The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) has pledged to run after violators in the 2022 local and national elections.
It said it has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with election watchdog Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE), headed by former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Christian S. Monsod, “to work together and mutually support each other.”
With the MOA, IBP National President Burt M. Estrada said “through our regional chapters and legal aid offices, we hope to be able to assist in filing cases against election law violators to serve as examples and deter future violations.”
“The IBP will be helping educate and capacitate the public on the different electoral laws, issues, and processes,” Estrada said.
“Founder and Honorary Chairman of LENTE, Atty. Christian S. Monsod, underscored the critical role of lawyers and law students in guaranteeing the maintenance of law and order and in ensuring that the voice of individuals, particularly those coming from vulnerable sectors, is heard,” he said.
The IBP reminded the public “of the importance of the upcoming elections as a test of our vision of democracy.”
It noted that LENTE Executive Director Ona Caritos has called the MOA “a significant undertaking for the legal profession, through the IBP, in the pursuit and furtherance of its advocacies to elevate the standards of the legal profession, improve the administration of justice and enable the Bar to discharge its public responsibility more effectively.”
It added that Caritos said “the partnership among the IBP, law students, civil society organizations, and the general public would be pivotal to have a genuine 2022 elections.”