The Chief Executive called on the graduating law students of West Visayas State University (WVSU) to uphold integrity, fairness, and truth as they prepare to enter the legal profession.
Speaking at the 3rd Commencement Exercises of the WVSU College of Law in Iloilo City, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told the 24 graduates of Batch Daguob that their future role as lawyers would carry a duty far greater than personal success.
The President said the law requires discipline, objectivity, and firmness, but stressed that justice must always remain rooted in humanity, compassion, fairness, and respect for human dignity.
Marcos said the legal profession has long been part of his personal life, citing his late father, former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos, who is also a lawyer and a faculty member of WVSU.
He said he was aware of the hardships faced by the graduates, from recitations and classroom debates to examinations, and commended them for enduring the demands of law school.
“You are here because you continued to persevere despite facing many difficulties and challenges,” Marcos said.
The President said the true measure of a lawyer goes beyond intelligence or eloquence, emphasizing that character remains essential in the practice of law.
He added that the strength of the country’s justice system depends greatly on the quality of those who will serve in it, which is why the administration continues to invest in education and institutional reforms.
Marcos said the government has allotted more than P1.30 trillion this year for education, which he described as a reflection of the administration’s belief that national progress begins with empowering the people.
He also led the inauguration of WVSU’s new College of Law building, a four-story facility designed to support legal education and practical training.
The building includes six classrooms with a capacity of 40 students each, a dedicated review room, two moot courts, offices, and other essential facilities.
Marcos said the new facility would open more opportunities for aspiring legal professionals to learn, serve, and contribute to the country.
In his message to the graduates, the President cited former President Ramon Magsaysay’s statement that “those who have less in life should have more in law.”
He said the quote serves as a reminder that lawyers have a responsibility to protect the poor, the vulnerable, the marginalized, and the disenfranchised, especially those who lack wealth, influence, or power.
Marcos also warned that public trust in institutions is being tested, making the responsibility of future lawyers even more important.
He said the graduates’ success would not only be measured by the cases they win or the positions they hold, but by the confidence people place in them, the fairness with which they practice, and the integrity they show even when no one is watching.
“May you always choose principle over convenience, truth over falsehood, and service over self-interest,” Marcos said.
The President urged the graduates to use their legal training to help build a country where the rule of law is respected, justice is accessible, and every Filipino can live with dignity and hope.