NUPL’s page inaccessible after condemning Abra lawyer’s killing
MANILA, Philippines — The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) reported that their official Facebook has been inaccessible since Saturday morning.
This came after the group condemned the recent murder of Abra lawyer, Atty. Maria Saniata Alzate.
According to NUPL, they conducted indignation rallies in Quezon City, Baguio City, and Iloilo City on Thursday, then released their official statement on Friday using the page.
“Right thereafter, the NUPL received reports that its FB page was inaccessible and was unpublished,” NUPL President Atty. Ephraim Cortez said in a statement.
NUPL official page’s contents shared by UP National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers https://www.facebook.com/nupl.uplaw, and the NUPL Adamson Law https://www.facebook.com/NUPLAdamsonLaw were also currently unavailable.
Meanwhile, NUPL assured that they remain “unfazed and undeterred” of the said attack.
“It is NUPL’s fundamental right to freely express its organizational positions and sentiments through various means, including social media. Any attempt to prevent us from doing so is a brazen attack against the organization and its members’ rights to free expression and free association,” said Atty. Cortez.
“If the Facebook blackout’s purpose is to send us a threat, then anybody who is behind it is not only mistaken but at the onset has indubitably failed,” he added.
NUPL also called to the believers of basic freedom to stand with them during these trying times.
“The NUPL will always be the people’s lawyer,” Atty. Cortez concluded.
Alzate was shot dead on Thursday, September 14, in front of her residence in Bangued, Abra.
