Skip to main content

Drilon: Liberalized PH legal profession needed for ASEAN integration

By
DISTINGUISHED LAWYERS: Senate President Franklin M. Drilon is joined in a souvenir photo by current Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno (extreme left) and retired Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban (extreme right) taken during the 12th ALA General Assembly held at the Makati-Shangri-la Hotel on February 27, 2015, Friday. Drilon, a former Secretary of Justice, was a guest of the event, which was attended by justices, judges, law teachers, law practitioners and government lawyers from all over the ASEAN region. Also in photo is ASEAN Law Association (ALA) Vice President and ALA Philippine Chairman Atty. Avelino Cruz (2nd from left.) (Photo by Joseph Vidal)

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon underscored the need to liberalize the Philippine legal profession to permit foreign lawyers to practice in the country, and help Filipino law practitioners to keep pace with the market and policy shifts as a result of the ASEAN integration.

At the ASEAN Law Association Assembly last February 27, Drilon told justices, judges, and other leading law practitioners in the ASEAN region that the ASEAN integration poses a challenge to members of the legal profession.

“As the integration calls for a free exchange of resources, we must ask ourselves: what does integration mean to the legal profession? What is its impact to the practice of law? In this era of integration, the ASEAN lawyer must learn to navigate multiple legal jurisdictions,” Mr. Drilon said.

"At current growth rates, it is predicted that the ASEAN would become the fourth-largest market, after the EU, U.S. and China, by 2030. However, full ASEAN integration poses a challenge to every ASEAN member country. The existing legal framework may not be sufficient for the region to achieve a completely free exchange of goods and services," Mr. Drilon pointed out.

He emphasized that a stronger and more efficient legal apparatus will help the Philippines capitalize on all the economic and development opportunities provided by the ASEAN integration.

“Currently, in the Philippines the practice of law is currently restricted only to Filipino lawyers. This proposal for liberalization allows for collaborative work between Filipino and foreign lawyers where the matter or transaction involves both domestic and foreign law,” he explained.

He added that it is time to establish a procedure in which foreign lawyers and firms may be able to assist their clients in cross border transactions where the Philippines is involved.

“The liberalization of law practice will help strengthen the country's legal profession, and will help the country face the many challenges in the political and business sector being created due to the ASEAN Integration starting this year,” stressed Mr. Drilon.

He however, said that the proposed liberalization of law practice must ensure that foreign lawyers will live up to the standards and principles of lawyering in the Philippines, a practice that requires loyalty to the rule of law, and fidelity to the cause of the client.

The Senate leader then said that he hopes that the country's legal sector and policy makers will realize early the importance of adapting and liberalizing the country's  legal profession, and hoped that it will be a leader among ASEAN members in reforming and improving its practice of law.

“While the practice of law in the ASEAN region may be a challenge, the liberalization of the legal profession will ultimately benefit the region as a whole. The long-term effect of a legal profession that recognizes no territorial boundaries goes into the success of the ASEAN integration itself.” Mr. Drilon said.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Empanada festival: A celebration of good taste and good life

By
By Dominic B. dela Cruz & Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporters BATAC CITY—If there is one thing Batac is truly proud of, it would be its famous empanada-making business that has nurtured its people over the years. Embracing a century-old culture and culinary tradition, Batac’s empanada claims to be the best and tastiest in the country with its distinctive Ilokano taste courtesy of its local ingredients: fresh grated papaya, mongo, chopped longganisa, and egg. The crispy orange wrapper and is made of rice flour that is deep-fried. The celebration of this city’s famous traditional fast food attracting locals and tourists elsewhere comes with the City Charter Day of Batac every 23 rd  of June. Every year, the City Government of Batac led by Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta commemorate the city’s charter day celebration to further promote its famous One-Town, One Product, the Batac empanada. Empanada City The Batac empanada festival has already become...
9 comments
Read more

Free dormitories eyed for Nueva Era students in LC, Batac

By
 Nueva Era mayor Aldrin Garvida By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Nueva Era , Ilocos Norte—The municipal government here, headed by Nueva Era mayor Aldrin Garvida is planning to establish dormitories in the cities of Laoag and Batac that will exclusively cater to college students from the said cities. “Sapay la kuma ta maituloyen iti mabiit tay ar-arapaapen tayo ken iti munisipyo a maipatakderan kuma dagiti annak tayo a college students nga agbasbasa idiay siyudad iti Batac ken Laoag iti libre a dormitoryo a bukod da ngem inggana nga awan pay ket an-anusan mi paylaeng nga ibaklay kenni apo bise mayor iti pagbayad da iti kasera aggapu iti bukod mi a suweldo malaksid dagitay it-ited iti munisipyo ken iti barangay nga stipend da kada semester, ” Garvida said.    Garvida added that the proposed establishment of dormitories would be a big help to the students’ parents as this would shoulder the expenses of their children for rent and likewise they would feel...
Post a Comment
Read more

P29 per kilo rice sold to vulnerable groups in Ilocos region

By
BBM RICE. Residents buy rice for only PHP29 per kilo at the NIA compound in San Nicolas town, Ilocos Norte province on Sept. 13, 2024. The activity was under a nationwide pilot program of the government to sell quality and affordable rice initially to the vulnerable sectors. (Lei Adriano) San Nicolas , Ilocos Norte —Senior citizens, persons with disability, and solo parents availed of cheap rice sold at PHP29 per kilogram during the grand launching of the Bagong Bayaning Magsasaka (BBM) Rice held at the National Irrigation Administration compound in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte province on Sept. 13, 2024. “ Maraming salamat Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. sa inyong pagmamahal sa Region 1 lalong-lalo na sa bayan namin sa San Nicolas,” said Violeta Pasion, a resident Brgy.   18 Bingao in this town. The low-priced grains were sourced from the National Irrigation Administration’s (NIA) contract farming with irrigators' association members in the province. Along with Pasion, Epi...
Post a Comment
Read more