IBP’S DUTERTE AWARD SPARKS OUTRAGE | FLAG's Ted Te on Why It Insults the Legal Profession
When the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) awarded former President Rodrigo Duterte the “Golden Pillar of the Law Award,” the backlash was immediate and intense. Critics say the move is tone-deaf, given Duterte’s record of human rights violations and the bloody war on drugs.
In this episode of #OpenTalk with Caloy Conde, Atty. Ted Te — former Supreme Court spokesperson and FLAG (Free Legal Assistance Group) secretary general — explains why this award undermines the integrity of the legal profession and sends the wrong message to Filipino lawyers and the public.
Highlights:
– Why the IBP award for Duterte shocked many
-- The IBP’s justification for honoring Duterte
– Should Duterte be emulated as a “pillar of justice”?
-- The controversy surrounding the award’s inscription
– The ethical contradiction of honoring Duterte
-- How the legal community reacted
-- The meaning of the lawyer’s oath and ethical duty
-- The broader impact on justice, rule of law, and human rights in the Philippines
– What this controversy says about the state of justice in PH