FLAG at 50: Upholding justice and empowering the marginalized

As I write this piece, I am attending the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) National Convention at Oracle Hotel and Residences in Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City. The convention, with the theme “Transforming Law and Society”, will run until Sunday and will culminate with the 50th anniversary celebration of FLAG at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani.

As a member and vice president of its Cebu chapter, I would like to extend my greetings to FLAG on its 50th anniversary! FLAG was founded in 1974, at the height of Martial Law, by Senator Jose W. Diokno, together with Senator Lorenzo M. Tañada, Justice Jose Benedicto Luis 'JBL' Reyes, and Senator Joker Arroyo.

I would also like to extend my congratulations to the organizing committee, led by FLAG Chairman Jose Manuel 'Chel' I. Diokno  and FLAG Secretary General Maria Socorro 'Cookie' I. Diokno, who successfully gathered FLAG members, both old and new, from all over the country. Cookie and Dean Chel are the children of FLAG founder Jose W. Diokno.

The largest delegation came from Central Visayas, led by our FLAG Cebu president, Atty. Edmund Lao. FLAG Cebu, I believe, also has the highest number of new and young lawyer-members. This promises a bright future for FLAG’s brand of human rights advocacy and public interest lawyering, inspired and guided in Cebu by FLAG pioneers and senior advisers, Atty. Democrito 'Mocring' Barcenas, Atty. Lourdes Barcenas, Ret. Judge Meinrado 'Menmen' Paredes, among others.

In his keynote address during the welcoming ceremony and dinner last Thursday, Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen spoke about the ongoing challenges the Filipino people face and the need for FLAG lawyers to rise to the occasion. One of the key points I gathered from Justice Leonen’s speech is that FLAG has bravely stood in defense of civil and political rights from the martial law years up to the present day. However, while lawyers from FLAG can contribute to reforms, there are limits to our influence, especially when we approach these reforms from a traditional authoritative position.

Justice Leonen emphasized that lawyers must guard against “false generosity” --when well-meaning efforts to help marginalized or oppressed groups do not truly empower them. Generosity without “conscientization” only perpetuates the unjust social order, addressing symptoms rather than the root causes. Conscientization is “the process by which marginalized groups become aware of their situation and actively participate in their own liberation.” Genuine and lasting reforms occur when people are active participants in their own struggles, rather than passive recipients of charity.

This point reflects the broader struggle for justice --human rights violations tend to self-perpetuate, especially when people feel powerless to pursue justice. The drug war killings, for instance, were a stark manifestation of this disempowerment, where many people acquiesced to violent methods, lured by the false promise of safety and stability in their community life.

But these killings merely perpetuate further injustices by eroding people's trust in the rule of law, replacing it with the rule of force.

In my Human Rights Law class at the University of Cebu School of Law, I always emphasize to my students that human rights violations are self-perpetuating, and the only antidote is justice and accountability. Injustice disrupts the moral and social equilibrium of society. Just as physical laws govern the universe, moral laws also exist, circulating in ways that often manifest in ways beyond ordinary human comprehension, yet their effects are deeply felt.

Injustice inevitably creates ripple effects --be it a disturbed personal conscience, a diminished sense of integrity, social unrest, or even long-term breakdowns in systems and institutions. Those who believe our nation can afford to ignore the consequences of the drug war killings, for example, and other unjust actions misunderstand the unbendable laws of the universe. The "circulating fashion" of moral laws suggests that justice is not always immediate, but it is inevitable.

Lawyers, including members of FLAG, can help facilitate a national conscientization process by holding human rights violators accountable and protecting the rights of our people. Justice not only brings closure to victims and their families but also deters future human rights violations and strengthens our institutions. The road ahead for the Philippines in this regard may be long, but lasting peace and true progress can only be achieved through justice.