(From left) Supreme Court Associate Justices Antonio T. Kho, Jr., Samuel H. Gaerlan, Rodil V. Zalameda, and Amy C. Lazaro-Javier; Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen; Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo; Associate Justices Ramon Paul L. Hernando, Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, Mario V. Lopez, Jose Midas P. Marquez, and Maria Filomena D. Singh pose for posterity during the national launch of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability on April 13, 2023, at the Manila Hotel.
Following the approval by the Supreme Court En Banc of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA) on April 11, 2023, the CPRA was officially launched on April 13, 2023 at the Manila Hotel before members of the legal community.
The CPRA, which serves as the Code of Conduct for all lawyers, follows a values-based framework, divided into Canons on Independence, Propriety, Fidelity, Competence, Diligence, Equality, and Accountability. It will take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or two newspapers of general circulation in the country.
In his keynote speech, Chief Justice Gesmundo explained that the “CPRA is part of our bigger campaign for ethical responsibility under our desired outcome of Efficiency, as embodied in our Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 or SPJI.”
The Chief Justice added, “In fine, the CPRA captures the virtues that all in the legal profession must live up to, and tackles the use of social media, formation and definition of the lawyer-client relationship, conduct of non-legal staff, among other intricacies experienced by practitioners today.”
The Chief Justice then called up on all lawyers to “commit and strive to uphold the core values of our profession so that we can continue to maintain the rule of law and administer justice for all, and by doing so, remain true to our calling.”
Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen led the lawyers in taking the revised Lawyer’s Oath for the first time. He also challenged them to “not only to recite and recall [the CPRA’s] provisions, but to live them.” He added, “Congealed in its words is the idea that the title of lawyer is not an individual aggrandizement. We become lawyers only because we can ethically serve others. We become lawyers only because we understand that it is not the be-all of who we should be: that we continue to build who we are as we engage, assist, and empower others.
Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, the Chairperson of the Sub-Committee for the Revision of the Code of Professional Responsibility, referred to the CPRA as the lawyers’ “Book of Life, to govern lawyers with ethics and lawyers of conscience.” She added, “Now that the CPRA is finalized, may it direct all lawyers’ path toward a competent, honest, and sincere public service. May we always be reminded, in the mission to let justice always prevail, that the practice of law has a soul of its own. And that soul has a sacred name. Ethics.”
The Sub-Committee’s Co-Vice-Chairperson, Justice Samuel H. Gaerlan, shared that beginning January 2022, “the Sub-Committee religiously met to painstakingly review the existing provisions of the old code. Over time, the Committee proposed amendments to respond to the colossal shift in the sociocultural landscape and rapid technological advancements in society.” He added, “More provisions were introduced to accurately reflect the daily lives of lawyers and resolve the problems and challenges they face, while remaining grounded to our distinct Filipino culture.”
Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh, Co-Vice-Chairperson of the Sub-Committee, explained during her closing remarks that the concept of right and wrong is at the core of ethical behavior, both professionally and personally. “We treat [law practice] as something which is separate and distinct from our individual personas or our individual characters when actually it is not. It forms one whole being. So, all the things that we say in the Code, those are not just words, and those are not just words that talk about our profession. Those are words that treat of ‘who we are,’ of ‘why we are here’, and of ‘what we should be doing’.” She added, “[T]hat is the foundation of our hope for the legal profession, that we can still be changed. We can still be moved towards doing what is right. Not just for ourselves, not just for our clients, but for the other people who truly have nothing in life but the law.”
Also present at the launch were Supreme Court Associate Justices Ramon Paul L. Hernando, Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, Rodil V. Zalameda, Mario V. Lopez, Jhosep Y. Lopez, Jose Midas P. Marquez, and Antonio T. Kho, Jr.
The Supreme Court Justices also led members of the Philippine Bar in signing the Manifesto of Commitment to Ethical Responsibility, where they expressed their adherence to the CPRA’s values and their promise to abide by the CPRA’s Canons to live up to the highest ideals of the practice of law. Among the signatories were Executive Secretary and retired Chief Justice Lucas P. Bersamin, Department of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla, Solicitor General Menardo I. Gueverra, Commission on Audit Chairperson Gamaliel A. Cordoba, Prosecutor General Benedicto A. Malcontento, and Government Corporate Counsel Rogelio V. Quevedo.
Following the signing of the Manifesto, the close to 300 attendees joined panel discussions on: “The Future of the Practice of Law: ASEAN Lawyers and Regional Practice”; “The Academe as the Frontliner for Shaping Ethical Lawyers”; and “The Technologically Adept Lawyer: Areas of Concerns and Gains.”
The drafting of the CPRA was a result of nationwide consultations with stakeholders and was supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade-Australia, The Asia Foundation, The European Union, Justice Sector Reform Program: Governance in Justice Programme (GOJUST II), the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and the Philippine Association of Law Schools.
A copy of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability will be uploaded to the Supreme Court website once the Supreme Court Public Information Office receives an official copy. (Courtesy of the Supreme Court Public Information Office)