IBP to launch judicial safety program amid court threats

A national program to bolster the safety of judges and other legal professionals will be launched by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) in connection with the online threats directed at the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) recently.

This was announced by the IBP’s 27th Board of Governors, which sought to establish “lasting structural safeguards” for those upholding the law.

The move of the IBP comes in response to “deliberate assaults on the dignity of judicial office,” as stated in their official declaration on Friday.

The Supreme Court’s “immediate and decisive response” to the Pasig City threats was commended by the IBP, stressing the need for unity among institutions when faced with intimidation.

Citing a “growing pattern” of harassment and threats against legal professionals, the IBP stressed that these are not isolated incidents but reflect a “dangerous reality” where fulfilling one’s duty carries escalating personal risk.

They warned that a justice system cannot function if its guardians are left vulnerable.

The new program will draw from “best practices in jurisdictions that have long institutionalized such protections.”

It will include clear and standardized threat assessment and response protocols, a national red-flag and incident tracking system, integrated coordination across courts, enforcement agencies, and oversight bodies, and sustained monitoring mechanisms to ensure accountability and deterrence.

The lawyers’ group affirmed its “commitment to protect the Judiciary” and its members by calling for “structural reform” rather than mere condemnation of such acts.

The group said that it is not only a matter of safety but a matter of justice — and a justice system cannot function when those who sustain it are asked to do so unprotected.