The National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) has clarified that Atty. Amando Virgil Ligutan, the private prosecutor in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, is not a member of the group. The clarification came after a Facebook post by former National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson Lorraine Badoy linked Ligutan to NUPL and the group Lumaban, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by the Anti-Terrorism Council.
NUPL Secretary General refutes accusations
NUPL Secretary General and human rights lawyer Kristina Conti strongly denied the allegations. According to Conti, Ligutan is not a member of NUPL, and Badoy's statements are false and defamatory. Conti noted that lawyers handling human rights cases and representing marginalized sectors are often victims of red-tagging.
NUPL's stance on red-tagging
NUPL is a national association of lawyers handling human rights and public interest cases. The group has long denied accusations that it serves as a legal front for communist groups. As of now, Atty. Ligutan has not issued any statement regarding Badoy's allegations.
