Grand Ballroom, Marriot Hotel
March 23, 2017

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte led the 16th National Convention of Lawyers of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) held at the Grand Ballroom of Marriot Hotel.

Addressing the Filipino lawyers in the gathering, the President expressed his gratitude in his message to the IBP members and urged them to help the nation by becoming faithful to their oath.

“I ask the IBP to join me in reminding our fellow lawyers that we are indeed free to choose our battles. Our loyalty must nonetheless remain with our oath of office, under country,” President Duterte said.

The Chief Executive underscored that Filipinos must be assertive in combatting corrupt acts in the government. He also ordered all government offices to fast-track their services and contract procurements while making sure it is with the highest quality possible and graft-free, or else explain to him what went wrong.

“Each and every department has only one month. Or state the reason why the application is denied,” he said.

President Duterte stressed that lawlessness has no place under his leadership, and pleaded for peace and order not just in Mindanao, but also in the whole country. Likewise, he also said that his war against illegal drugs will not stop despite its widespread operations throughout the archipelago. He mentioned that drugs and terrorism intersect, and vowed to put an end to these problems.

As mandated by the Republic Act No. 6397, the IBP was formed as the official organization of all Philippine lawyers whose names appear in the Roll of Attorneys of the Supreme Court.

The biennial convention carries the theme “Global and Regional Integration of Legal Services: Challenging the Philippine Status Quo”, where the IBP member lawyers discussed about the updates on legal developments and current trends in the different areas of the practice of law, particularly the opportunities and challenges arising from the global and regional integration of legal services.

Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, IBP National President Atty. Rosario T. Setias-Reyes, the previous IBP national presidents, and the board governors of the IBP were also present during the event.

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