Atty. Jose Manuel I. “Chel” Diokno is a lawyer, educator, human rights and environmental defender, social media crusader, and advocate of youth empowerment, good governance, and justice for all.

As a practicing lawyer for the last 34 years, Atty. Chel has handled all kinds of cases. He has argued before the Supreme Court, and appeared before the Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, and the lower courts.

As a law professor for the last 19 years, he has taught thousands of law students various subjects including human rights, legal writing, evidence, criminal procedure, and constitutional law. As its founding dean, he was instrumental in making the De La Salle University Tañada-Diokno College of
Law the first in the country to highlight human rights and legal aid as a core component of the students’ law school experience.

As a human rights and environmental defender, he has represented whistleblowers, fisherfolk, members of indigenous communities, teachers, students, workers, journalists, and other victims of abuse and oppression. As a member and later Chairperson of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), he secured landmark rulings from the Supreme Court on freedom of speech, the writ of amparo, and due process of law, among others.

As a social media crusader, Atty. Chel uses various soc-med platforms to bring law closer to the people. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in line with his belief that justice should be accessible to every Filipino, he set up a Free Legal Helpdesk on his Facebook page (www.facebook.com/cheldiokno). In its first seven months, the help desk helped almost twenty thousand Filipinos with their legal queries. To those of you who haven’t yet, please like, subscribe, or follow Atty. Chel on Tiktok, IG, Facebook, and Twitter.

As an advocate of youth empowerment, Atty. Chel believes that the Filipino youth have much to contribute to nation-building. He encourages the youth to make their voices heard, and to be discerning, critical thinkers who promote the truth. In that light, he has conducted workshops and given talks to thousands of Filipino youths from all over the country.

Like his father, the late Sen. Jose W. Diokno, also known as the father of human rights in our country, Atty. Chel dreams of the Philippines as a nation where we can all live in abundance, savor the beauty and bounty of our land and seas, and laugh and sing in freedom.