In response to a text message I received today from the communication center of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), in re: the 18th IBP House of Delegates to be held on November 20-22, 2008, I am reproducing below my 2006 letter to the IBP National Office suggesting various urgent reforms in the programming and performance of the IBP House of Delegates.
In my reply text message today to the IBP national communication center, I wrote:
“Re: 18th House on Nov. 20, pls. relay to Natl Pres to design the Program of Activities in a way that would give 80% of the time to Real Deliberations on Issues affecting the Bar, Bench, Justice sys., and Legal Educ. Avoid too much guests’ speeches and evening socials with too much alcohol and women. It is not a social event. It is the Lawyers’ Congress. Invite participations from law deans, laws profs asso., law NGOs, Media Asso., and law students asso., Make it a true consultative and deliberative body of lawyers. Do not waster IBP funds. Publish in Inquirer its Minutes and Resolutions. Thanks. – Atty. Manuel Laserna Jr., Founder, Las Pinas City Bar Asso; Past VP, IBPPPLM Ch.; retired Law Prof., FEU”.
My old 2006 letter suggesting various reforms to IBP is quoted in full below. (Note:
The IBP National Office ignored the letter. To this day, it remains unanswered).
LASERNA CUEVA-MERCADER
& Associates Law Offices
Unit 15, Star Arcade, C.V. Starr Avenue, Philamlife Village
Las Pinas City 1743 Philippines
Tel/Fax: (0 63 2) 8742539 & 8725443; Mobile : (0 63 920) 326 8824
Email: lcmlaw@gmail.com
Website: http://groups.msn.com/lasernacuevamercader
December 4, 2006
Fax
Atty. JOSE VICENTE SALAZAR
National President
Integrated Bar of the Philippines
Pasig City
RE : 17th HOUSE OF DELEGATES
M A B U H A Y:
Peace!
May I suggest the following in re: the holding and management of future annual sessions of the august IBP House of Delegates:
1. After the evening opening ceremonies on the 1st day, the entirety of the next day (2nd day) and of the 3rd day of the House of Delegates should be focused on pure DELIBERATIONS, not lectures and speeches.
The 17th House spent only 2 hours on deliberations (10 AM to 12 PM on the 3rd day). By then, many had gone home early to their respective chapters, trying to beat their plane schedules in Manila.
Only one keynote speech should be allowed during the opening ceremonies.
The entire event should be devoted to pure and focused deliberations of the resolutions, motions and ideas of the delegates from the chapters throughout the country.
The House is not an MCLE venue or a class seminar but a full-blown DELIBERATIVE BODY of the IBP as enunciated in its By-Laws.
We should grasp the rare opportunity of full and open deliberations by the House of all issues raised by the delegates that affect the IBP, the legal profession, the rule of law, the justice system, the legal education, and the state of the nation and of the world.
The House is the Congress of the 40,000-strong IBP lawyer population.
Let its DELIBERATIVE NATURE be optimized to the fullest for the good of the IBP and the legal profession.
2. It is best to conduct a professional pre-House SURVEY among the chapters and regions to identify the vital issues the chapters might wish to raise in the next House and to measure the degree of their knowledge and attitudes towards such vital issues.
From among the many vital issues, the Board should focus on the top five (5) vital issues for plenary workshop and deliberation purposes.
Let us professionalize the preparation, planning and management of the House, especially in re: its substantive, qualitative and deliberative content.
3. The report of the House should be published in two (2) national dailies and circulated among the mass media nationwide.
The Board should budget funds for the purpose.
Let the general public know our vital resolutions and ideas.
It is not enough to publish the abstract of the House in the IBP Newsletter, whose internal circulation is very limited.
The IBP should sponsor the law deans in the country, the presidents of the law student councils in the country, the heads of selected top law NGOs in the country, and the presidents of the judges associations, court personnel associations, a representative each from the National Press Club, the JUCRA and the JUROR (judicial mass media), a JBC representative, a CA and a SC representative, a representative from the law and justice committees of both houses of Congress, a representative from the DOJ, a representative from the Ombudsman, and a representative from Malacanang Palace to attend the House as non-delegates and observers, free of charge, with the power to participate in the deliberations but without the power to vote.
We need their academic and objective feedback and ideas to protect the House from the genetic danger of intellectual inbreeding, so to speak.
4. The delegates should be asked to evaluate (using a professionally prepared form) the House proceedings before each adjournment.
The goal is to improve future House sessions.
X x x. (This part is omitted. It refers to my protest on too much evening alcohol, dancing, etc. at night time during the event period)
May your day be blessed, enlightened and liberated. Thank you.
Sincerely.
Atty. Manuel J. Laserna Jr., A.B., LL.B., LL.M.
Delegate, 17th IBP House of Delegates, 2006
Managing Partner, LCM Law, Las Pinas City
Vice Pres., IBP PPLM Chapter, 2005-07
Founder, Las Pinas City Bar Assn, 2001
FEU Professor of Law, 1985-2006
