University of the Philippines · College of Law

RECOGNITION RITES 2015

A Message from the Dean

Associate Justice Jardeleza’s Address to the Graduates

Gonzalo W. Gonzalez Most OutstandingLaw Intern Award for 2014-2015

SY 2014-2015 Awardees

Valedictory Speech — Prelude to Bar

UP Law Recognition Rites for Class 2015

CONTENTS

Valedictory Speech — Prelude to Bar

The University of the Philippines College of Law held its Recognition Rites for the Law graduates of Class

2015 at the UP Film Institute on Monday, 28 June 2015.

A total of 119 graduates marched down the aisle with parents and family in attendance. The Honor Roll listed 11 holders of the Dean’s Medal, with Jayson Carlos Aguilar and Cielo Marjorie Goño graduating cum laude as Valedictorian and Salutatorian, respec-tively of Class 2015.

In his opening remarks Dean Concepcion summed up the reasons for holding the Recognition Rites. He said that these were (1) to recognize the role of the College for the training and knowledge the Class of 2015 had received and a salute to their teachers and classmates; (2) to recognize the Parents for their all-out support given to their sons and daughters through their years in the College; (3) to recognize the debt owed to “Inang Bayan” for the education received in the University of the Philippines. The Dean ended with the wish that Class of 2015 would prove to be future advocates of the people as they pursued their individual careers.

Honorable Francis H. Jardeleza, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines and member of UP Law Class of 1974, delivered the keynote address.

In a speech stirring in its simple message, Justice Jar-deleza touched on three requirements of a ‘successful’ law career the graduates could look forward to. He said that these were Luck, Hard work, and Intellectu-al Honesty, recounting how these had served him in his personal career. In concluding, he exhorted the graduates that as lawyer and Counsel, to always “be an honest broker” to their client. After retiring from legal practice in the corporate sector at age 60, Jus-tice Jardeleza joined the Public Service first as Deputy Ombudsman and then as Solicitor General before his appointment to the country’s High Court.

Jayson Aguilar delivered the valedictory for Class of 2015. The pursuit of Honor and Excellence was also the theme of his talk, as was that of the keynote speak-er. Addressing his batch mates, he chose to remind them that they were “not just scholars of the College, but more significantly, of the University of the Philip-pines. He also said that “Legal education is a shared responsibility between students and the Faculty,” which drew applause from the Law Faculty on stage.

The closing rite in the program was the induction of Class 2015 into the Law Alumni Association with Atty. Victor Lazatin, Chair of the UPLAA, adminis-tering the Oath of Loyalty.

Carlos Sison Go, an incoming fourth year student, served as Master of Ceremonies for the event.

Roshan T. Jose

UP LAW RECOGNITION RITES FOR CLASS 2015

Guest of Honor, former Deans, Associate Dean, College Secretary, members of the Regular Faculty, Lecturers.

Parents, guests, and graduates.

Una sa lahat, magpuri tayo sa poong maykapal sa-pagkat kanyang niloob ang pagsapit ng dakilang araw na ito.

Pangalawa, magpugay tayo sa ating Kolehiyo para sa mga butil ng karunungang sa ating mga isip at diwa ay kanyang ikinintal.

Pangatlo, magpasalamat tayo sa ating mga guro at mga kamag aral na gumabay at sumama sa ating paglalakbay.

Magpasalamat tayo ng lubos at taos sa ating mga magulang at kapamilya, para sa pawis na sa kanila’y umagos, sa di mabilang na gabing di pagkatulog, sa li-pas ng gutom, sa sakit ng katawan at matinding sama ng loob, na kanilang tiniis at binata upang ang ating pag-aaral ay maitaguyod na ganap.

Higit sa lahat, ating ialay ang ating tagumpay sa ating bayan. Lilisan kayo at hahayo sa malayong pook upang hanapin ang inyong kapalaran. Huwag sana ninyong kalilimutan na kayo ay mga schol-ar ng bayan. Ginugulan ng salapi mula sa kabang bayan upang kayo ay maging mga abogado. Utang ninyo sa bayan ang karunungang ngayo’y inyong taglay. At sana pagdating ng panahong kayo’y mga matatagumpay na mga abogado na, matagpuan sana ninyo sa inyong puso ang kagustuhan at kagalakang magbayad ng utang.

Magandang hapon po sa inyong lahat.

A MESSAGEFROM

THE DEAN

Ambition and self-involvement are good. But only to a point. Better is a life of principle and ethical inspiration and example.

This is the closing statement of Supreme Court Associate Jus-tice Francis H. Jardeleza when

he addressed the UP Law Class of 2015.In his commencement address, Justice Jardele-

za narrated three important stories of his life and the lessons he learned and wished to impart on the graduates.

The first story was his first employment right after law school, the hardships as well as the rewards that came with it. He shared how luck and talent played a role in his life, but most importantly, how hard work is the most important key to success.

Thank you for your very kind words. Our beloved Dean Danny Concepcion, our beloved

former dean Raul Pangalangan; distinguished mem-bers of our full-time faculty, and distinguished fellow professorial lecturers (I still considver myself a profes-sorial lecturer, if on indefinite leave);

The UP Law Faculty—pound for academic pound—the best law faculty in the Philippines;

Our ever-dependable and loyal staff, both at the col-lege and the law center;

Address to the GraduatesAssociate Justice Francis H. Jardeleza

Continued

The second story focused on the importance of intellectual honesty. Quoting the words of former United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, “Be an honest broker,” Justice Jardeleza shared his experiences as the former Solicitor General and how he placed importance on being full, fair, and truthful as a lawyer.

In his third and last story, Justice Jardeleza re-called a difficult time in his career when he was on his way to becoming a Justice of the Supreme Court. On facing difficulties, his advice was to stand your ground and push back. “There are a lot of sharks in the world. If you hope to complete the swim, you will have to deal with them.”

To the members of the graduating Class of 2015, thank you for inviting me here today.

If the UP Law Faculty is the best law faculty of the land, you are the crème de la crème. The A-list. The fin-est law graduates of the land!

But there’s a catch. Well, there are actually two. You are, of course, the best class. But then all UP Law

batches, my own Glorious Class of 1974 included, be-lieve they are the best class the College has ever pro-duced. So you are the best, but again only until we see your bar performance.

The class of 1974 had four in the Top Ten and only two casualties. Try to top that!

In the old days, it was an article of faith that in the battlefield that is the bar exam, no man should ever be left behind. I am honored to have been on the side of Dean Danny when he, aspiring to be Dean, together with like-minded members of the faculty, courageously rejected the suggestion that UP Law accept, as official policy, an 80 percent passing average in the bar.

An 80 percent passing rate would mean a 20 percent failing rate. Count one to five among you. At least every fifth person would have been left behind; even before the first shot was fired. So you should be thankful Dean Danny became our Dean.

I won’t neglect to acknowledge your associate dean. I last taught Civ Pro and Admin Law in 2010, so I don’t believe any of you were my stu-dents. In the rarefied stratosphere that is the UP Law Faculty, I am bet-ter known as the husband of Ma’am Chit. So a pleasant good afternoon also to Ma’am Chit, your associate dean. Ma’am Chit outranks me both in the faculty, and not surprisingly, at home.

Finally, allow me to greet all the parents, siblings, spouses, children, friends and loved ones of the mem-bers of the Class of 2015 a very pleasant good afternoon.

I’d like to share with you three sto-ries from my life.

My first story is about luck, talent and hard work.

In 1974, we didn’t have career talks or jobs fairs like you do today. Many of the big law firms were in Makati, but none of us had the faintest idea about their working hours or pay scales.

Bar exams then were held in November. On our last Sunday, Franklin Drilon (Class of 1969) asked me to see him at ACCRA. I politely sent word that I would be flying to Iloilo to spend Christmas but would see him as soon as I get back.

The day after New Year’s day, I was back at Ipil Resi-dence Hall, and I chanced upon my blockmate and fel-low promdi, Luis “Chito” Vera Cruz, Jr. I told him about Frank Drilon and ACCRA, and Chito volunteered to go with me to see him the next day. So off we went to see Frank Drilon, who referred us to Teodoro “Teddy” Rega-la (ACCRA hiring partner; UP Law Class of 1958). Teddy must have liked what he saw because he hired both of us on the spot and we joined the litigation department.

Chito and I shared a windowless room on the fourth floor of the ACCRA Building. After two weeks, our bod-

ies began to ache. We were doing 12-hour days and had to work over the weekends. Our world began to be measured in one-sixths of an hour, logged onto time sheets, for the purpose of billing clients, to the tune of hundreds of pesos per hour. We had no cars. We rode the JD Bus from Diliman to Makati with our barongs tucked neatly inside our Samsonite attaché cases.

Those were heady days. Those were back-breaking days. We bragged to family and friends how our time was worth hundreds of pesos. Privately, we humbled ourselves learning the ropes and doing grunt work. In time, Ma’am Chit and I married, and given my work-load, she put off her career to take care of our chil-dren. In Chito’s case, he seemed to postpone any idea

of marriage altogether.

In time, Chito and I climbed up the job ladder in ACCRA. Our work hours kept getting longer. We were assigned more important cases and the responsibilities given us were greater. The list of missed an-niversaries and PTA meetings got longer and longer. Ma’am Chit will testify to that. We eventually made partner. I became chair of litigation before I left ACCRA in 1987. Chito, on the other hand, stayed on to be a star litigator and co-managing partner. Perhaps because of that, he lost a lot of hair. I know he re-tires this year.

This is the story of how we joined ACCRA and how we start-ed our law careers. Was it chance? Should I chalk it up to luck that Senator Drilon knew me person-ally? We were kababayans, gradu-

ates of the same high school; our families knew each other. In the case of Chito, we were dorm mates. Was it serendipity?

Then again, maybe it was not all down to pure luck. I was class salutatorian and Chito was number four in our batch. At the very least, we had some talent, hav-ing survived four years at UP Law. We put in many long hours studying. Our diplomas and class rankings must also have counted for something. True, our diplomas were our passports which opened doors for us. But the doors only opened up to a world of even more work. And we worked like we never worked before.

Let us, to use the words of Steve Jobs, “connect the dots1” between luck, talent and hard work. Life is a combination of the three. Luck no doubt plays a role in your life but only fools leave everything to chance.

1. Commencement Address before Class 2005 of the Stanford University.

Continued

True, our diplomas were our passports

which opened doors for us. But the doors only opened up to a world of even more work.

And we worked like we never worked before.

Talent is God-given. It is a gift, like the gift of a UP Law education, which gives you a headstart that grad-uates of other schools can only dream of. But it doesn’t stop with talent. To succeed, you need to work, and work hard. There is no magic bullet. There is no algo-rithm you can plug into as a shortcut or a talisman that will magically bring you success.

As in everything, you have to work on your talent. As the prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde said in her much-acclaimed commencement address: “Nothing can take the place of hard work –not even talent. As they say, hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard.”2

My second story is about being an honest broker and an example of intellectual honesty.

When I became Solicitor General in 2012, I decided to compete head to head with the biggest law firms in recruiting the best talent. However, before I could start my campaign, I had to resolve a very personal issue. As you now know, I started my career with a big firm. After a few twists and turns, I joined a conglomerate, where I stayed 15 years, retiring when I was 60. Only then did I join government. I asked myself, given my career histo-ry, how could I ask and persuade fresh law graduates to join me in public service? Even the catchy OSG recruit-ment tag line, “Wanted Patriots” would have sounded hollow. It took a while before I realized that the solution was staring at me in the face. I just needed to do what I have always done: Be truthful to people.

Thus, I ventured into the law school heartlands talking to graduates and laying out to them in the most candid of terms, the pros and cons of joining the public

2. Commencement Address before Class 2015 of the School of Humanities and the John Gokongwei School of Management of the Ateneo de Manila University.

sector versus the private sector. We compared the two, in terms of working conditions, hours of work, com-pensation, long-term financial prospects, demands on family, demands on personal time, and the level of pro-fessional satisfaction.

I had an amazing time with the students. But the generation gap couldn’t have been wider. The shift in values was so dramatic. I belong to what I call the “gen-eration that gives back.” We were the Iskolar ng Bayan. Many of us joined the private sector but now that we’ve raised and provided for our families, we are trying to give back to society by joining government. We be-lieved we could do well and do good.

You, on the other hand, belong to what we might call the “pay it forward generation.”You are the new breed of Iskolar ng Bayan. “Paying it forward” is a phrase that didn’t exist in our time. This generation is more willing to forgo material advancement in favor of doing good by serving people now. At the same time, you’re not putting off living your lives—raising a family, and man-aging to keep a healthy work-life balance.

When I talk to your generation, I’ve often reflected on how different today’s legal work place is from when I was a young lawyer. You have far more access to infor-mation and you should you be grateful for this. Tech-nology exists to facilitate better lives and more joyful and productive days by making tasks like research eas-ier and more efficient. Information is empowering. It allows you to make purposive, well-thought out deci-sions and choices.

I’ve always told students, that as you make your choices, have the honesty and integrity to live by your decisions. The professional and material rewards are different in each sector, but so too are the costs. Just be consistent and true to yourself. Don’t join government, especially the judiciary, and then pine for the pay, perks and trappings of the private sector. Conversely: don’t join a big firm, and complain about demands made on your time.

By the time I left OSG, I’d recruited more than 65 young patriots, three-fourths of them from UP Law. What’s more, we had 11 bar topnotchers in our ranks.

After you have put in the hard work, you will realize that some lawyers will be a cut above others. There will be lawyers and lawyers with a capital “L”. What spells the difference? For me, it starts with the discipline of in-tellectual honesty. You will spend your formative years toiling to make sure your research is impeccable, your analysis penetrating and your written or oral argumen-tation forceful. But as you climb up the ladder, time will come when your mentor, or your client, will ask:“So, be-tween these options—all of which are perfectly legal—which way do I go?”

When this happens, savor that magical moment. It means you have arrived. You will have graduated a

Continued

Photo credit: GMANetwork.com/news

second time, this time, from plain lawyer, to being a counselor, a consiglieri, a confidant to the most im-portant client who will ever matter, the senior partner, the business tycoon, or the public policy decision mak-er. But how do you get to that point? On top of hard work, you must have the honesty to line up the options for your client, whether he be the chief executive of a company or the chief executive of a nation.

You may not realize this now, but UP Law trains you to have the ability to be this kind of lawyer. As Dean, later Justice Cortes, kept pounding on us: it’s here, within these halls that you are trained to see the forest for the trees. Winnow from what is unimportant, only that which is important; so that, at the highest levels of law practice, you can reduce into a one pager the most complex of problems and their solutions.

When I was general counsel, I preached to my law-yers the credo of former United States Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice: be an honest broker.3 Your prin-cipal will come to trust you if you are an honest broker.

When I became Solicitor General, the workplace became different, but the gospel remained the same. I insisted that the OSG must present its arguments to the Supreme Court in a manner which is full, fair and truthful.4 That would inspire confidence in the Su-preme Court. My favorite quote was from an unnamed lawyer in the American OSG “One of the traditions in the SG’s office is that we don’t hide the ball. We try to be full and frank in making our arguments, to give the whole picture.”

So my advice to you: be an honest broker. Be intel-lectually honest, and you will inspire confidence and gain the trust of, your client. In doing so, you earn for yourself, in the community, a reputation for rectitude, objectivity, restraint and integrity.

My third story is about my near death experience.

When I became Solicitor General in 2012, I thought I had reached the pinnacle of my career. Former Unit-ed States Solicitor General Rex Lee described the po-sition as “probably the creamiest lawyering job in the country.5” But, as former United States Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart said, while the Solicitor Gener-al’s office provides “the best lawyer’s jobs,” a seat on the Supreme Court may be “the best job in American law.6” Thus, after two and a half years as Solicitor Gen-eral, I aspired for a seat in our Supreme Court.

3. Rice, Condoleezza. “No Higher Honor: A Memoir of My Years in Washington.” New York: Broadway Paperbacks, 2011, pp. 13-22. 4. Speech before the Philippine Bar Association on its 121st Anniversary, April 20, 2012. 5. Salokar, Rebecca Mae, “The Solicitor General: The Politics of Law.” Temple University Press, 1994. 6. Caplan, Lincoln, “The Tenth Justice: The Solicitor General and the Rule of Law.” New York: Vintage Books, 1987.

And then, I hit a major roadblock. The Chief Justice and the senior associate Justice of the Supreme Court objected to my nomination, on grounds that I lacked integrity in my handling of the West Philippine Sea ar-bitration. It came as a complete surprise; I didn’t know what hit me. This was the start of the most difficult two months of my life, and that of Ma’am Chit, and of our children.

You will read most about what happened in Jardele-za v. Sereno. What the case will not tell you, though, is how much pain the vicious untruths hurled my di-rection caused me and my family. It will also not tell you why I could not talk about the West Philippine Sea arbitration.

You spend a whole lifetime building a reputation worthy of your parents. My father finished law in a school in Iloilo, and he passed the bar on the second try. He practiced solo until he had to take a low gov-ernment job for its steady income. This was when my siblings and I were entering high school. My mother was a pharmacist, and a college teacher. She taught pi-ano to the daughters of the well-heeled gentry of Jaro, Iloilo to supplement her income. They both worked very hard, paid their taxes and saved. They borrowed to build a house, and paid the debt in twenty years.

They never owned a car in their lifetime. Their only dream was to send all of us to UP, which they did.

You also spend a whole lifetime building a repu-tation worthy of your family. Ma’am Chit and I have raised our three children in the same way our own parents reared us. We’ve worked hard, paid our taxes, filed our SALN; we saved to give our children the best education, and we wished only to bequeath them a good name. We come from humble beginnings, and we live a modest life. A good name and reputation are what’s most important to us.

So when my integrity was attacked, I knew I had to fight back, if only to clear my name.

It was hard to defend myself because I couldn’t talk about the West Philippine Sea arbitration. First, as a lawyer, I had to keep the confidences of my client, the Republic of the Philippines. Under our code of ethics, we carry the secrets of the client to the grave. These secrets include case litigation strategy and tactics. You do not telegraph these to the adversary. That would be treason.

Second, I couldn’t even confirm or deny the exis-tence of a leaked memorandum purporting to show the judgment calls being debated in the highest levels of the Executive Department of Government. As you can imagine, there are laws and administrative orders prohibiting public officers charged with the custody of confidential and secret documents from revealing

Continued

their contents.7 My accusers violated these laws with impunity. Criminal wrongdoing was piled upon bra-zen disregard of the inviolability of state secrets. Laws were broken when (1) persons who had custody of of-ficial documents leaked them to persons not members of the legal team, and (2) when the latter recklessly placed them in the public domain. Read again Jardele-za v. Sereno. Read carefully between the lines.

Fortunately for me, the Supreme Court decided to allow my name to be placed in nomination, and the President appointed me to the Court.

I was so close to professional death, an inglorious end to a career I had worked so hard to nurture. It is an experience I would not wish on anybody.

But, as the cliché goes, life is not fair. You try to be good, but the reality is unkind persons roam this world. If these souls try to do you harm what do you do?

“Don’t back down from the sharks.” “Face down the bullies.” These are among the life lessons given by Na-val Admiral William H. McRaven to the graduates of the University of Texas, in the commencement address he gave in 2014. To quote Admiral McRaven: “There are a lot of sharks in the world. If you hope to complete the swim, you will have to deal with them.”

7. See Memorandum Circular No. 78, Promulgating Rules Governing Secu-rity of Classified Matter in Government Offices, August 14, 1964. See also Memorandum Circular No. 196, amending MC No. 78, July 19, 1968; Letter of Instruction No. 1420. Prohibiting disclosure to unauthorized persons, the media or general public, top secret, secret, confidential or restricted matters; Executive Order No. 608, Establishing a National Security Clear-ance System for Government Personnel with Access to Classified Matters and For Other Purposes, March 30, 2007; Republic Act No. 6713, Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees; Civil Service Commission Resolution No. 1101502, Revised Rules on Adminis-trative Cases in the Civil Service (RRACCS), November 18, 2011.

Part of basic Navy SEAL training involves swimming in the shark-infested waters off Clemente Island in San Diego. Admiral McCraven’s advice? When a shark circles your position, stand your ground. Don’t swim away. If it moves in to attack, you must summon all your strength and courage and punch that shark in the snout.

Admiral McCraven, with the bravado of a true Navy Seal, assumes that the sharks and bullies will swim away when you punch them. I don’t know about that. Sharks and bullies can be brutal. I cannot guarantee that you will triumph over the bullies and the sharks. In my case, I almost perished. I was bloodied. But I stood my ground. I pushed back.

So that’s my advice to you: when faced with a bully, push back. With everything you’ve got. With all your UP Law training. Do it for your parents. For yourself. For your spouse. For your children. For your loved ones. For your class.

To close…

You know, for some people, the achievement of greatness or success is measured by money in the bank, job titles, press coverage. For this generation maybe, the number of followers you have on Twitter. If this is your definition of success and your aspiration, then I wish it for you. But beyond that, remember that the challenge of living a life of integrity, of principle, of steadfastness—and doing it all without recogni-tion and applause—is harder, yet far more rewarding. Ambition and self-involvement are good. But only to a point. Better is a life of principle and ethical inspiration and example.

Class of 2015, thank you for sharing your after-noon with me, God Bless you and Godspeed!

Prelude to Bar

It is graduation season again, at least in UP. I am sure that in at least one of the speeches delivered throughout the country there is a line which

says, “This is not the end; it is just the beginning.” Or more emphatically in Filipino, “Hindi ito pag-tatapos, bagkus ito’y simula pa lamang.”

And whenever I hear this line I cannot help but ask, “Why are we so averse to calling an end an end?” Is there anything wrong with rejoicing over your ac-complishment after all the trials, the hardships, and the heartaches? No, this is not just a beginning; this is the end—the end of our law school life. We are ac-tually one step closer to that dream of becoming great UP lawyers. Yes, there is still one more hurdle we need to overcome before we reach our ultimate goal. But that can wait. For now, let us relish this moment.

But it is hard to forget the Bar when it is just four months away. Frankly speaking, it is no fun to write a speech knowing that you are days behind your review schedule. So I thought of a way to make this exercise more productive. Why not have a review of some ba-sic concepts in law?

First, political law. I would have wanted to start my speech by mentioning the names of all my block-mates, as requested, but I decided not to do so be-cause that will be a violation of the equal protection clause.

To review, the requirements of a valid classifi-cation under the equal protection clause are: (a) it must rest on substantial distinctions; (b) it must be germane to the purpose; (c) it must not be limited to existing conditions only; and (d) it must apply equally to all the members of the same class. I have no doubt that my block is the best block. However, although the differences are real, they are not real-ly substantial—the other blocks do not really lag far behind. More importantly, the distinction applies to the present batch only. Sorry blockmates but, as a future officer of the court, I have no choice but to uphold the Constitution.

Kidding aside, I sincerely thank my blockmates for the four years of solid bond. We made it through those four years because of our very efficient team-work. I do hope that I will get another chance to work with you in the future already as members of the legal profession.

Second is labor law. Labor relations is a two-way pro-cess: it entails shared responsibility between work-ers and employers. The same principle is true with respect to legal education: it entails shared respon-sibility between students and professors. True, the professors are not always the ideal professors of the students, but neither are the students always the ide-al students of the professors. After all the complaints about strict academic requirements, low grades, and rough exams, we need to face the truth that we would not have been able to learn law without the guidance of our dear professors. That we do not agree with their methods is no proof that their methods are wrong. In

Valedictory Speech

Jayson AguilarValedictorianClass of 2015

Continued

Phot

o cou

rtesy

of Ju

stin B

atoc

abe

Phot

o cou

rtesy

of Ju

stin B

atoc

abe

the end, those methods are to be judged by what kind of lawyers we are going to be. To become great law-yers is the greatest recognition we can give our profes-sors. But for now, I hope a simple ‘thank you’ will do.

Next to labor is civil law. Among the duties of the par-ents under the Family Code is the duty to care for and rear their children for civic consciousness. In partic-ular, parents are obliged to stimulate the interest of their children in civic affairs and inspire in them com-pliance with the duties of citizenship. Parents are also obliged to support their children, and along this duty to support comes the duty to provide for their train-ing for some profession, trade, or vocation even be-yond the age of majority. Is it then in compliance with this legal obligation that our parents have supported us throughout our stay in law school despite the fact that we are well beyond our legal age? Certainly not, for parents send their children to school out of love.

Hence, to my Papa and Mama, thank you for tire-lessly supporting us in all our endeavors. I know it is not easy to support a law student. Law school entails significant expenses. More importantly, it demands so much time from the student that precious time for the family often needs to be sacrificed. Great understand-ing and love is needed from the parents to keep the family bond alive. Pa, ma, you showed us that kind of understanding and love. For that, I cannot thank God enough.

After civil law, we now proceed to tax. The original purpose of taxation is to raise revenues to support the existence of the government. Over the years, howev-er, it has also come to be seen as a means to promote general welfare by reducing social inequality, encour-aging economic growth, and discouraging activities that are hurtful to the people. I will like to remind you, batchmates, that lawyering is not taxation. The primary purpose of the legal profession is service and incidental only is the raising of revenue.

In the words of the Supreme Court, “In this day and age, members of the bar often forget that the practice of law is a profession and not a business. Lawyering is not primarily meant to be a money-making ven-ture, and law advocacy is not a capital that necessar-ily yields profits. The gaining of livelihood is not a

professional but a secondary consideration xxx The practice of law is a noble calling in which emolument is a byproduct, and the highest eminence may be at-tained without making much money.”1 I will be fool to claim that I entered law school without any dream of becoming rich. There is nothing wrong with that. I am not asking you to give up that dream. I am just asking you not to put it at the center of your practice of profession.

Speaking of taxes, it may not be too late to be re-minded that we are not just graduates of UP College of Law—we are, more importantly, graduates of UP. Tayo rin batchmates ay mga Iskolar ng Bayan. For four years or so, the entire nation have been our lifeblood in our quest to become great lawyers.

I know that many of us have the means to shoul-der the real cost of education in UP College of Law. That is no sufficient excuse, however, to free ourselves from the solemn oath of giving back after leaving this institution. We have not been coerced to enroll in UP. We made the decision to become part of this institu-tion. Along that decision comes the concomitant duty to serve the Filipino people in return of the trust re-posed in us during our entire stay in law school. There are many ways of giving back—by joining public ser-vice, by rendering pro bono work, or simply by pro-moting obedience and respect to law by proper exam-ple. The avenues for service are vast; we need only to take the initiative.

With that, we jump to legal ethics. Those who have al-ready taken the Bar say that we need only to remem-ber one thing to pass legal ethics: the lawyer’s oath. The lawyer’s oath is a brief paragraph that concisely summarizes the duties of a lawyer to the society, the legal profession, the court, and the client. It offers a very good alternative to memorizing the lengthy can-ons of legal ethics. The lawyer’s oath is still, however, quite wordy compared with the UP lawyer’s oath—for a UP lawyer has to remember only two things: hon-or and excellence. And those two words make all the difference.

Thank you and, to my batchmates, congratulations!

1. Burbe v. Magulta, AC No. 99-634, June 10, 2002.

Gonzalo W. Gonzalez Most Outstanding Law Intern Award for 2015

Last June 25, 2015, the University of the Philippines College of Law recognized several law interns for their remarkable and valuable performance. The most sought-after accolade, the Gonzalo W. Gonza-lez Most Outstanding Law Intern Award, was given to Mr. Ranulfo J. Javelosa III, who also garnered the Best Researcher Award, along with the cash prize of P10,000.

Atty. Gonzalo W. Gonzalez was a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Law. He played a vital role in the establishment of the Uni-versity of the Philippines Law Alumni Association and was active in participating in the Law Alumni Foundation and the Malcolm Trust Fund. He was a lawyer par excellence.

The Gonzalo W. Gonzalez Most Outstanding Law Intern Award recognizes outstanding performance in legal aid and highlights the role of clinical train-ing in the Philippine legal education system. Ar-chitect Victor N. Tiotuyco donated P100,000 to the trust fund established by the U.P. Law Alumni Foun-dation, Inc. and the earnings from this donation are utilized as the monetary prize of the Gonzalo W. Gonzalez Most Outstanding Law Intern. In 2008, upon the request of Professor Theodore Te, the cash prize was increased from P5,000 to P10,000.

The supervising lawyers nominate exemplary law interns to the director of the Office of Legal Aid. A meeting is then held to determine the awardees. Mr. Ranulfo J. Javelosa III conducted himself with utmost professionalism, highest competence and with deep and dedicated concern for the clients and causes of the University of the Philippines Office of Legal Aid, thereby exhibiting the skills, charac-ter and values of a committed, ethical and dedicat-ed advocate, rendering him more than fit to be an awardee of the Gonzalo W. Gonzalez Most Out-standing Law Intern.

Aside from the Gonzalo W. Gonzalez Most Out-standing Law Intern Award, other special awards handed out by OLA were Outstanding Pleader, Outstanding Researcher, Best Researcher, and the Distinguished Intern.

Outstanding Pleaders

Estevez, Lara Victoria O.

Memorandum for the Plaintiffs in Sps. Mabaling et. al. vs. Tumamb-ing, Civil Case Q-06-59073, RTC Quezon City, Branch 85

David, Dennice Erica L. Hernandez, Kym Leiner C.

Petition for Review on Certiorari for Manzano vs. City Government of Marikina, G.R. No. 217049, Supreme Court of the Philippines

Outstanding ResearchersBenosa, Maria Emilynda Jeddahlyn Pia V. Magno, Pacifico Angelo S. Peralta, Rhegine T. Tuason, Kathleen Mae C.

Petition for Review on Certiorari for Manzano vs. City Government of Marikina, G.R. No. 217049, Supreme Court of the Philippines

Best Researcher

Javelosa, Ranulfo III J. Legal Opinion rendered for Pro-fessor Benjamin I. Erasga

Distinguished InternsAgbayani, Juan Paolo C.Anastacio, Dave Oliver P.Beltejar, Jan Robert V.Binalla, Jeremy Kay D.De Chavez, Karren Mae C.Estevez, Lara Victoria O.Herrera, Ernesto III C.

Magno, Pacifico Angelo S.Migriño, Erika Paola M.Plaza, Paula P.Rocha, Ramon IV I.Romero, Angeli Patricia C.Tuason, Kathleen Mae C.

Batch Awardees

Published byInformation and Publication Division

U.P. Law ComplexCopyright 2015