Jose W. Diokno

Common card · No. 229670

Jose Wright Diokno (Tagalog: [ˈdʒɔknɔ]; February 26, 1922 – February 27, 1987), also known as "Ka Pepe," was a Filipino statesman, nationalist, and lawyer. Regarded as the "Father of Human Rights" in the country, he served as a Senator of the Philippines, Secretary of Justice, chairman of the Presidential Committee on Human Rights (forerunner of the Commission on Human Rights), and founder of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), which is the oldest national organization composed of human rights lawyers. Diokno is the only person to top both the Philippine Bar Examination and the board exam for Certified Public Accountants (CPA). His career was dedicated to the promotion of human rights, the defense of Philippine sovereignty, and the enactment of pro-Filipino economic legislation. In 2004, Diokno was posthumously conferred the Order of Lakandula with the rank of Supremo—the second highest honor in the Philippines. February 27, his death anniversary and a day after his birthday, is celebrated...

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