SOME 300 or so lawyers from Cagayan de Oro and nearby localities underwent a four-day mandatory continuing legal education or MCLE for the fifth compliance period.
When an instant “inventory” was made by one of the lecturers, a lawyer raised his hand when the question, “Who among you passed the bar between 1960 and 1970?” was posed. He drew cheers. And the count grew as the years became more recent.
Those in attendance included lawyers in the government service and in private practice, and the four-day “detention” (to borrow the term of city accountant Atty. Beda Joy Elot) at Grand Caprice was also an opportunity to renew friendships and of course to learn important updates in the legal profession.
When attending MCLE sessions however, some lawyers (including me) could not help it but doze off, between lectures, especially when the lecturer merely read from his notes or merely read the slides that are flashed on the screen.
For me, one lecturer who stood out this time, ironically, was Atty. Cecilio Duka, Ed.D. He is a doctor of education and has authored several books. The one thing I admired in him most is his unfading presence as a lecturer. I did not doze off even a single minute during his lectures in judicial ethics, updates in public international law, and oral advocacy.
Of course, the other lecturers were well-versed in their respective assigned subjects, but being an expert and being a good lecturer or presentor are two different things, especially when the sessions start at 8:00 o’clock in the morning and end at 6:30 in the evening for four straight days!
There was also an instant “survey” done about judges. With my limited time in the courts, I did not comment on any of the judges, but suggested that instead of them directly receiving financial assistance or allowances from local government units, it may be best if all local governments remit to the Supreme Court the amounts that would have been given directly to members of the judiciary. It will then be up to the SC to allocate the same to all judges in the country.
That way, members of the bench will be able to appear to be truly independent from any influence, including that of the local governments, if any.
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