty. Diokno protested against the passing of the [[Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020|Anti-Terror Law]], which was approved by the 16th President, [[Rodrigo Duterte]]. This would arrest those who are deemed terrorists by the government. Atty. Diokno quipped that not just terrorists would be arrested from this law but possibly any protestor could be harmed. He then questioned the Supreme Court on this decision.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title='Lawyers should strike' to demand Supreme Court actions vs abuses|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-should-strike-demand-supreme-court-actions-abuses|date=2021-03-09}}</ref> On July 23, FLAG, together with fellow columnists, statesmen, and political detainees issued the legal challenge G.R. No. 252741 against Anti-Terror Council member and Duterte's Executive Secretary [[Salvador Medialdea]] on the grounds and rationality of the signed law. Among the provisions in the law being questioned were Section 29 on detention without judicial warrant of arrest in which a suspect can be arrested even without a warrant of arrest and detained for up to 24 days. This has been compared to the time when [[History of the Philippines under Ferdinand Marcos|soon-to-be-ousted President Ferdinand Marcos]] removed the writ of habeas corpus in 1971. This has led to arrests without reason or without warrant, and has incited massive protests in the process.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno to question Anti-Terror law before Supreme Court|url=https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/human-rights-lawyer-chel-diokno-to-question-anti-terror-law-before-supreme-court/ar-BB16j0J5|access-date=2020-09-12}}</ref>

The Anti-Terror law has been denounced as being too vague and therefore very dangerous in its potential for wide-scale abuse.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Half of lawyer killings since 2016 were work-related – FLAG|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/half-lawyer-killings-since-2016-work-related-flag|date=2021-01-21}}</ref> FLAG served as the leader and legal council of the petition, together with at least 14 other early petitions coming from all different sectors: [[Rappler]] and [[Maria Ressa]] (whom FLAG defended a few years prior to the passage of the Anti-Terror Law), the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL), senators such as [[Leila de Lima]] and [[Francis Pangilinan|Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan]], labor groups and activists, and other members of the media and government.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Philippines: Media workers file petitions to reject Anti-Terror Law|url=https://www.ifj.org/es/centro-de-medios/noticias/detalle/category/press-releases/article/philippines-media-workers-file-petitions-to-reject-anti-terror-law.html|date=2020-07-23|access-date=2020-10-25}}</ref> The extrajudicial killings have risen after the law was made official. After a few years into the Duterte administration, it has been reported that at least 61 lawyers have also been slain by police forces, which means that far more lawyers have been killed than in any previous presidential administration.<ref>{{Cite web|title=61 lawyers killed since Duterte assumed office in 2016, says group|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/11/21/61-lawyers-killed-since-duterte-assumed-office-in-2016-says-group|date=2021-03-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Patag|first=Kristine Joy|title=FLAG report found almost half of lawyers killed linked to legal practice|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/03/11/2083558/flag-report-found-almost-half-lawyers-killed-linked-legal-practice|date=2021-03-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Lawyers killed: 61 under Duterte, 49 from Marcos to Aquino|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/lawyers-killed-duterte-marcos-aquino-administrations-data-studies|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Conde|first=Carlos H.|title=Record High Killing of Philippine Lawyers|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2021/03/15/record-high-killing-philippine-lawyers|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Navallo|first=Mike|title=More lawyers killed during Duterte admin than under previous 6 presidents combined - study|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/15/21/more-lawyers-killed-during-duterte-admin-than-under-previous-6-presidents-combined-study|date=2021-03-15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=61 legal practitioners killed since 2016, zero convictions – lawyers’ group|url=https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/10/lawyers-killed-duterte-administration.html|date=2021-03-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG expresses concern over 61 lawyers killed since 2016|url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/779980/flag-expresses-concern-over-61-lawyers-killed-since-2016/story/|date=2021-03-17}}</ref> In fact based on FLAG data, this statistic is still much larger than the preceding six administrations starting the Marcos dictatorship.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Santos|first=Tina G.|title=NUPL seeks UN help as more PH lawyers killed|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1407423/nupl-seeks-un-help-as-more-ph-lawyers-killed|date=2021-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=FLAG goes to Supreme Court to free ex-NPA chief Salas|url=https://www.rappler.com/nation/flag-petition-supreme-court-free-ex-npa-chief|date=February 2020}}</ref>

==Functions and organization==
[[File:FvfBantayogBayani0100 15.JPG|thumb|300 px|right|FLAG founders and human rights activists [[Jose W. Diokno|Atty. Jose W. Diokno]] and [[Lorenzo M. Tañada|Atty. Lorenzo M. Tañada]] at the [[Bantayog ng mga Bayani]]]]

===Purpose===
Among the main objectives of FLAG are:
# To promote civil and political rights through activism
# Handle cases of the urban poor, indigenous peoples, workers, students, NPA members, and other disenfranchised sectors of Philippine society
# To encourage developmental legal advocacy which may remedy injustice not merely by enforcing the law, but also by changing the law and underlying social structures that perpetrate or sustain injustice and inhibit development

===Organization===
[[File:Jose W. Diokno.png|thumb|left|[[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]]]
The law firm and [[Non-governmental organization|non-governmental organization (NGO)]] is headed by its chairman. The current chairman is Atty. Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno. Assisting the chairman is the secretary-general. The incumbent secretary-general is Atty. Maria Socorro "Cookie" Diokno, who was the former chairman of the [[National Historical Commission of the Philippines|National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=FLAG lawyers share selfie with ‘unwelcome’ UN expert|url=https://abogado.com.ph/flag-lawyers-share-selfie-with-unwelcome-un-expert/|date=2017-05-08|access-date=2020-10-17}}</ref> For regional cases, the regional coordinator helps in communications and managing the different logistics throughout several districts and cities. The present Manila regional coordinator is Atty. Ted Te.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> Mary Kathryn Sison is the network coordinator in charge of monitoring oversights in [[Metro Manila]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG)|url=https://namati.org/network/organization/free-legal-assistance-group-flag/|date=2018|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref>

===ESC Rights Program===
In 1993, FLAG created the Economic, Social, and Cultural (ESC) Rights Program to properly design a framework that would government accountability over human suffering violations regarding ESC rights. The objective of the FLAG program serves to ultimately create a suitable Philippine system thay may also serve as a model for other developing countries with numerous human rights violations springing from socioeconomic causes. Countries that have been studied and formally addressed by FLAG include [[Thailand]], different [[Southeast Asia|Southeast Asian countries]], and parts of [[Africa]]. Within its ESC Rights Program, FLAG has established two technical core groups, one on the right to housing and the on the right to education. Each group consists of academicians and representatives of NGOs and public organizations, development organizations, professional associations, industries, and selected government departments. Consultations between the two working groups are promoted to share results, seek confirmation, resolve conflicts, and integrate work output. FLAG has established other right-specific working groups since that time, such as the right to health and food, beginning the last quarter of 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Assessing Survival Rights:A New Initiative of the Free Legal Assistance Group in the Philippines Human Rights|url=https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/publications/archive/dialogue/1_10/articles/579|date=1997-09-05|access-date=2020-10-15}}</ref> The core functions of the ESC Rights Program are:
# To define the rights of survival in terms of their core content
# To develop legal standards for the rights of survival
# If the rights of survival are, realizable imperatives rather than development objectives, the working groups must lay out clear and precise state obligations under these rights
# Given the establishment of standards and obligations, indicators need to be developed so that systematic monitoring can take place
# For working groups to delineate and outline ways to make the rights of survival legally enforceable and justiciable

== See also ==
* [[Jose W. Diokno|Sen. Jose W. Diokno]]
* [[Chel Diokno]]
* [[David Bueno]]
* [[Lorenzo Tañada]]
* [[Rene Saguisag]]
* [[Joker Arroyo]]
* [[Legal aid|Developmental Legal Aid]]
* [[People of the Philippines v. Santos, Ressa and Rappler]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://flagfaqs.blogspot.de/ official website]

[[Category:Human rights organizations based in the Philippines]]
[[Category:Jose W. Diokno]]