BACOLOD
CITY - Lawyers were not smiling in this City of Smiles last Wednesday as pandemonium
broke loose at the Bacolod Pavilion and Convention Center because organizers of
the 12th National Convention of Lawyers were in an apparent disarray on how to
accommodate the influx of 2,300 delegates.
A
long queue of lawyers from Aparri to Jolo milled under the scorching summer heat
at the registration area and hundreds of them, both men and women, lost their
regal composure that lawyers are known for.
The
situation in the line for pre-registered delegates may not be exactly the same
with that of the on-site registrants but the exasperation in their faces bespeak
the comfort and convenience they are supposed to enjoy having registered several
weeks prior to the convention proper. Hundreds of them did not receive the convention
kit including a bag and a wall clock with the venerable faces of the Supreme Court
justices in it. They were similarly situated with us on-site registrants who felt
treated like lesser mortals in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.
*******
The
newsman in us, we tried to find out what caused the disarray. Atty. Ever Escalona,
our IBP Eastern Visayas governor who was among those profusely sweating inside
the air-conditioned room for the secretariat, said that the IBP national office
was only preparing for 1,200 delegates with a reservation of 300 more for a total
of 1,500.
The
arrival of 2,300 delegates was never anticipated. Hence, hell broke loose. Just
imagine the reaction of lawyers being placed in a very hostile situation and you
will have an idea of the situation. If lawyers are piqued, Houston, we really
have a problem as they wreck havoc with impunity.
At
any rate, the registration was completed in the evening but there were no more
convention IDs, kits and giveaways, just official receipts. Unfortunately, the
sessions for the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) already started while
hundreds and hundreds of delegates were still lining up outside the convention
venue waiting to be registered.
********
What
prompted lawyers to flock here for the IBP national convention? Well, aside from
the 18-unit MCLE credit, an IBP member will no longer be issued a member in good
standing (MIGS) certification required for those applying for a notarial commission
if there is now showing of attendance to national conventions like this.
At
any rate, the Bohol IBP delegation led by outgoing Pres. Isabelo Sales Jr. and
incoming Pres. Mitchell John Boiser, was able to hold the line until the end of
the convention yesterday even if we never used our meal coupons from the very
start. We just replenished ourselves with the seafoods courtesy of the new Pala-Pala
courtesy of Atty. Dodong Gonzaga,, Taboys courtesy of Gov. Erico Aumentado, Sarap
ng Manukan sang Bacolod (SMB) courtesy of our compadre, Atty. Tony Arabejo and
of course, the amenities within the Golden Fields area.
By
the way, Senators Mar Roxas and Chiz Escudero managed to get into the convention
limelight as among the convention speakers aside from Chief Justice Reynato Puno
and Secretary Margarito Teves of the Department of Finance.
*********
The
power-packed MCLE lecturers were Associate Justice Magdangal de Leon of the Court
of Appeals, Atty. Romulo Macalintal, UP Prof. Harry Roque Jr., former SC Administrator
Zenaida Elepano and Atty. Katrina Legarda.
Unfortunately,
we were not able to listen to their lectures face to face as we were instructed
to stay outside the venue as if we were third class citizens. The 1,000-capacity
grand convention hall became a small comfort room for 2,300 lawyers.
Be
that as it may, we still maintain the avowed theme of the convention which is
"Upholding the Rule of Law: IBP's Continuing Challenge."
