HOUSE Speaker Martin Romualdez has called on fellow lawyers to uphold the Constitution, champion justice, and defend the weak, emphasizing that the legal profession must remain a force for fairness rather than a tool of the powerful.
“What kind of legal profession will we pass on to the next generation? One driven by profit or one that remains a beacon of hope?,” Romualdez said as he addressed members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines during its 20th National Convention of Lawyers in Lahug, Cebu.
He underscored the need for lawyers to be more than just legal practitioners, urging them to be “guardians of the nation’s moral and legal compass.”
“The legal profession today demands more than expertise—it demands courage,” he said.
“Courage to uphold the Constitution when it is inconvenient. Courage to speak the truth when silence is the safer path. Courage to stand for justice, not just for the privileged, but for those whose voices are drowned out by wealth and influence.”
Romualdez, a University of the Philippines law graduate, acknowledged the evolving landscape of the legal field, citing technological disruptions, artificial intelligence, and geopolitical shifts as new challenges for democracy and governance.
“The law is only as strong as those who defend it, as just as those who interpret it, and as relevant as those who wield it for the common good,” he said.
As House leader, Romualdez highlighted efforts to expand legal aid, strengthen judicial independence, and promote transparency in governance.
But he stressed that “the battle for justice is waged not only in Congress or the courts but in every forum where truth must be defended.”
With the House of Representatives as a steadfast ally, Romualdez assured that legislative measures would continue to support the legal profession’s role in shaping a just society.
