NAIS ipa-disbar ng human rights group na Karapatan, ilan pang human rights advocates at religious leaders, at mga kaanak ng mga biktima ng extrajudicial killings si dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte.
Sa inihaing disbarment complaint sa Korte Suprema sinabi ng mga ito na nilabag ni Duterte ang Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA) bilang isang abogado at dahil sa conduct unbecoming a lawyer.
“With Duterte’s invocation of his role as lawyer and prosecutor as some kind of authority in his recent testimony at the hearings at the House of Representatives and the Senate, we believe it is time for victims of human rights violations to speak up. It is time for us to appeal to the Supreme Court to reinforce how the law should work in the Philippines, how the law should shield victims of human rights violations as they seek justice and should ensure dignified and proper conduct in the practice of law,” ayon sa abogadong si Vicente Jaime “VJ” Topacio.
Si Topacio ay anak ng mga consultants ng National Democratic Front of the Philippines na sina Agaton Topacio at Eugenia Magpantay na mga biktima ng extrajudicial killings noong November 2020.
Bukod kay Topacio ang ilan pang mga complainants ay sina Llore Pasco, na ang mga anak na sina Crisanto at Juan Carlos ay napatay noong Oktubre 2017 sa sinasabing anti-drug operation; Liezel Asuncion, byuda ng Bayan-Cavite coordinator Manny Asuncion, na isa sa siyam na aktibistang napatay sa sinasabing Bloody Sunday Massacre noong Marso 7, 2021.
Nagtapos ng abogasya si Duterte sa San Beda College at naging abogado noong 1973. Dati rin siyang prosecutor.
