WHILE some lawyers have tarnished the image of the legal profession, “lawyers have innate honor, honesty and integrity in their blood” and are able to “become the vehicle of the nation to uplift its suffering from dimensional disputes.”
This was the challenge Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez hurled at his fellow lawyers during the national convention of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in Cebu City on Saturday.
Romualdez delivers his message during the Integrated Bar of the
Philippines 15th National Convention of Lawyers at the Waterfront
Hotel in Cebu City. Ver Noveno
“Some members of the IBP had distorted and dishonored the majesty and novelty of the law profession. They had eroded the faith and confidence of the citizenry as the agents for good governance.,” Romualdez said.
“Now is the time to initiate and pursue the legal and moral renaissance of the law profession under the steerage or mastership of the IBP,” said the congressman who also leads the independent bloc of lawmakers in the House of Representatives.
“The main culprit in IBP’s dilemma is the nonchalant or indifferent disposition of lawyers in the rough and tumble of legal practice. Many are blinded with purely the monetary considerations to solve or win legal cases,” he said.
Romualdez noted that lawyers, consciously or unconsciously, conspire or assist clients to subvert and circumvent laws, many trivialize or even desecrate the ends of justice and many have also made justice an expensive commodity instead of defending the idea that “those who have less in life must have more in law.”
“I still recall when I was young, when I say my ambition is to be a lawyer, people would joke – you want to be a liar?”
“This stigma still persists. The IBP must expunge this misimpression. Lawyers have innate honor, honesty and integrity in their blood. The irony is that the few scalawags are more popular than distinguished lawyers,” he said.
Romualdez stressed the significant role of the IBP being the “the critical and effective instrumentality with the moving force to curb the abuses of one sector or agency over the others.”
“The IBP binds all lawyers. Only the lawyers under the aegis of the IBP can make possible the renewal and revival of the national relevance of the IBP in the life of the nation and people.
“Notwithstanding, the brickbats against lawyers, law has been highly regarded as the noblest of all professions, though its members are not immune from temptations and other varied maladies
“This is so because the law profession is the imperative and constant element of any important decision, venture or change, more often with good intentions and beautiful aftermaths rather than ill motives with catastrophic fallouts,” he said.
“The issues of IBP are the fallouts, echoes and reverberations of the misconduct, unsavory attitudes and misperceptions of the members of the IBP. Accordingly, only the members of the IBP may untangle or unlock the solution.
“The challenge you have raised for the members of IBP may well be the beginning of the renewal and revival of national relevance of the law profession,” Romualdez said.
“With the passage of time with the renewed attitude and sincere cooperation of the members, the IBP will succeed to renew or revive its national relevance and become the vehicle of the nation to uplift its suffering from dimensional disputes requiring the wisdom of lawyers,” he added.
