VILLAR TO LAWYERS: BE RESILIENT AMIDST TRYING TIMES
Recommends firm renewal of the defining vision and mission of the profession of law

Senate President Manny Villar, who was the guest speaker at the 11th National Convention of Lawyers in Cagayan de Oro City, emphasized the crucial role that lawyers and legal practitioners play in protecting civil liberties and freedom in the country.

Truly, difficult times demand resilience on the part of everybody. Failure to adapt to changes in the environment can be fatal. However, we need more than the capacity to make corresponding adjustments. When the rule of law is in peril, when the very ground on which the legal profession is being shaken, cites Villar in his speech.

According to Villar, there is a need for a firm renewal of the defining vision and mission of the profession of law. He further cites that sustaining the rule of law is everybodys business but the responsibility is heavier for the legal profession.

Lawyers are the primary guardians of the rule of law. If the supremacy of law is impaired, the moral ascendancy of lawyers necessary suffersfor if the rule of law is the underpinning of any civilized society, then the will to uphold it must be seen in the light of the essentials of nationhood, adds Villar.

Villar also acknowledged the fact that besides the rule of law, the profession of law is also facing a lot of challenges. Through the Senate Committee on Public Order, which he used to chair, Villar conducted a series of public hearings on extrajudicial killings over a period of more than a year. The result of which was reported out on Committee Report No. 150 signed by the members of the committee.

In May 2005, Villar also filed Senate Resolution 267 directing his committee to conduct an investigation into the findings of Netherlands-based International Association of Peoples Lawyers (IAPL) which labeled the Philippines as the most dangerous place for lawyers and judges.

In the same month, Villar also filed Senate Resolution 252 to conduct an inquiry into media killings, in particular into the findings of New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) that identified the Philippines as the most murderous country for journalists. It aims to recommend policy measures to protect press freedom and to carry out the resolute implementation of justice in the country.

A society where there is no rule of law and no one skilled in applying the law is a chaotic society where the weakest among us have no chance and the strongest among us have no restraint. The rule of law is the backbone of a democratic, peaceful and orderly society and an efficient and trustworthy judiciary is the true guardian of our freedom and the last line of defense against tyranny, cites Villar on his Senate Resolution.