Chel Diokno
Diokno at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani in 2019
Dean of the De La Salle University College of Law
In office
2009–2019
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byVirgilio de los Reyes
Chairman of the Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation
Assumed office
August 30, 2022
Preceded byWigberto Tañada
Chairman of the Free Legal Assistance Group
Assumed office
2003
Personal details
Born
Jose Manuel Tadeo Icasiano Diokno

(1961-02-23) February 23, 1961 (age 62)
Pasay, Rizal, Philippines
Political partyKANP (2021–present)[1]
Other political
affiliations		Independent (2021)[2]
Liberal (2018-2021)[3]
SpouseDivina Aromin-Diokno
RelationsMaris Diokno (sister)
Ramón Diokno (grandfather)
Ananías Diokno (great-grandfather)
Félix Berenguer de Marquina (ancestor)
Francis Garchitorena (distant uncle)
Children6, including Pepe[4]
Parent(s)Jose W. Diokno
Carmen R. Icasiano
ResidenceSan Juan, Metro Manila
EducationLa Salle Green Hills
Alma materUniversity of the Philippines Diliman (BA)
Northern Illinois University (JD)
OccupationEducator, academic administrator, politician
ProfessionLawyer
Signature
WebsiteChel Diokno Site

Jose Manuel Tadeo "Chel" Icasiano Diokno[5][6] (Tagalog: [ˈdʒɔknɔ], born February 23, 1961)[5][7] is a Filipino lawyer, educator, and human rights advocate. He serves as chairman of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), the founding dean of the De La Salle University College of Law (now Tañada-Diokno School of Law), and the chairman of the Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation.[8] He has served as a special counsel of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.[9] He was a candidate for the Senate in 2019 and 2022.

Early life and education

Chel Diokno at the front row, the eighth child

Diokno was born on February 23, 1961, in Pasay City as the eighth of the ten children of human rights lawyer Jose W. Diokno, who would later become Senator, and Carmen "Nena" Icasiano.[6] He is the great-grandson of Ananías Diokno, the leader of the Visayans during the Philippine–American War, and the grandson of Ramón Diokno, a nationalist who served as Senator and Supreme Court Associate Justice.

Diokno completed his elementary and secondary education at La Salle Green Hills. He was student council leader and was a member of the varsity basketball team and developed an interest in cycling and aikido, earning a black belt in the martial art.[10] Afterwards, in 1982, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy at the University of the Philippines Diliman, studied Bachelor of Laws at the University of the Philippines College of Law for a year until 1983 and then studied law at Northern Illinois University (NIU) in the United States, where he graduated Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, in 1986.[11] He passed the Bar of the State of Illinois in 1987, and after his father's death went back to the Philippines where he took the Bar Examinations of 1988. He passed the examinations and started his law practice the following year.

Legal career

Chel Diokno making an offering to his father's memorial at the Liwasang Diokno, CHR Central Office

Diokno passed the bar examination in the State of Illinois and then in the Philippines.[12] Upon his return to the Philippines in 1987, he served as a lawyer and a human rights advocate.[13] Diokno is a member and the current chairman of FLAG.[14][15] Other than handling landmark cases, he has also been a regular amicus curiae in the Supreme Court.

Notable cases

Government service

Chel Diokno with FLAG in 2017

In the 1990s, Diokno served in the Commission on Human Rights under Presidents Cory Aquino and Fidel V. Ramos. He was also a member of the Committee on Human Rights and Due Process at the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).[12]

In 2001, Diokno was the private prosecutor in the impeachment proceedings against then-President Joseph Estrada. That same year, he became General Counsel of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee (the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigation) under Senator Joker Arroyo. In 2004, he was appointed Special Counsel at the Development Bank of the Philippines.[12]

Until 2019, Diokno served as the Presidential Adviser on Human Rights at the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and was a member of the Panel of Arbitrators at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.[citation needed]

Academe

In 2006, Diokno set up the Diokno Law Center providing legal training to agencies such as the Comelec, the Public Attorney's Office, the Philippine National Police, the Office of the Ombudsman, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Bureau of Customs, and the IBP.

In 2009, he established the De La Salle University College of Law and became its founding dean. He also taught at Far Eastern University during its collaboration with DLSU and at the Ateneo De Manila University prior to 2009.[23]

Political career

Diokno at a Robredo–Pangilinan campaign rally in Antipolo in 2022

In the Philippine general election of 2019, Diokno launched a campaign for a seat in the Senate under Otso Diretso, a coalition that was against the purported human rights violations of President Rodrigo Duterte; he lost, placing 21st with 6,308,065 votes.[24][25]

On July 19, 2019, the PNP–Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed charges against Diokno and other members of the opposition for "sedition, cyber libel, libel, estafa, harboring a criminal, and obstruction of justice".[26][27] On February 10, 2020, he was cleared of all charges.[28]

On June 12, 2021, he was named among the six nominees of 1Sambayan, a coalition that will put up one lone candidate against President Duterte's handpicked successor in the 2022 Philippine presidential election, for president and vice president.[29][30] Fellow Otso Diretso senatorial candidate Samira Gutoc earlier said in 2019 that he can be an opposition standard bearer.[31] However, he said that he was very honored by the nomination, although he never aspired for those positions as he is focused on his Free Legal Helpdesk, and hopes to serve the country, especially the youth and the ordinary Filipino, in justice, accountability, and relief from the pandemic.[32]

On September 15, 2021, he announced that he would be running again for senator in 2022.[33] He filed his candidacy on October 7 as a new member of the Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KANP) party.[1] He was among those named in the senatorial slate of presidential aspirant and Vice President Leni Robredo,[34] as well as the Labor and Ecology Advocates for Democracy (LEAD) senatorial slate of another presidential aspirant Leody de Guzman[35] as a guest candidate. However, he was defeated once again, placing 19th with 10,020,008 votes.

Political positions

Wigberto Tañada, Nene Pimentel and Chel Diokno at the 2018 Honoring of Martyrs and Heroes at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani on November 30, 2018.

Human rights

He advocated human rights in his law practice with the Free Legal Assistance Group, as counsel to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, and in his role as the founding Dean of the De La Salle University Tañada-Diokno School of Law.[36]

Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos

As the descendant of former Senator and Martial Law critic Jose W. Diokno, Chel Diokno has taken a stand against the historical negationism and denialism regarding the Philippines' Martial Law era under Ferdinand Marcos.[37][38][39]

Authored books

Diokno has written three books: Diokno On Trial: The Techniques And Ideals Of The Filipino Lawyer (The Complete Guide To Handling A Case In Court), published by the Diokno Law Center in 2007 and considered the main staple in trial courses;[40] Civil And Administrative Suits As Instruments Of Accountability For Human Rights Violations, published by the Asia Foundation in 2010, and "Model Pleadings of Jose W. Diokno Volume 1: Supreme Court" published by the Diokno Law Center in 2020. He has also written news articles on forensic DNA, electronic evidence, anti-terrorism legislation, media law, and judicial reform.[12]

Filmography

Diokno did a voiceover for some scenes of the 2018 film BuyBust.

Personal life

Chel Diokno as a human rights advocate with his wife Divina

Diokno is the son of Filipino nationalist Senator Jose W. "Ka Pepe" Diokno, the acknowledged father of human rights in the Philippines and intellectual leader against the Marcos regime. His sister, Maris Diokno, is a senior administrator in the University of the Philippines system and is a former chair of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Diokno married a writer named Divina Aromin; their eldest son is the filmmaker Pepe, who was named after his grandfather. Their eldest daughter Laya Elena became a lawyer in 2022.[41]

Ancestry

See also

Further reading

References

  1. ^ a b Buan, Lian (October 7, 2021). "Human rights lawyers Diokno, Colmenares file Senate COCs to redeem 2019 losses". Rappler. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021. Diokno took his oath as member of KANP
  2. ^ Calica, Marian Feliz (September 15, 2021). "Rights lawyer Diokno to run for senator as independent". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on September 19, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  3. ^ Adel, Rosette (May 14, 2019). "'CHELebrate, don't cry,' Chel Diokno tells supporters after defeat". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on September 19, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2021. Diokno, a member of the Liberal Party...
  4. ^ Domingo, Katrina (February 20, 2019). "Award-winning director Pepe Diokno gives dad Chel's campaign a makeover". ABS-CBN News. Archived from the original on September 19, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Candidate's Profile: Diokno, Chel". gmanetwork.com. GMA News. 2019. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  6. ^ a b COMELEC [@COMELEC] (October 7, 2021). "#COCFiling for the #NLE2022 Day 7: Jose Manuel Tadeo "Chel" Diokno files COC for Senator, Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KANP)" (Tweet). Retrieved October 7, 2021 – via Twitter.
  7. ^ Chel Diokno [@ChelDiokno] (February 23, 2021). "I didn't think I'd reach this age, but I just celebrated my big 6-0 with my kids by my side and with friends via Zoom. Thank you all for the birthday greetings, and to the "cheldren" for sending me cakes!" (Tweet). Retrieved May 6, 2021 – via Twitter.
  8. ^ "Chel Diokno named chair of Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation". August 30, 2022.
  9. ^ Pimentel, Boying (2017-02-26). "Diokno: Fight the fear, sing our own song". The Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
  10. ^ Diokno, Pepe; Diokno, Laya; Diokno, Abe; Diokno, Inez (20 June 2020). "Chel Diokno: Our 'chill' dad".
  11. ^ "DLSU College of Law - Faculty List". DLSU College of Law. November 5, 2010. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  12. ^ a b c d "Atty. Diokno's CV (as of November 2010)". We Support Atty. Chel Diokno for Ombudsman. 2011-05-06. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
  13. ^ "Ang Kwento ni Chel Diokno — Chel Diokno | Diokno.ph". Archived from the original on 2019-03-29. Retrieved 2019-03-29.
  14. ^ Inquirer, Philippine Daily (2019-04-05). "Unique killings, same language, lawyers say of drug war reports". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2021-06-13.
  15. ^ "Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers". Rappler. 20 February 2017. Retrieved 2021-06-13.
  16. ^ "PHILIPPINES: THREATS/FEAR FOR SAFETY: JOSE MANUEL DIOKNO". Amnesty Internatiionao. Archived from the original on 2019-05-10. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
  17. ^ Manahan, Ruben (2009-04-30). "Police arrest Jun Lozada". Manila Times. Archived from the original on 2011-08-11. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
  18. ^ Panaligan, Rey (2007-10-26). "Supreme Court, QC RTC issue 1st Writs of Amparo". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on 2012-08-25. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
  19. ^ Calleja, Niña Catherine (2008-08-29). "Tagaytay 5 freed; rebellion case 'nonexistent'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2012-10-10. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
  20. ^ Jimenez-David, Rina (2008-01-29). "Who's publicity-hungry?". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2012-03-26. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
  21. ^ "17 of 50 Journalists rounded up from The Pen released". GMA News. 2007-11-29. Archived from the original on 2019-05-25.
  22. ^ Buan, Lian (2019-04-15). "Court junks Ressa appeal, says cyber libel valid 12 years post-publication". Rappler. Retrieved 2011-06-08.
  23. ^ Diokno 2007, pp. 101.
  24. ^ "Election 2019 Result".
  25. ^ "Chel Diokno, everybody's 'Woke Lolo', has confirmed he will seek a seat at the Senate". Coconuts Manila. September 15, 2021.
  26. ^ "Robredo, ilang taga-oposisyon kinasuhan ng PNP-CIDG ukol sa 'Bikoy' videos". ABS-CBN News (in Tagalog). July 19, 2019.
  27. ^ "Sedition raps: Solons, bishop hit 'stupid' PNP". Philippine Daily Inquirer. July 20, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  28. ^ Buan, Lian (February 10, 2020). "DOJ clears Robredo, charges Trillanes in sedition case". Rappler. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  29. ^ Torres-Tupas, Tetch (2021-03-18). "Carpio launches coalition to challenge Duterte's 'anointed one' in 2022 polls". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  30. ^ Gavilan, Jodesz; Abad, Michelle (June 12, 2021). "FAST FACTS: Opposition 1Sambayan's nominees for president, vice president". Rappler. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
  31. ^ Punzalan, Jemaine (May 22, 2019). "Chel Diokno can be opposition standard bearer in 2022 - Gutoc". ABS-CBN News.
  32. ^ ""I am very honored by the nomination, although I never aspired for those positions. Right now, I am focused on my Free Legal Helpdesk, and I hope to serve our country, especially the youth and the ordinary Filipino, in justice, accountability, and relief from the pandemic."". Twitter. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
  33. ^ Buan, Lian (September 15, 2021). "Trusting 'a lot has changed,' Chel Diokno tries again for Senate". Rappler. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  34. ^ Cepeda, Mara (October 15, 2021). "Robredo bares Senate slate, turns foes into allies vs Duterte". Rappler. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  35. ^ Mendoza, John Eric (16 October 2021). "Socialist presidential aspirant Leody de Guzman bares senatorial line up". Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  36. ^ Geronimo, Jee (2011-05-13). "Ombudsman search: Diokno is no joke". Newsbreak. Archived from the original on 2011-05-16. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
  37. ^ Takumi, Rie (2018-09-24). "Bongbong and Enrile's Martial Law video 'adding insult to injury' —Diokno family". GMA News Online. Retrieved 2018-10-13.
  38. ^ Gavilan, Jodesz (2018-09-21). "'Distortion of truth': Diokno family slams Bongbong Marcos, Enrile". Rappler. Retrieved 2018-10-13.
  39. ^ Galvez, Daphne (2018-09-21). "Diokno family blasts Enrile's 'false' claims on martial law". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 2018-10-13.
  40. ^ Cepeda, Quintin (27 April 2022). "Chel Diokno: Like Father, Like Son".
  41. ^ "Official Lawyers List (1941-2022)". June 10, 2023.

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