Chel Diokno is a Filipino lawyer and politician. He is the eighth of ten children of former Senator Jose W. Diokno and his wife Carmen Icasiano. In the May 9, 2022 election, he ran for senator under the Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KANP) Party, a coalition partner of the Leni Robredo – Kiko Pangilinan tandem who ran for president and vice president respectively. He was not able to join the winning 12 candidates.
Latest News
July 21, 2022 – Atty. Chel Diokno was one of the awardees of PeopleAsia Magazine under People That Matter Awards.
April 5, 2020 – President Rodrigo Duterte unleashed his anger upon Atty. Diokno saying among others that the latter is a lousy lawyer who lost the senatorial election in 2019 because of his faulty front teeth. Previously, Atty Diokno criticized the administration’s handling of the coronavirus crisis and offered advice to those who would be summoned by the national Bureau of Investigation. The following day April 6, he accompanied a client to answer a summon from the NBI.
Atty. Diokno responded to the president’s tirades by posting the following on his Facebook Account.
Personal Information
Complete Name: Jose Manuel Icasiano Diokno
Nickname: Chel
Birthdate: February 23, 1961 (Age 62)
Birthplace: Manila, Philippines
Father: Jose W. Diokno (former senator)
Mother: Carmen Icasiano
Siblings: 9
*One of her siblings is Maris, former chair of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines
Children: Pepe Diokno (film director, producer and screenwriter), Abe Diokno, Atty. Laya Elena A. Diokno, Inez Diokno, Julio Manuel A. Diokno (Robotics Engineer from De La Salle University) and Ian Diokno
Profession: Lawyer
Educational Attainment
High School: La Salle Green Hills
College: University of the Philippines
Course: Philosophy
Graduate School: Northern Illinois University (NIU)
Course: Juris Doctor of Laws, magna cum laude (1986)
Career and Achievements
* One of the lawyers for the petition against the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020
*Chairman, Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) — the Philippines’ oldest and largest group of human rights lawyers.
*Served on the Commission on Human Rights under Presidents Cory Aquino and Fidel V. Ramos
*Member of the Committee on Human Rights and Due Process at the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)
*Prosecutor, impeachment of President Joseph Estrada
*Lead lawyer in various notable cases such as 1995 Kuratong Baleleng rubout case, Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada the whistleblow of NBN/ZTE case, Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo case, and the media case against President Arroyo
*General Counsel of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee (the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigation) in 2001
*Special Counsel of the Development Bank of the Philippines in 2004
*Founder, Diokno Law Center (2006)
*Founding Dean, De La Salle University College of Law since 2009
*Author of two law books namely: 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 Civil And Administrative Suits As Instruments Of Accountability For Human Rights Violations, published by the Asia Foundation in 2010
Political Career
Chel Diokno was a candidate for senator of the Philippines in the election on May 13, 2019. He belonged to the Opposition Koalisyon (OK) group that includes the Liberal Party (LP) and Magdalo Party-list. However, he failed to win.
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