National Union of Peoples' Lawyers - Tacloban Law Students

03/05/2026

𝐎𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐠 𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐔𝐏𝐋–𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐚 𝐀𝐫𝐚𝐰 𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐰𝐚: 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐬𝐚 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐧, 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐝, 𝐚𝐭 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐧
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Nakikiisa ang National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL)-Tacloban Law Students Chapter sa libo-libong manggagawa sa bansa sa kanilang pakikibaka para sa dignidad, makatarungang sahod, seguridad sa trabaho, at tunay na kalayaan sa pag-uunyon.
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‎Ang kasaysayan ng kilusang paggawa sa Pilipinas ay kasaysayan ng paglaban. Mula sa mga unang unyon ng mga obrero laban sa kolonyal na pagsasamantala, hanggang sa mga welga laban sa mapaniil na mga kapitalista at mapanupil na estado, ang bawat karapatang tinatamasa ngayon ay hindi regalo kundi bunga ng pakikibaka. Ang walong oras na trabaho, karapatang mag-unyon, collective bargaining, security of tenure, at makataong kondisyon sa paggawa ay pinanday sa lansangan, sa piketlayn, at sa dugo ng mga manggagawa.
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‎Hanggang ngayon, nananatiling malupit ang realidad para sa uring manggagawa: sa NCR, ang minimum wage na Batay sa Ibong Foundation ang ₱645 kada araw na minimum wage ay hindi sapat upang tustusan ang patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng pagkain, pamasahe, upa, at pangunahing serbisyo. Mas matindi ang suliranin sa mga probinsiya katulad ng Eastern Visayas kung saan aabot lamang ng ₱420 ang minimum wage. Napakalayo ng agwat na ito kung ikukumpara naman sa mga ahente ng estado na PNP at AFP na nagpapakasasa sa malaking sahod at mga benepisyo. Ang isang bagong patrolman sa PNP ay may base pay na hindi bababa sa ₱31,151 kada buwan bukod pa sa mga allowance at benepisyo.

Habang ang karaniwang manggagawa ay halos hindi makatawid sa araw-araw na gastusin, mas malaki ang ginagastos ng estado sa mga armadong pwersang madalas ginagamit hindi upang protektahan ang mamamayang Pilipino kundi upang bantayan ang interes ng mga naghaharing uri, supilin ang welga, buwagin ang piketlayn, at patahimikin ang mga lumalaban sa korapsyon at pang-aabuso.

Kung kaya hinihikayat ng NUPL ang lahat na alalahanin natin ang pakikibaka mula sa picketline, sa mga komunidad, sa mga sakahan, sa mga pabrika, sa lansangan, at sa bawat lugar kung saan ang karapatan ay ipinaglalaban laban sa pananakot at dahas. Ang Mayo Uno ay hindi lamang pagdiriwang ito rin ay , paniningil ng hustisya, at panata ng pagpapatuloy ng laban para sa karapatan, dignidad, at katarungan.
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Katulad ng panawagan n para sa hustisya para sa marahas na pagpatay ng Pasistang Rehimeng US-Marcos sa Toboso 19. Hindi dapat mabura sa alaala ang pagkamatay nina RJ Nichole Ledesma, Alyssa Alano, Maureen Keil Santuyo, Errol Wendel Chen, Lyle Prijoles, Kai Dana-Rene Sorem, Roel Sabillo, Jemina Gumadlas, at Dexter Patajo mga pawang sibilyang naging biktima ng madugong karahasan sa Toboso, Negros Occidental dahil sa kanilang mithiing tulungan ang manggagawang lokal ng Negros Occidental
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‎Ang kanilang mga pangalan ay hindi lamang tala ng kamatayan kundi sila ay mga paalala ng isang sistemang patuloy na pumapatay sa mahihirap, sa mga lumalaban, at sa mga humihingi lamang ng katarungan. Ang pananahimik ay pakikipagsabwatan. Ang pag-alala ay isang anyo ng paglaban.
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Hindi natatapos ang ating paninindigan pagkatapos ng Mayo Uno. Malinaw ang ating panawagan:
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Walang tunay na demokrasya kung walang hustisya para sa manggagawa.
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Walang tunay na kaunlaran kung ang lumilikha ng yaman ay nananatiling naghihirap;
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‎At walang tunay na kapayapaan kung ang sigaw para sa karapatan ay patuloy na sinasagot ng dahas.
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‎Mabuhay ang uring manggagawa!
‎Presyo Ibaba!
‎Sahod Itaas!
‎Hustisya para sa Toboso 19.

Photos lifted from Bulatlat
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24/04/2026

OFFICIAL STATEMENT | April 24, 2026

DEFEND NEGROS!

Justice for the 19 killed in Toboso, Negros! Uphold International Humanitarian Law! End the militarization of rural communities!

Katungod Sinirangan Bisayas strongly condemns the inhumane focused military operations conducted by the 79th Infantry Battalion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Brgy. Salamanca, Toboso, Negros Occidental, on April 19. According to initial reports, 19 individuals were killed, and at least 653 residents displaced.

We raise serious concern over the military’s assertion that all 19 individuals were combatants of the New People’s Army. Testimonies from local residents, families, and independent organizations challenge this claim. Among those killed were individuals identified by relatives and colleagues as civilians, including local journalist RJ Ledesma, peasant advocates Errol Wendel and Maureen Santuyo, and student leader Alyssa Alano.

There should be no question as to why civilians were present in these communities. Student leaders, journalists, and community organizers were carrying out legitimate and essential work among the people. Negros has long been battered by poverty, landlessness, injustice, and militarization.

The situation is similar to Eastern Visayas where communities suffer from militarization under Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s counterinsurgency strategy, the National Action Plan for Unity, Peace, and Development; and Memorandum Order No. 32 of the former Duterte administration, which increased military deployment in Negros, Samar, and Bicol. The massacre happened while militarization is intensified in rural areas across the country through the US-Philippines Balikatan war exercises.

The more urgent question is how and why the AFP’s operations resulted in the gruesome massacre of 19 individuals. Claims about the identities of those killed do not remove the obligation to account for the conduct of military operations.

International Humanitarian Law requires strict adherence to the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution in the context of conflict. The scale of the reported deaths raises serious concerns of violations of the IHL and human rights.

Katungod-SB stands in solidarity with the 19 victims and calls for an independent and impartial investigation of the incident, including the reported killings and the forced displacement of residents.

We reiterate our call to end militarization, to abolish the NTF-ELCAC, and to uphold International Humanitarian Law and fundamental human rights.

20/04/2026

ICYMI: From National Union of Peoples' Lawyers

The 43rd Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award belongs to every people's lawyer who ever chose the harder path and to every client who trusted us with their cause.

Our officers speak on what this recognition means, in their own words.

Swipe through. 👇

🔗 rightsreport.org/2026/04/18/nupl-rfk

17/04/2026

I'm thrilled to announce that the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers (NUPL) has been selected as the recipient of the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center 43rd annual Human Rights Award! The NUPL is the Philippines’ largest voluntary association of human rights lawyers, dedicated to defending civil liberties and providing pro bono legal services to victims of politically motivated abuses.

In the face of persecution and personal danger, NUPL members have remained unwavering in their fight to protect human rights and public interest law. Their resilience, resistance, and courage are an inspiration and a roadmap for anyone seeking to fight back against abuses and repression by those in power.

This year's award ceremony will be held on June 4 at 6:00 pm ET at the Kennedy Caucus Room in the Russell Senate Office Building. For more information and to RSVP, please visit: https://rekhrc.org/3OlwV4r

17/04/2026

Mabuhay ang mga abogado ng bayan!

[BREAKING NEWS] NUPL wins prestigious international human rights prize

“Each year, we honor outstanding champions of social justice who stand up to oppression, even at great personal risk, in the nonviolent pursuit of human rights,” the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center said.

https://kodao.org/nupl-wins-prestigious-international-human-rights-prize/

02/04/2026

27/03/2026

23/03/2026

The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers–Tacloban Law Students Chapter recently held a two-day paralegal training with farmers from MASIPAG, bringing together participants from Leyte and Samar.

More than just a training, it became a space for meaningful exchange between legal advocates and farming communities. It affirmed that the law is not confined to courtrooms but is present in the daily struggles and aspirations of the people. For many of the farmers, it was a chance to better understand their rights, especially on issues of land access, agrarian reform, and rural justice.

Equally important is the reminder that anyone can become a paralegal of the people. In many communities where access to formal legal services is limited, grassroots paralegals play a crucial role. Farmers were encouraged to see themselves as defenders of their own rights and of one another, guided not by legal titles but by awareness, courage, and a strong commitment to justice.

For law students, paralegals, and human rights workers, this work carries both responsibility and challenge. It calls us to move beyond classrooms and engage with communities—to listen, learn, and walk alongside the people. The law finds its meaning when it becomes a tool for empowerment, especially for those long pushed to the margins.

In the fields of Leyte and Samar, seeds of legal empowerment have been planted. As these farmers return to their communities, they carry not only knowledge but also a stronger sense of confidence in asserting their rights. This work continues with all of us.