Victims, lawyers outraged as Duterte gets IBP award

Human rights lawyers said that while the award criteria may be objective, the timing and choice of Duterte as awardee are morally and ethically problematic.

By Dulce Amor Rodriguez
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – When the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) conferred its Golden Pillar of Law Award on former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte, families of drug war victims and human rights lawyers expressed grief, outrage, and concern that the award undermines the rule of law.

Rise Up for Life and for Rights, a group of families of drug-war victims described the recognition as a betrayal of justice. For them, it was as if the legal institution that once promised fairness has now chosen to celebrate impunity.

“There is no honor in a lawyer who spreads unrestrained violence in our country,” the group said in a statement. They said that the award disrespected thousands of families who continue to live in fear and grief after losing loved ones in Duterte’s bloody campaign against illegal drugs.

Honor as an insult

Dahlia Cuartero, whose son was killed during an anti-drug operation, questioned the award, “What is the basis for the IBP’s award? The number of years someone has held a lawyer’s title?” 

“That’s such a shallow measure. What has he contributed to upholding the rule of law? Nothing! If that’s the standard for giving an award, it’s truly disheartening. It only shows that his influence remains strong,” she said in a statement. 

For Jane Lee, whose husband was killed without warrant or trial, the said award echoed Duterte’s infamous slogan. “There is no consideration for the feelings of the thousands of families who lost their loved ones because of the war on drugs. For us, the award given to the former president is a sign of approval [and tolerance] of his statement, ‘Kill, kill, kill!’”

According to Llore Pasco, Duterte’s long record of violence—from the Davao Death Squad to the nationwide Oplan Tokhang—should have disqualified him from receiving any honors.“That’s why this award is an insult to lawyers who serve with integrity and uphold justice above all else,” she said.

Golden Pillar of Law

The Golden Pillar of Law Award is one of the highest distinctions given by the IBP. It is awarded to lawyers who have been in legal practice for at least 50 years and are members in “good standing” (i.e. they have paid their dues, are not under suspension, and have no final disciplinary action), and have no conviction involving moral turpitude.

The award recognizes longevity in the profession, whether in government, judiciary, private practice, or academia, and it is meant to be non-political. According to IBP Davao Chapter, the award is given under objective criteria set by the IBP national office, and meeting eligibility does not amount to endorsing political acts or ideologies.

In 2025’s Law Month Celebration, in Davao alone 27 lawyers, including Duterte, received the award. His legal career began with his passing the bar in 1972, followed by work as prosecutor and in various government functions, which qualifications that, in purely technical terms, met the eligibility standards.

When integrity takes the stand

Human rights lawyers said that while the award criteria may be objective, the timing and choice of Duterte as awardee are morally and ethically problematic. They echoed the families’ grief, condemning what they called a “travesty” of the legal profession.

Lawyer VJ Topacio, a national board member of Hustisya, said that the award makes a mockery of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability. “It is unconscionable to adorn a man whose public record is marred by gross disregard of justice, conscience, and the rule of law with a recognition supposedly reserved for integrity and service.”

Meanwhile, Retired Judge Meinrado Paredes, a recipient of the Golden Pillar Award, returned his plaque as an expression of disappointment and disgust. In a letter to the IBP, he said that Duterte’s rule was characterized by the rule of the gun, not of law, and that he could not share the same recognition with someone with “blood debts.”

“There is no justice and due process if drug suspects are killed like stray dogs in the streets,” Paredes wrote. “I am doing this in solidarity with the victims and their relatives.”

Edre Olalia, chairperson of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) and president of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL), called the decision unbelievable and disgraceful, saying it lionized a leader whose tenure was marked by misogyny, impunity, and the weaponization of law. He was also a recipient of the IBP Human Rights Award (in Luzon) in December 2024. 

Even the University of the Philippines Women Lawyers’ Circle (UP WILOCI) condemned the IBP’s move, calling it utterly unjustifiable. They demanded that the board revoke the award immediately, saying that recognizing FPRRD undermines the integrity of the legal profession and distorts the essence of justice.

IBP’s defense against ethical debate

IBP Communications Director Katrina Mordeno said that the award does not provide legal absolution or moral endorsement. “It merely seeks to recognize a long career in the legal profession.”

In response to public concern, the IBP also said that it will review its recognition protocols to ensure that future honors reflect both integrity of service and fidelity to the ideals of justice.

Critics argue this is not enough. They believe that ethical obligations and human rights records should be part of any award given to members of the bar, especially where allegations before international bodies (like the ICC) exist.

This controversy isn’t only about one award. It’s about what professional honor means in a society still healing from years of alleged extrajudicial killings. For victims, honors like this risk signaling that moral and legal transgressions can be swept aside if one meets formal criteria. For the legal profession, it raises questions: Should recognition be purely technical, or should it also consider public trust, accountability, and justice?

Families of victims, human rights groups, retired judges, and many lawyers say the IBP’s Golden Pillar of Law Award for Duterte is more than just a misstep—it is a moral failure. (AMU, DAA)

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