A recipient of the prestigious Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Golden Pillar of Law Award has returned the recognition after learning that it was also given to former President Rodrigo Duterte.
In his letter addressed to the IBP, retired judge Meinrado Paredes said his action was not a protest but an expression of disappointment and disgust.
“I do not believe that former President Duterte has upheld the ideals of justice, integrity, and the rule of law. His regime was characterized by the rule of the gun, not of law, as extrajudicial killings and other violations of human rights were rampant,” the letter read.
The Cebuano lawyer thanked the IBP for recognizing his dedicated service to the legal profession but decided to return the plaque to the award committee.
The award is a national recognition given to lawyers who have rendered 50 years or more in the practice of law and have not been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude nor subjected to any final disciplinary action by the IBP or the Supreme Court.
Last week, the IBP conferred the award on Duterte after the latter satisfied each of the group’s criteria, clarifying that it “does not serve as an endorsement of political acts or personal ideologies.”
Paredes said he remains a proud member in good standing of the IBP-Cebu Chapter and hopes his colleagues will understand his personal stand.
“I am doing this in solidarity with the victims and their relatives of human rights violations,” he said.
Duterte, who is charged with crimes against humanity, remains under the custody of the ICC Detention Center in The Hague, The Netherlands, after the court rejected a request from his defense team for interim release on medical grounds.
