The Supreme Court (SC) has deferred the implementation of a provision in the Revised By-Laws of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) which prohibits government lawyers from serving as IBP chapter officers for the 2025-2027 term.

The prohibition is spelled out in Section 4 of the Revised By-Laws, which the IBP said was aimed at reinforcing the group’s non-political nature and preventing involvement in political activities.

The IBP Chapter elections will be held on Feb. 22. 

In a press briefer, the SC’s Office of the Spokesperson said the High Court – in a full court resolution -- approved the request of the IBP board of governors (BOG) to allow government lawyers to hold positions for chapter officers except the post of chapter president. 

Still banned from holding officer positions in the IBP are government lawyers who are presidential appointees, prosecutors, and those employed in national government or government-owned and/or -controlled corporation officers with Salary Grade (SG) 26 or higher, those in local government units with SG 25 or higher, elected public officials, and those employed in the judiciary and quasi-judicial bodies.

The briefer also stated that “the SC also emphasized that government lawyers should not comprise more than half of the total officer positions in a chapter.”

“However, this limitation does not apply to chapters with fewer than 100 members, where officer positions may be difficult to fill due to limited membership,” it also stated.

At the same time, the SC also approved online voting provided that at least 10 percent of a chapter’s members in good standing formally request it. 

It said the online voting is aligned with the goal of the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI) to modernize legal processes and improve access. 

It stressed that the modifications apply only to the upcoming IBP chapter elections to be held on Feb. 22 and do not amend the IBP’s revised by-laws which was approved by the SC on March 8, 2023.