Slain NUPL member never missed a court appearance

Slain National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL) founding member was a compassionate and dedicated man, said the mother of one his clients.

"Our hearts bleed for the murder of Atty. Ben Ramos. On day one of the arrest of Myles and the five others, Atty. Ben came regardless of border and distance because no one was there to assist them on legal matters yet," said Grace Albasin, mother of Myles Albasin one of the Mabinay 6.

The Mabinay 6 are the six suspected New People's Army (NPA) rebels who were allegedly involved in a gunfight with soldiers in Barangay Luyang in Mabinay town Negros Oriental last March.

"As the Secretary General of NUPL in Negros Occidental, he chose to be more human and showed up to assess the Mabinay 6 case. He escorted the mothers to see their children at the jail. He slept in an office and ate with us. From then on, he never missed a single court appearance together with the other NUPL lawyers for Mabinay 6," said Grace in a statement posted by Anakbayan Cebu on its social media account.

Ramos, 56, was shot by motorcycle-riding men and was declared dead on arrival at the hospital after sustaining three gunshot wounds.

Grace said Ramos knew he was targeted, "but it didn't deter his spirit to take the cases of the ordinary folks including Mabinay 6."

"He always braved the more than two hours traveling to attend court hearings. He made his house a home to the families he defended. He eased tension with humor," she added.

The NUPL, in a statement issued on Wednesday said, "The passionate, dedicated and articulate yet amiable and jolly Ben, was a founding member of NUPL. Despite limitations, he was for the longest time the “go-to” pro-bono lawyer of peasants, environmentalists, activists, political prisoners and mass organizations in Negros."

The group also said Ramos is the 34th lawyer killed under the Duterte administration and that excluding judges and prosecutors, he is the 24th member of the profession killed and the 8th in the Visayas.

Grace concludes her statement, saying "In the short time we spent together, we saw a man of compassion and dedication to the less fortunate. He lived for the people without fear. This legacy he left behind is etched in the hearts of the people he served." — BAP, GMA News