Chel Diokno

In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Icasiano and the surname or paternal family name is Diokno.

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
Chairman of the Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation
Incumbent
Assumed office
August 30, 2022
Preceded byWigberto Tañada
Chairman of the Free Legal Assistance Group
Incumbent
Assumed office
2003
Personal details
Born
Jose Manuel Tadeo Icasiano Diokno

(1961-02-23) February 23, 1961 (age 63)
Pasay, Rizal, Philippines
Political partyAkbayan (2024–present)
Other political
affiliations		KANP (2021–2024)[1]
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
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, radio host
Signature

Jose Manuel Tadeo "Chel" Icasiano Diokno[4][5] (Tagalog: [ˈdʒɔknɔ], born February 23, 1961)[4][6] is a Filipino lawyer, educator, human rights advocate, and broadcaster. He serves as the 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.[7] He has served as a special counsel for the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.[8] He was a candidate for the Senate of the Philippines in both the 2019 Philippine Senate election and the 2022 Philippine Senate election. Diokno also co-hosts radio programs such as Oras at Bayan on Veritas 846 and Rekta: Agenda ng Masa on DZRH and DZRH News Television.[9][10]

Early life and education

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Chel Diokno, front row, the eighth child

Chel Diokno was born on February 23, 1961, in Pasay City as the eighth of ten children to human rights lawyer Jose W. Diokno, who later became a Senator, and Carmen "Nena" Icasiano.[5] He is the great-grandson of Ananías Diokno, a 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. As a student, he was the student council leader, a member of the varsity basketball team, and developed an interest in cycling and aikido, where he earned a black belt.[11]

In 1982, Diokno earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of the Philippines Diliman. He studied law at the University of the Philippines College of Law for one year before transferring to Northern Illinois University (NIU) in the United States, where he graduated magna cum laude with a Juris Doctor in 1986.[12] He passed the Bar Examination of the State of Illinois in 1987. After his father's death, he returned to the Philippines and passed the Philippine Bar Examination in 1988, beginning his law practice the following year.

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Diokno during a Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) conference in 2017

Chel Diokno passed the bar examination in the State of Illinois, USA, and subsequently in the Philippines.[13] Upon returning to the Philippines in 1987, he embarked on a career as a lawyer and human rights advocate.[14]

Diokno is a member and the current chairman of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG).[15][16] In addition to handling landmark cases, he has regularly served as an amicus curiae in the Supreme Court.

Notable cases

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Government service

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In the 1990s, Diokno served in the Commission on Human Rights under Presidents Corazon 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).[13]

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.[13]

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.[24]

Academe

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In 2006, Diokno established the Diokno Law Center, which provides legal training to various agencies, including the Commission on Elections, 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 Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).

In 2009, he founded the De La Salle University College of Law and served as its founding dean. Additionally, he taught at Far Eastern University during its collaboration with DLSU and at Ateneo de Manila University before 2009.[25]

Political career

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2019 and 2022 Philippine Senate campaigns

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Diokno speaking during a Leni Robredo–Kiko Pangilinan campaign rally in Antipolo in April 2022

In the 2019 Philippine general election, Diokno ran for a seat in the Senate under the Otso Diretso coalition, which opposed President Rodrigo Duterte's human rights record. He did not win, placing 21st with 6,308,065 votes.[26][27]

On July 19, 2019, the PNP–Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed charges against Diokno and other opposition members for "sedition, cyber libel, libel, estafa, harboring a criminal, and obstruction of justice." These charges were related to the "Bikoy" videos.[28][29] On February 10, 2020, he was cleared of all charges.[30]

On June 12, 2021, he was named among the six nominees of 1Sambayan, a coalition aiming to field a single candidate against President Duterte's successor in the 2022 Philippine presidential election.[31][32] Despite this, he stated that he was honored by the nomination but preferred to focus on his Free Legal Helpdesk and other forms of service.[33]

On September 15, 2021, Diokno announced his candidacy for the Senate in the 2022 Philippine Senate election.[34] He filed his candidacy on October 7, as a new member of the Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KANP) party.[1] He was included in the senatorial slate of presidential candidate Vice President Leni Robredo,[35] as well as the Labor and Ecology Advocates for Democracy (LEAD) senatorial slate of presidential candidate Leody de Guzman[36] as a guest candidate. Despite these endorsements, he was defeated again, placing 19th with 10,020,008 votes.

2024 Philippine House of Representatives campaign

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Main article: 2025 Philippine House of Representatives elections

On May 14, 2024, Diokno announced his intention to run for the Senate for a third time in the 2025 elections.[37] However, on September 18, 2024, Diokno became a member of Akbayan.[38] Diokno later announced that he shall vie for a seat in the House of Representatives through party-list route as Akbayan's first nominee.[39]

Other career

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Diokno holds several current corporate and policy positions, including:

Political Positions

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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

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Diokno has consistently advocated for human rights through various roles, including:

  • His law practice with the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG)
  • His service as counsel to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee
  • His role as the founding Dean of the De La Salle University Tañada-Diokno School of Law[40]

Martial law under Ferdinand Marcos

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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.[41][42][43]

Authored books

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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;[44] 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.[13]

Filmography

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

Personal life

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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.[45]

Ancestry

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See also

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Further reading

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  • Diokno, Jose Manuel I. (2007). Diokno On Trial. Diokno Law Center. ISBN 978-9-719-37870-9.

References

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  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.
  4. ^ a b "Candidate's Profile: Diokno, Chel". gmanetwork.com. GMA News. 2019. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  5. ^ a b Commission on Elections (Philippines) [@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.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "Chel Diokno named chair of Bantayog ng mga Bayani Foundation". August 30, 2022.
  8. ^ Pimentel, Boying (February 26, 2017). "Diokno: Fight the fear, sing our own song". The Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved March 1, 2019.
  9. ^ @hontiverosrisa (March 3, 2024). "AGONG RADIO PROGRAM 📻 Join us in the new program where every minute, every second counts on ORAS NG BAYAN. We will tackle hot news, legal and political discussions, and your voices will be highlighted. Starting MONDAY, 3 PM to 4 PM on DZRV 846 Radyo Veritas with Atty. Chel Diokno and Norman Dequia. Listen in, allies!". Retrieved March 4, 2024 – via Instagram.
  10. ^ DZRH NEWS [@dzrhnews] (May 4, 2024). "Mamaya na! "REKTA: AGENDA NG MASA"" (Tweet). Retrieved May 7, 2024 – via Twitter.
  11. ^ Diokno, Pepe; Diokno, Laya; Diokno, Abe; Diokno, Inez (June 20, 2020). "Chel Diokno: Our 'chill' dad".
  12. ^ "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.
  13. ^ a b c d "Atty. Diokno's CV (as of November 2010)". We Support Atty. Chel Diokno for Ombudsman. May 6, 2011. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
  14. ^ "Ang Kwento ni Chel Diokno — Chel Diokno". Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  15. ^ Inquirer, Philippine Daily (April 5, 2019). "Unique killings, same language, lawyers say of drug war reports". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  16. ^ "Meet Lascañas' battle-tested FLAG lawyers". Rappler. February 20, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  17. ^ "PHILIPPINES: THREATS/FEAR FOR SAFETY: JOSE MANUEL DIOKNO". Amnesty International. Archived from the original on May 10, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  18. ^ Manahan, Ruben (April 30, 2009). "Police arrest Jun Lozada". Manila Times. Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
  19. ^ Panaligan, Rey (October 26, 2007). "Supreme Court, QC RTC issue 1st Writs of Amparo". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on August 25, 2012. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
  20. ^ Calleja, Niña Catherine (August 29, 2008). "Tagaytay 5 freed; rebellion case 'nonexistent'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
  21. ^ Jimenez-David, Rina (January 29, 2008). "Who's publicity-hungry?". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
  22. ^ "17 of 50 Journalists rounded up from The Pen released". GMA News. November 29, 2007. Archived from the original on May 25, 2019.
  23. ^ Buan, Lian (April 15, 2019). "Court junks Ressa appeal, says cyber libel valid 12 years post-publication". Rappler. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
  24. ^ [citation needed]
  25. ^ Diokno 2007, pp. 101.
  26. ^ "Election 2019 Result".
  27. ^ "Chel Diokno, everybody's 'Woke Lolo', has confirmed he will seek a seat at the Senate". Coconuts Manila. September 15, 2021.
  28. ^ "Robredo, ilang taga-oposisyon kinasuhan ng PNP-CIDG ukol sa 'Bikoy' videos". ABS-CBN News (in Tagalog). July 19, 2019.
  29. ^ "Sedition raps: Solons, bishop hit 'stupid' PNP". Philippine Daily Inquirer. July 20, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  30. ^ Buan, Lian (February 10, 2020). "DOJ clears Robredo, charges Trillanes in sedition case". Rappler. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  31. ^ Torres-Tupas, Tetch (March 18, 2021). "Carpio launches coalition to challenge Duterte's 'anointed one' in 2022 polls". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  32. ^ Gavilan, Jodesz; Abad, Michelle (June 12, 2021). "FAST FACTS: Opposition 1Sambayan's nominees for president, vice president". Rappler. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
  33. ^ ""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.
  34. ^ Buan, Lian (September 15, 2021). "Trusting 'a lot has changed,' Chel Diokno tries again for Senate". Rappler. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  35. ^ Cepeda, Mara (October 15, 2021). "Robredo bares Senate slate, turns foes into allies vs Duterte". Rappler. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  36. ^ Mendoza, John Eric (October 16, 2021). "Socialist presidential aspirant Leody de Guzman bares senatorial line up". Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  37. ^ Valmonte, Kaycee (May 14, 2024). "Bam Aquino to lead KANP party, confirms senatorial bid for 2025 polls". Rappler. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  38. ^ Chi, Cristina (September 18, 2024). "Akbayan seeks House seat that An Waray vacated". The Philippine Star. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
  39. ^ Sampang, Dianne (September 28, 2024). "Chel Diokno is Akbayan Party's 1st nominee for 2025 polls". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved September 29, 2024.
  40. ^ Geronimo, Jee (May 13, 2011). "Ombudsman search: Diokno is no joke". Newsbreak. Archived from the original on May 16, 2011. Retrieved May 15, 2011.
  41. ^ Takumi, Rie (September 24, 2018). "Bongbong and Enrile's Martial Law video 'adding insult to injury' —Diokno family". GMA News Online. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  42. ^ Gavilan, Jodesz (September 21, 2018). "'Distortion of truth': Diokno family slams Bongbong Marcos, Enrile". Rappler. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  43. ^ Galvez, Daphne (September 21, 2018). "Diokno family blasts Enrile's 'false' claims on martial law". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  44. ^ Cepeda, Quintin (April 27, 2022). "Chel Diokno: Like Father, Like Son".
  45. ^ "Official Lawyers List (1941–2022)". June 10, 2023.
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