The House of Representatives is hopeful the Senate will prioritize the passage of a bill penalizing unauthorized law practice in order to protect the legal profession and the public from unscrupulous individuals who misrepresent themselves as lawyers.
This as the House led by Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez has approved House Bill 10691 by voting 202-0.
Section 1 of the bill proposes the penalty of prision mayor in its minimum period to prision mayor in its medium period, or a hefty fine of P100,000 up to P5 million, or both, on any person who, not being a member of the Philippine Bar, has engaged or is engaging in the unauthorized practice of law.
“House Bill 10691 hopes to significantly abate instances of fraud, misrepresentation, and deceit that undermine the proper administration of justice. With this proposed law, we hope to strengthen the trust and confidence of the public not only in the legal profession but more importantly the justice system,” Romualdez, who is also a lawyer, said.
Under the proposed measure, bearing a fake, counterfeit, or tampered identification card purportedly issued by the Supreme Court or the Integrated Bar of the Philippines exclusively for members of the Philippine Bar will be considered prima facie evidence of unauthorized practice of law.
The bill also seeks to impose the accessory penalty of perpetual absolute disqualification to hold public office on any person found guilty of the violations.
