Section
1. Organization. - There is hereby organized an official
national
body to be known as the "Integrated Bar of the Philippines," composed
of all persons whose names now appear or may hereafter be included in
the
Roll of Attorneys of the Supreme Court.
Sec. 2. Purposes.
- The fundamental purposes of the Integrated Bar shall be to elevate
the
standards of the legal profession, improve the administration of
justice,
and enable the Bar to discharge its public responsibility more
effectively.
Sec. 3. Regions.
- The Philippines is hereby divided into nine Regions of the Integrated
Bar, to wit:chanroblesvirtuallawlibrary
(a) Northern
Luzon, consisting of the provinces of Abra, Batanes, Benguet,
Cagayan,
Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Isabela, Kalinga-Apayao, La Union,
Mountain
Province, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino.
(b) Central
Luzon, consisting of the provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija,
Pampanga, Pangasinan, Tarlac, and Zambales;
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(c) Greater
Manila, consisting of the City of Manila and Quezon City;
(d) Southern
Luzon, consisting of the provinces of Batangas, Cavity Laguna,
Marinduque,
Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Quezon, and Rizal;
(e)
Bicolandia,
consisting of the provinces of Al bay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur,
Catanduanes, Masbate, and Sorsogon;
(f) Eastern
Visayas, consisting of the provinces of Bohol, Cebu, Eastern Samar,
Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, and Southern Leyte;
(g) Western
Visayas, consisting of the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz,
Iloilo,
Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Palawan, Romblon, and Siquijor;
(h) Eastern
Mindanao, consisting of the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan
del
Sur, Bukidnon, CaMiguin, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao
Oriental,
Nlisamis Oriental, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur; and
(i) Western
M;ndanao, consisting of the cities of Basilan and Zamboanga, and
the
provinces of Cotabato, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur Misamis
Occidental,
South Cotabato, Sulu, Zamboanga del Norte, and Zamboanga del Sur.
In the event of
the creation of any new province, the Board of Governors shall, with
the
approval of the Supreme Court, determine the Region to which the said
province
shall belong.
Sec. 4. Chapters.
- A Chapter of the Integrated Bar shall be organized in every province.
Except as hereinbelow provided, every city shall be considered part of
the province within which it is geographically situated.
A separate Chapter
shall be organized in each of the following political subdivisions or
areas:chanroblesvirtuallawlibrary
(a) The
sub-province
of Aurora;
(b) Each
congressional
district of the City of Manila;
(c) Quezon
City;
(d)
Caloocan
City, Malabon and Navotas;
(e) Pasay
Citys
Makati, Mandaluyong and San Juan del Monte;
(f) Cebu
City;
and
(g)
Zamboanga
City and Basilan City.
Unless he otherwise
registers his preference for a particular Chapter, a lawyer shall be
considered
a member of the Chapter of the province, city, political subdivision or
area where his office, or, in the absence thereof, his residence is
located.
In no case shall any lawyer be a member of more than one Chapter.
Each Chapter
shall have its own local government as provided for by uniform rules to
be prescribed by the Board of Governors and approved by the Supreme
Court,
the provisions of Section 19 of this Rule notwithstanding.
Chapters belonging
to the same Region may hold regional conventions on matters and
problems
of common concern.
Sec. 5. House
of Delegates. - The Integrated Bar shall have a House of Delegates
of not more than one hundred twenty members who shall be apportioned
among
all the Chapters as nearly as may be according to the number of their
respective
members, but each Chapter shall have at least one Delegate. On or
before
December 31, 1974, and every four years thereafter, the Board of
Governors
shall make an apportionment of Delegates.
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The term of
the office of Delegate shall begin on the date of the opening of the
annual
convention of the House and shall end on the day immediately preceding
the date of the opening of the next succeeding annual convention. No
person
may be a Delegate for more than two terms.
The House shall
hold an annual convention at the call of the Board of Governors at any
time during the month of April of each year for the election of
Governors,
the reading and discussion of reports including the annual report of
the
Board of Governors, the transaction of such other business as may be
referred
to it by the Board, and the consideration of such additional matters as
may be requested in writing by at least twenty Delegates. Special
conventions
of the House may be called by the Board of Governors to consider only
such
matters as the Board shall indicate. A majority of the Delegates who
have
registered for a convention, whether annual or special, shall
constitute
a quorum to do business.
Sec. 6. Board
of Governors. - The Integrated Bar shall be governed by a Board of
Governors. Nine Governors shall be elected by the House of
Delegates
from the nine Regions on the representation basis of one Governor from
each Region. Each Governor shall be chosen from a list of
nominees
submitted by the Delegates from the Region, provided that not more than
one nominee shall come from any Chapter. The President and the
Executive
Vice President, if chosen by the Governors from outside of themselves
as
provided in Section 7 of this Rule, shall ipso facto become
members
of the Board.
The members
of the Board shall hold office for a term of one year from the date of
their election and until their successors shall have been duly elected
and qualified. No person may be a governor for more than two terms
The Board shall
meet regularly once every three months, on such date and such time and
place as it shall designate. A majority of all the members of the Board
shall constitute a quorum to do business. Special meetings may be
called
by the President or by five members of the Board.
Subject to the
approval of the Supreme Court, the Board shall adopt By-Laws
and promulgate Canons of Professional Responsibility for all members of
the Integrated Bar. The By-Laws
and the Canons may be amended by the Supreme Court motu proprio
or upon the recommendation of the Board of Governors.
The Board shall
prescribe such other rules and regulations as may be necessary and
proper
to carry out the purposes of the Integrated Bar as well as the
provisions
of this Rule.
Sec. 7. Officers.
- The Integrated Bar shall have a President and an Executive Vice
President
who shall be chosen by the Governors immediately after the latter's
election,
either from among themselves or from other members of the Integrated
Bar,
by the vote of at least five Governors. Each of the regional members of
the Board shall be ex officio Vice President for the Region
which
he represents.
The President
and the Executive Vice President shall hold office for a term of one
year
from the date of their election and until their successors shall have
duly
qualified. The Executive Vice President shall automatically become the
President for the next succeeding full term. The Presidency shall
rotate
from year to year among all the nine Regions in such order of rotation
as the Board of Governors shall prescribe. No person shall be President
or Executive Vice President of the Integrated Bar for more than one
term.
The Integrated
Bar shall have a Secretary, a Treasurer, and such other officers and
employees
as may be required by the Board of Governors, to be appointed tray the
President with the consent of the Board, and to hold office at the
pleasure
of the Board or for such terms as it may fix. Said officers and
employees
need not be members of the Integrated Bar.
Sec. 8. Vacancies.
- In the event the President is absent or unable to act, his duties
shall
be performed by the Executive vice President; and in the event of the
death,
resignation or removal of the President, the Executive Vice President
shall
serve as Acting President during the remainder of the term of the
office
thus vacated. In the event of the death, resignation, removal, or
disability
of both the President and the Executive Vice President, the Board of
Governors
shall elect an Acting President to hold office until the next
succeeding
election or during the period of disability.
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The filling
of vacancies in the House of Delegates, Board of Governors, and all
other
positions of Officers of the Integrated Bar shall be as provided in the
By-Laws.
Whenever
the term of an office or position is for a fixed period, the person
chosen
to fill a vacancy therein shall serve only for the unexpired term.
Sec. 9. Membership
dues. - Every member of the Integrated Bar shall pay such annual
dues
as the Board of Governors shall determine with the approval of the
Supreme
Court. A fixed sum equivalent to ten percent (10%) of the collection
from
each Chapter shall be set aside as a Welfare Fund for disabled members
of the Chapter and the compulsory heirs of deceased members thereof
Sec. 10. Effect
of non-payment of dues. - Subject to the provisions of Section 12
of
this Rule, default in the payment of annual dues for six months shall
warrant
suspension of membership in the Integrated Bar, and default in such
payment
for one year shall be a ground for the removal of the name of the
delinquent
member from the Roll of Attorneys.
Sec. 11. Voluntary
termination of membership; reinstatement. - A member may terminate
his membership by filing a written notice to that effect with the
Secretary
of the Integrated Bar, who shall immediately bring the matter to the
attention
of the Supreme Court. Forthwith he shall cease to be a member and his
name
shall be stricken by the Court from the Roll of Attorneys.
Re-instatement
may be made by the Court in accordance with rules and regulations
prescribed
by the Board of Governors and approved by the Court.
Sec. 12. Grievance
procedures. - The Board of Governors shall provide in the By-Laws for
grievance procedures for the enforcement and maintenance of
discipline
among all the members of the Integrated Bar, but no action involving
the
suspension or disbarment of a member or the removal of his name from
the
Roll of Attorneys shall be effective without the final approval of the
Supreme Court.
Sec. 13. Non-political
Bar. - The Integrated Bar shall be strictly non-political, and
every
activity tending to impair this basic feature is strictly prohibited
and
shall be penalized accordingly. No lawyer holding an elective,
judicial,
quasi-judicial or prosecutory office in the Government or any political
subdivision or instrumentality thereof shall be eligible for election
or
appointment to any position in the Integrated Bar or any Chapter
thereof.
A Delegate, Governor, Officer or employee of the Integrated Bar, or an
officer or employee of any Chapter thereof shall be considered ipso
facto resigned from his position as of the moment he files his
certificate
of candidacy for any elective public office or accepts appointment to
any
judicial, quasi judicial, or prosecutory office in the Government or
any
political subdivision or instrumentality thereof.
Sec. 14. Positions
honorary. - Except as may be specifically authorized or allowed by
the Supreme Court, no Delegate or Governor and no national or local
Officer
or committee member shall receive any compensation, allowance or
emolument
from the funds of the Integrated Bar for any service rendered therein
or
be entitled to reimbursement for any expense incurred in the discharge
of his functions.
Sec. 15. Fiscal
matters. - The Board of Governors shall administer the funds of the
Integrated Bar and shall have the power to make appropriations and
disbursements
therefrom. It shall cause proper Books of Accounts to be kept and
Financial
Statements to be rendered and shall see to it that the proper audit is
made of all accounts of the Integrated Bar and all the Chapters thereof.
Sec. 16. Journal.
- The Board of Governors shall cause to be published a quarterly
Journal
of the Integrated Bar, free copies of which shall be distributed to
every
member of the Integrated Bar.
Sec. 17. Voluntary
Bar Associations. - All voluntary Bar associations now existing or
which may hereafter be formed may co-exist with the Integrated Bar but
shall not operate at cross-purposes therewith.
Sec. 18. Amendments.
- This Rule may be amended by the Supreme Court motu proprio
or upon the recommendation of the Board of Governors or any Chapter of
the Integrated Bar.
Sec. 19. Organizational
period. - The Commission on Bar Integration shall organize the
local
Chapters and toward this end shall secure the assistance of the
Department
of Justice and of all Judges throughout the Philippines. All Chapter
organizational
meetings shall be held on Saturday, February 17, 1973. In every
case,
the Commission shall cause proper notice of the date, time and place of
the meeting to be served upon all the lawyers concerned at their
addresses
appearing in the records of the commission. The lawyers present at the
meeting called to organize a Chapter shall constitute a quorum for the
purpose, including the election of a President, a Vice President, a
Secretary,
a Treasurer, and five Directors.
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The Commission
shall initially fix the number of Delegates and apportion the same
among
all the Chapters as nearly as may be in proportion to the number of
their
respective members, but each Chapter shall have at least one Delegate.
The President of each Chapter shall concurrently be its Delegate to the
House of Delegates. The Vice President shall be his alternate, except
where
the Chapter is entitled to have more than one Delegate, in which case,
the Vice President shall also be a Delegate.
The Board of
Directors of the Chapter shall in proper cases elect additional as well
as alternate Delegates. The House of Delegates shall convene in the
City
of Manila on Saturday, March 1 7,1973 for the purpose of electing a
Board
of Governors. The Governors shall immediately assume office and
forthwith
meet to elect the Officers of the Integrated Bar. The Officers so
chosen
shall immediately assume their respective positions.
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Sec. 20. Effectivity.
- This Rule shall take effect on January 16, 1973.
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