A Supreme Court (SC) magistrate has exhorted lawyers to strictly adhere to the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability, saying: “The true mark of an exceptional lawyer is not only a brilliant mind but likewise a strong ethical core.”
SC Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan, in a speech before the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Central Luzon Regional Convention at Grand Palazzo Royale in Angeles City, Pampanga on March 21, said: “Divorced from ethics, legal excellence is worthless. Lawyers who gain mastery of the laws, only to use them as subterfuge to perpetrate further injustice are nothing but oppressors. Lawyers who display eloquence in writing arguments, only to suppress the truth and manufacture falsehood are nothing but manipulators. Lawyers who seem to demonstrate expertise in litigation through the utilization of harassing tactics against their opponents are nothing but bullies.”
According to Gaerlan, this year’s convention theme, Justice Aligned: Elevating Ethics in the Pursuit of Legal Excellence, “underscores the critical importance of alignment between a lawyer’s pursuit of legal excellence and the ethical standards to which he or she must hold himself or herself to.”
Saying that “ethics breathes life into the practice of law,” the SC justice stressed that the CPRA “serves as a reminder and a guide to lawyers that justice can only be truly achieved when legal excellence is coupled with living ethically.”
Gaerlan pointed out that the CPRA is not merely a code of conduct, “but a way of life.”
The CPRA, although consisting of a vast array of provisions, are really simple rules on how to strengthen a lawyer’s ethical core by constantly choosing right over wrong, with a sense of understanding and acceptance that choices have corresponding consequences.
Gaerlan expressed his gratitude to the IBP for being a staunch proponent of ethics and a key partner in the creation of the lawyers’ code.
He acknowledged IBP’s assistance in the Ethics Caravans held in Cebu, Davao, Naga, and Baguio, as well as during the National Ethics Summit in Manila.
The magistrate added that the IBP’s invaluable contributions paved the way to the rebirth of the CPRA more responsive to the needs of the legal profession amidst a highly evolving legal landscape.
Gaerland also commended the IBP for consistently fulfilling its herculean task as a warden of accountability for lawyers. He cited how the deliberate undertaking of the IBP Investigating Commissioners and the IBP Board of Governors to make lawyers answerable for their transgressions preserves the integrity of the legal profession and restores the people’s faith and confidence in the judicial system.
On behalf of the Supreme Court, Gaerlan reaffirmed the Court’s commitment to safeguard the rights of each citizen and its relentless efforts to alleviate the suffering of the marginalized, the weak, and the vulnerable.