Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), the country’s oldest human rights lawyers network, launched a free offline mobile application of their “Know Your Rights” primer, which advises Filipino civilians on how to respond to arrests and detention by police and military forces. The application, which was developed by the Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA), was released to the public on Sept. 29. 

The application divides situations into subcategories, including a rundown of one’s basic rights, on how to act when your house or office is being searched, and what to do when you are being arrested or detained. There is an extensive overview on the various human rights and situations on search operations, arrests, salvaging, and detention.

The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) has also provided a Filipino translation of the primer for users to access. 

2019 senatorial candidate Attorney Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno, the current chairman of FLAG, promoted the launch of the application via social media on Oct. 4, advocating for the continuous support for initiatives in defending human rights in the country. 

Atty. Diokno’s late father, Senator Jose W. Diokno, is regarded as the “Father of Human Rights Advocacy in the Philippines.” Jose Diokno, alongside Lorenzo Tañada and Joker Arroyo, founded FLAG in 1974 with their primary purpose to give pro-bono legal advice to those prosecuted by Martial Law.

The organization has also worked on several cases of Indigenous People, the urban poor, and those oppressed by the government, military, and police forces. 

Lawyers from FLAG have also acted on the various issues in 2019 such as drafting a proposed initiative on the franchise renewal of ABS-CBN, representing former senators, senatorial candidates, and journalists who have petitioned against the Anti-Terror Bill of 2020, and frequently opposing the death penalty. 

The “Know Your Rights” application is available on Google Play and the App Store.