Justice Bernabe to new lawyers: Integrity is non-negotiable

The incoming Bar chair reminded the country's newest lawyers never to compromise their integrity as they took their oath before the Supreme Court on Thursday.

In an address to more than a thousand inductees, Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe also warned against the lure of influence and money and encouraged the development of an "unyielding" work ethic.

Passers of the 2018 Bar exam took oath during a special en banc session held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on Thursday afternoon. All of the magistrates except for Justice Jose Reyes, Jr. were present.

"I am certain that the title of an 'attorney' will open you to a new world of opportunities. But at the end of it all, always remember that in whatever opportunity you choose, your integrity is non-negotiable,"  Bernabe said in her speech.

She said members of the legal profession "bear the cause of advancing justice and the rule of law in our society," a task that she said "transcends every circumstance."

"Do not be lured by the artificial glimmer of power or money," Bernabe said. "After all, your legacy in the profession will not be measured by how much wealth you have gained or any status you have achieved, but rather by the number of lives you have touched in fighting for the cause of the oppressed in a world filled with injustice."

Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo, the 2018 Bar chair, said he hopes the new lawyers will "concentrate more of your time and energy to the service of the weak, the oppressed, the friendless and the helpless."

"Bar passers, don't fail your country, don't fail the Filipino people, and may God Almighty who is the very personification and embodiment of all that is good and just abundantly bless us all," Del Castillo said in a speech at the ceremony.

For his part, Associate Justice Marvic Leonen reminded the new lawyers to serve the Filipino people.

"Remember ours is a profession of service and our goal is to achieve social justice. Serve our people," Leonen tweeted.

Signing in the Roll of Attorneys, which would officially make one a lawyer, will start on Friday, June 14. — BM, GMA News