Manila, April 22 -- A lawyers' group on Tuesday denounced the plan of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) host Jeffrey Celiz to seek political asylum in Canada over alleged safety concerns.

In a statement, the National Union of People's Lawyers (NUPL) pointed out that Celiz is not a dissident seeking refuge from political persecution.

"By his own record, he is a military asset and paid propagandist attempting to evade accountability for years of systematic red-tagging, disinformation, and public vilification of activists and rights defenders," the NUPL said of the self-confessed former New People's Army rebel and known supporter of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

"Now, confronted with legal reckoning, he recasts himself as th...