IN THE MATTER OF INQUIRY INTO THE ELECTIONS OF THE INTEGRATED BAR OF THE PHILIPPINES

FACTS: The newly-elected officers of the IBP were set to take their oath of office on July 4, 1989 before
the members of the Supreme Court en banc but it was disturbed by the widespread reports received by
the members of the Court about the intensive electioneering and overspending of the candidates Atty.
Nereo Paculdo, Atty. Ramon Nisce and Atty. Violeta C. Drilon. The Supreme Court resolved to suspend
the oath-taking and formed a committee to conduct the inquiry regarding this matter.
At the formal investigation, the violations that were established were the prohibited campaigning and
solicitation of votes, the use of PNB plane during the campaign formation of tickets and single slates,
giving free transportation to the delegates, giving free hotel accommodations, food, drinks and
entertainment to the delegates, campaigning by labor officials for Atty. Violeta Drilon, paying dues or
other indebtedness of the other lawyers. These activities constitute violation the idea of the strictly
non-political characteristic Integrated Bar which is enshrined in Section 4 of the IBP By-Laws.
ISSUE: WON the campaign activities of the lawyer-candidates constitute violation of the Canon 7 of the
Code of Professional Responsibility.
HELD: The candidates and many of the participants in this IBP election not only violated the By-Laws of
the IBP but also the ethics of the legal profession which imposes on all lawyers as corollary of their
obligation to obey and uphold the constitution and the laws, the duty to promote respect for law and
legal processes and to abstain from activities aimed at defiance of the law lessening confidence in the
legal system (Rule 1.02, Canon 1)
With regard to the Canon 7 of the Code of Professional Responsibility which says that A LAWYER SHALL
AT ALL TIMES UPHOLD THE INTEGRITY AND DIGNITY OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION AND SUPPORT THE
ACTIVITIES OF THE INTEGRATED BAR, the lawyer candidates failed to do so when they engaged in
unlawful practices and brushed aside the very rules that the Integrated Bar formulated for their
observance. The spectacle of the lawyers bribing or being bribed to vote one way or another, certainly
did not uphold the honor of the profession nor elevate it in publics esteem because it was publicized by
the media.