Uphold human dignity in digital age – PBBM

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. today urged lawyers to protect human dignity in the face of increasing challenges from the digital age, including cybercrime, data privacy issues, and artificial intelligence (AI).

” The emergence of issues such as cybercrime, data privacy, and the ethical use of artificial intelligence presents not only technical dilemmas but moral ones as well,” the President said at the 20th National Convention of Lawyers of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) in Cebu City.

“Therefore they demand our continued commitment to protect human dignity in an increasingly digital world,” he said.

The Chief Executive also said that the recent adoption of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability represents a significant step forward in ensuring the highest ethical standards that guide every member of the legal community.

“The task before us now is to ensure that this Code becomes the very foundation of how our lawyers live and practice,” President Marcos said. 

At the same time, the President said that the climate crisis is an urgent challenge threatening future generations. He noted the crucial role of the legal profession in shaping and enforcing environmental policies to safeguard the planet.

“By doing so, you safeguard the rights of today and preserve the dreams and dignity of those that will follow us,” he said. 

The President said that strengthening the legal profession requires more than simply responding to crises. He explained the need to reinforce the field’s foundations, which include education and continuous learning. 

Legal education for the future

President Marcos also cited the need for law schools to adapt to the changing legal profession by updating curricula, incorporating emerging fields, and balancing legal theory with practical application.

He said the Revised Model Curriculum for the Basic Law Program has already established a foundation by including Human Rights Law and International Law in legal education.

“Our challenge is to ensure that these principles are not confined in the pages of textbooks or the halls of courtrooms, but are lived and breathed—always guided by the Constitution and the values it upholds,” he said. |PND

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