SOME 3,500 lawyers and members of the judiciary attended the 19th National Convention of Lawyers from Feb. 16 to 18 at the SMX Convention Center in Davao City. This was in line with the celebration of the 50th founding anniversary of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).
I am privileged to be part of this event which was graced by the Supreme Court justices and national officers of the IBP. I would like to humbly share my experience and what I learned during the convention.
The opening of the convention was led by Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo who cited the notable achievements of the IBP since 1973. He highlighted the contribution of the organization in the professional competence of lawyers, public service, and good conduct. He also expressed his appreciation for how the organization has helped the court in these challenging times brought about by the pandemic.
On the other hand, Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen made a call to everyone to report to the Supreme Court any retired member of the Judiciary, including retired Justices, who may be involved in corruption.
He stressed that corruption weakens the rule of law and the confidence of the people in the government. He said that any court [of justice] that is corrupt becomes an instrument only of those in power. Thus, “it will maintain the status quo. It will favor those who have resources or force those who have none to commit other crimes just to be able to corrupt judges and court personnel.”
These stories are validated not only by those that come out of the media but also by cases decided by the Supreme Court.
Personally, I love listening to topics about Arbitration and International Law. On the second day, Atty. Teodoro Y. Kalaw IV discussed the Best Practices in Arbitration Strategy and Evidence. I learned how arbitration is used in recent trends and how it may be applied to the legislative framework. These recent trends include commercial disputes and international business transactions.
I also learned the arbitrator’s power to require a person to attend a hearing as a witness or to subpoena witnesses and take measures to safeguard any matter that is the subject of the dispute in arbitration.
On the third and last day, Atty. Andre C. Palacios discussed International Law Solutions to Philippine Law Problems. He shared with us the case studies of his students from the University of the Philippines – College of Law on which they applied International Law in Philippine cases.
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines is a national organization of all lawyers in the Philippines, established in 1973 by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 181. Its creation was brought about by the need to provide a unified and organized voice for the legal profession in the Philippines./PN
