SC chief Sereno to new lawyers: Don't be corrupt

Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno on Wednesday rallied the 949 Bar exam passers and new lawyers to participate in a "counter-cultural revolution" to change the public's negative perception of law practitioners. "The Filipino public feeds on sad, angry jokes about corrupt, overbearing lawyers," Sereno said in a speech during the oath-taking ceremony of new lawyers at the Philippine International Convention Center. "In large part, we have been characterized as selfish, untruthful, and arrogant, as carrying ourselves with a false sense of entitlement... This public perception must stop," she added. "It is no small matter if each one of you will say in your heart, 'I will not be corrupt and I will not allow anyone to corrupt me,'" Sereno further said. Counter-cultural revolution It was the first time Sereno led the oath-taking ceremony for Bar passers as chief justice. In her speech, Sereno, who replaced Renato Corona who was ousted from office due to corruption accusations, said a "counter-cultural revolution" can bring about a reversal of this negative public perception of lawyers. "While leadership on this matter has to come from the Supreme Court, as a Constitutional body to ensure that the profession keeps to its ethics, this revolution, if it aims to succeed, must be infused with the blood of the energetic young and lifted by the heights of their creativity of imagination," she said. Sereno, the first female chief justice, reminded the black toga-clad Bar passers of the responsibility that comes with being lawyers, stressing they have to give back the "cost" that their family, the government, and regular tax payers incurred for them to become new lawyers. "Simply thinking of the magnitude of all the resources provided you cannot but make all of you grateful," she said. "The question of worth needs to be answered in terms of whether the public is able to reap an adequate return of investments in you." Sereno stressed that the Supreme Court itself has taken measures to reform the judiciary and rid it of corruption, stating the judges recently dismissed in Cebu for gross negligence. Sereno said the high tribunal is speeding up the resolution of disciplinary cases against lawyers. To uphold a lawyer's duty to serve justice to people regardless of economic status, Sereno said the high court is "seriously reviewing the rules on compulsary legal aid to be rendered" by lawyers. Bar top-notcher speaks For his part, Ignatius Michael Ingles, who topped the Bar passers with 85.64 percent, took on Sereno's challenge and vowed to be responsible and "actively participate" in the judiciary's reform programs. "If there is a stigma on how lawyers are right now, it's not only on us new lawyers to change it. Everyone is responsible. It's a call for all lawyers. It's on everyone's plate to change that perception," said the Ateneo de Manila University graduate. Asked how he personally intends to contribute in changing public perception of lawyers, Ingles said: "You have to start with yourself and ask people and friends to have a strong support system because it's hard to change a system without a strong support." Among those who took their oath was Sereno's son, Jose Lorenzo Sereno, who is also from Ateneo. Sereno had inhibited from the special en banc session where the release of the results were approved and the grades were decoded. — KBK, GMA News