Most of the people we interviewed who were studying law had the greatest resolve to become lawyers because of the impeachment trial.
Kat Gorordo, a graduating student of La Salle, plans to pursue her law studies at the Ateneo de Manila University. “The impeachment trial has affected my desire to serve our nation as a lawyer,” she says.
“I started to question how our lawyers and legislators appreciate and uphold the constitution. Giving up on this country is something I won’t do. If becoming a lawyer is the best way for me to spark change and serve my countrymen, then I will do it, if it’s the last thing I do,” she says.
Carmina Mangalindan, University of the Philippines law student, is amused and inspired by the impeachment trial. “It makes me happy to know I will be able to apply some of the concepts I’ve learned from law school,” she says.
“It’s really nice when they work in real-life situations. I’m not saying that the cases I’ve been reading so far are not true-to-life, but it’s different when everything’s live, in action.”
Brooke Villanueva, an incoming fourth year high school student at Miriam College, has thought of becoming a lawyer since she was young because of her father’s influence. She was always fascinated by how her father handled challenging cases.
The impeachment trial deepened her interest in law. “The trial of Chief Justice Corona has many factors on both sides of the prosecution and defense. I have watched how challenging this impeachment trial is, as it made me more interested in becoming a lawyer,” she says.
Law is not it
There are people who are not into law, but want to help in any way they can to improve our country.
“The impeachment trial did not make me interested in becoming a lawyer,” says Raco Ruiz, a high school senior at Ateneo. “I believe I will be of better help by doing something in the area of communications, which I am most interested in.”
Lorraine Cangco, a junior at La Salle taking chemical engineering, has no plans of becoming a lawyer and never dreamed of it. However, the impeachment trial did make her consider it “because the judicial system of the Philippines needs to improve,” she says.
“When you think about it, there are many unresolved cases, and I want to make a change in the judicial system, but I don’t know how. If there is a way, I would want to share it with people who want to take up law in the first place,” she continues.
Penny Anne, 21, who is taking up psychology in DLSU, fears her conscience may be tarnished by a career in law. “Regardless of the big fuss over the impeachment trial, the situation has not sparked my interest to join the field of law,” she says.
“Instead, it has had an opposite effect on me, and has affirmed my view that being a lawyer requires one to be flexible about the truth. It’s not as simple as a black-and white situation, as people look for loopholes in arguments and present one-sided facts and figures to defend their point of view.
“It’s a messy affair, wherein one can get caught defending or fighting for something one does not necessarily agree with, but is simply doing so because it’s one’s job. I want to have a clear conscience when I end the day. In my opinion, being a lawyer does not give me that guarantee.”
Not all people can become lawyers, but that doesn’t stop us from helping our country. I still remember how Paul describes the Church—like a body. Though this description was applied to a group of people with the same faith, it could also be applicable to a group of people with a similar goal.
Each body organ or member is important, and has its own function. The liver should not feel insecure that it cannot breathe in air like the lungs, but should be thankful that it rids the body of harmful toxins that could otherwise paralyze the lungs. The important thing is that each member cares for and helps one another to make a whole and functioning body.
In the same way, we cannot all be lawyers. We can all, however, be concerned for one other, becoming a progressive nation despite the differences in our contributions. Whether you decide to become a lawyer or not, do your part for the good of society.