Rights and legal groups have urged authorities to conduct an independent inquiry into alleged illegal interrogations of youth activists detained during President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.'s fifth State of the Nation Address.
The coalition, which includes the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, the Public Interest Law Center, Sentro Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo, and the Pro-Labor Legal Assistance Center, reports that at least seven detainees were questioned without legal counsel at a Quezon City Police District facility.
According to the coalition, interrogators posing as lawyers from the Commission on Human Rights and the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers used a confidential report to coerce the detainees during questioning.
The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers has denied any affiliation with the individuals who carried out the interrogations.
