MANILA, Philippines – New lawyers took their oath before the Supreme Court (SC) magistrates, who were sitting in a special en banc session on Monday, May 22, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
In a speech, SC Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno told new lawyers to “arm yourselves well with idealism tempered by wisdom; passion strengthened by persistence; knowledge of the law honed by dedicated hard work. You are the lifeblood of the legal profession. Continue to revitalize the field.”
Sereno added: “To push forward with all courage and integrity as you take your place among your colleagues in our collective task to uphold, preserve, and defend the rule of law; hold this foremost in your mind: the law exists to achieve justice for all, not merely a privileged few, and when you choose where to serve, remember where the need is most urgent; remember your roots. Choose to serve where the need is greatest.”
A total of 3,747 out of 6,344 examinees passed the exams, with Karen Mae Calam of the University of San Carlos in Cebu topping it with a grade of 89.05%.
The 2016 bar exams registered a passing rate of 59.06%, said to be the highest in at least 30 years.
Here are some of the highlights of the oathtaking:
Read the full text of Chief Justice Sereno’s speech: “Great lawyers form under most terrible conditions.” – Ben Nabong/Rappler.com
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