The past few days have been unforgiving for the young human rights lawyer who assisted the families of Tokhang victims in finding the elusive justice for the violent killing of their loved ones. In this feature story, allow us to delve into the daily grind of Atty. Kristina Conti and why she remains hopeful in the face of injustice.
On the afternoon of March 18, human rights lawyer Kristina Conti was rushing home after attending a hearing related to the red-tagging of activists here in the Philippines. She took the MRT ride that is usually jam-packed with the afternoon rush hour. Her phone, constantly buzzing, signaled the ongoing storm of online attacks.
The recent news surrounding former President Rodrigo Duterte’s potential arrest has amplified the vitriol. Conti, as ICC assistant to counsel, has been subjected to a coordinated campaign of gender-based hate speech: repeated attacks directed at her role as a human rights advocate and as a woman.
“There is a script,” quipped Conti.
ICC assistant to counsels provide legal research and assist in the preparation and presentation of arguments, ensuring the effective representation of clients.
The young lawyer said she has experienced attacks before, including red-tagging. “But it is a different level now to be called a criminal or murderer.”
Under the Duterte administration, a climate of violence escalated, fueled by a brutal war on drugs. Publicly, he engaged in shaming and offensive remarks directed at women. This behavior emboldened his supporters to now replicate such actions, contributing to a normalization of misogyny.
“To aid a criminal act goes against ethical practices of a lawyer. To be accused that I am here for the money also goes against my own free will to be an activist. These are all attempts to discredit me,” said Conti.
Conti is the fifth nominee of Bayan Muna, a partylist that genuinely represents the voices of marginalized communities in the House of Representatives.
Since it was established in 1999, Bayan Muna has been at the forefront of numerous legal and legislative initiatives aimed at protecting human rights, advancing workers’ rights, and promoting social justice.
Journey to becoming a lawyer
Conti’s initial experience of what it was to be a lawyer was not of courtroom grandeur. It was her mother, a public attorney who was sometimes paid in bananas and fish, who showed her the raw, unglamorous, yet fulfilling realities of the profession in serving as a tool for the marginalized and a shield for the vulnerable.
But it was the disappearance of a friend, a community worker, that ignited a fire within her. It was this personal tragedy, this stark reminder of the state’s potential for abuse, that propelled her into law school, not to climb the corporate ladder, but to become a “people’s lawyer.”
Here, she co-founded the first law student chapter of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL), and later became the secretary general of its biggest chapter – the National Capital Region. From 2016 to 2023, Conti served as an associate at the Public Interest Law Center, where she provided crucial legal support for marginalized communities and political prisoners.
Her legal acumen, combined with her deep sense of justice, allowed her to stand firm against systemic abuse, tirelessly advocating for those whose voices were often disregarded by the powerful.
Her dedication to human rights work has earned her a prestigious position as a Fisher Family Summer Fellow at Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law in 2024. There, she worked alongside some of the world’s leading experts, contributing her insights and learning from others in the global fight for human rights and democratic principles.
On convicting Palparan, memories of Andrea Rosal
Among the first cases that Conti handled was the release of a former political prisoner, the late Andrea Rosal, who was pregnant at the time of her arrest and incarceration. She gave birth while in detention to baby Diona Andrea, who died two days later. Rosal, for her part, spent 18 months in detention before the charges against her were finally dismissed.
“Andrea Rosal should not have been included in any of these charges,” said Conti in a press conference following Rosal’s release, adding that “it is apparent that charges were filed against her for being the daughter of Ka Roger Rosal.”
Conti was also part of the legal team that assisted the mothers of disappeared university students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño. The case eventually led to the conviction of retired Major General Jovito Palparan.
“The people’s support on the issue of the disappeared was a big help. Otherwise, mothers would end up like Sisa looking for her sons Crispin and Basilio. Do not be afraid to help when you are able. Do not be afraid to speak up if you have information,” she posted on her Twitter back in 2023.
For Conti, she learned that it is important to understand not simply by logic but also by emotions or feelings. “We have to allow ourselves to feel,” she said, “Lawyers or activists should not approach this in a clinical way because you feel that this is just work. If you remember the feeling whether good or not, you remember the lessons better.”
Conti said it was important to engage and immerse oneself in the experience, “unlike robots.” While there are days that she finds challenging, the past 10 years have been a bliss, especially as she has valued her clients not merely as clients but as friends.
“Practical support allows us to carry on day-to-day, but the solidarity of like-minded people and groups is also crucial in establishing and clutching footholds for social progress. We urge to protect and empower activists and to echo and magnify advocacies on a global scale,” said Conti in her Global Citizen feature.
Attacks, setbacks
But this path is fraught with peril, with vilification, “red-tagging,” and threats of violence as constant companions.
“I have often identified with the causes of my clients, even as I carry my own separately,” she wrote in a Global Citizen report.
Conti has been trolled and labeled a rebel recruiter and a paid lackey. Once, a former spokesperson of the government’s counterinsurgency program publicly threatened to have her passport revoked for assisting in the peace negotiations being held abroad.
Many international and local human rights groups have noted how red-tagging serves as a precursor to grave human rights abuses such as extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.
These serve as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by those who dare to challenge the status quo, she said.
“An established culture of impunity also certifies that the Philippines is a dangerous place for lawyers, especially those who challenge policy or government action. Every day brings new anxieties and struggles for human rights lawyers here,” said Conti in the same report.
New learnings
In the past weeks, Conti has been juggling her schedule between court hearings, speaking engagements, and sorties as fifth nominee of Bayan Muna in the upcoming midterm elections.
Asked how she feels about her journey from being a lawyer to possibly become a lawmaker, Conti giggled and said in jest, “more things have to happen before we reach that point. I am the fifth nominee. But I am not a placeholder unlike other partylists whose real billionaire nominees are hiding behind a ‘front’ representative.”
It helps, she said, that she experienced community immersion programs back when she was a student activist. During sorties, Conti said she learned firsthand the plight of the mothers in urban poor communities, or our fellow migrant workers who are struggling in casting their votes.
“If I just read these, I might not be able to comprehend fully. But because I learned it straight from them, I now know better,” said Conti, who was the fourth nominee of Bayan Muna during the 2022 elections.
For Conti, every case she takes on is more than just a legal challenge—it is a fight for human dignity and the preservation of fundamental rights.
“Our clients are oftentimes intended victims of the system or circumstances, and it takes so much to rise above it all,” she said in the Global Citizen feature. “Fittingly, brave clients deserve brave lawyers.”
With each victory and setback, she continues to push boundaries, breaking barriers for future generations of lawyers, particularly women, in human rights law. Conti’s journey is not just about representing clients; it is about creating a legacy of justice and hope that will endure long after the cases are closed. ###