Friday, February 23, 2007 Lawyers to hold elections Saturday
THE Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) provincial and city chapters will elect its new set of officers tomorrow.
Lawyer Alex Tolen-tino, city chapter president, said nominations will be held on the ground floor of the Palace of Justice in the morning and will be immediately followed by the casting of votes at the Philippine Mediation Center on the second floor.
For the first time in many years, the elections will not be held inside the IBP building.
The building’s conference room was badly damaged during a fire that struck the Provincial Capitol compound last December.
Bets
“I am encouraging all lawyers who are eligible to vote to please come and participate in our elections,” Tolentino said in an interview.
Those interested in running for president have long been campaigning.
They even have unofficial parties and go on sorties of sorts to private law firms and government agencies.
Among those reportedly seeking elections are lawyers Gloria Lastimosa-Dalawampu, Fritz Quiñanola and Briccio Boholst. Tolentino, though, said he could not confirm if these are true.
After the polls, Tolentino will be considered as the immediate past president of the Cebu City chapter and will still sit in the board as an ex-officio member.
He considers the hallmark of his term the chapter’s intervention on the people’s initiative in the Supreme Court, its crackdown on fake lawyers and notaries public and the continuation and strengthening of the organization’s legal aid program.
Described as an active leader, Tolentino drew both flack and praise because of his position regarding extra-judicial killings and his personal efforts to have the incidents investigated.
A low moment in his term was the destruction of the IBP building during last December’s fire. Efforts are underway to have it rebuilt.
“There are definitely plans to have it renovated but we are still completing our claims with the insurance company. I estimate the cost of the renovation to be in the millions but our architects are still working on the design,” he said. (KNR)
