Caguioa Urges Law Grads to Fight Systemic Corruption

MANILA, Philippines—Acting Supreme Court Chief Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa challenged law graduates to defy the status quo and prevent further erosion of conscience. Caguioa said this situation is often triggered by accepting small irregularities, under the defeatist phrase “ganyan talaga” (that’s how it is). “I humbly ask from each of you, as early as today: Refuse to be consumed by ‘ganyan talaga.’ Do not let it lower your expectations. Do not let it dull your conscience. Do not let it break your resolve to stand for justice,” the acting chief justice pleaded. “For every person who tells you, ‘ganyan talaga,’ may you always have the courage to answer—’Hindi. Ganito dapat.’ (No. This is how it should be),” he told the students. Caguioa was delivering his speech at the 79th Commencement Exercises of the Manuel L. Quezon University (MLQU) based in Quezon City. The graduation ceremony, held on June 25, 2026, also served as a milestone for Caguioa, who was conferred the degree of Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa, by MLQU. The honorary doctorate recognizes his exemplary contributions to the legal profession, public service, and legal education. Caguioa reminded the graduates that integrity is not just about grand, heroic public stands, but is built on quiet, everyday choices—such as verifying facts before signing pleadings, never falsifying dates or receipts, and refusing to lend a notarial seal for quick financial gain. He noted that tiny dishonest acts accumulate into systemic tragedies, turning public office into a “private trade,” rather than a public trust. “An accumulation of tiny dishonest acts, repeated enough times, becomes flooded homes, broken roads, and lives lost – tragedies that could have been prevented if only public office had been treated as a trust, instead of a private trade,” he said. “This is why integrity matters. Because in the hands of a lawyer, even ordinary things – a date, a signature, a receipt, a pleading – can decide whether justice is delivered or denied,” Caguioa emphasized. MLQU President Paquito Ochoa, Jr. led the conferment rites, alongside Legal Education Board Commissioners Lorenzo Reyes and Voltaire San Pedro. Caguioa’s wife, Pier-Angela Caguioa, also witnessed the conferment. The acting Supreme Court chief justice was lauded for his extensive career in both the public and private sectors. He served as chief presidential legal counsel and justice secretary under the administration of the late President Benigno S. Aquino III before being appointed as the 174th associate justice of the Supreme Court in 2016. Looking forward to the upcoming Bar Examinations, he encouraged the graduates to remain steadfast and remember the core purpose of their education, which is encapsulated in the university’s motto: Pro Patria et Jure (for country and law). “You may not be able to reform the whole justice system in a day. But you can prepare one pleading honestly. You can advise one client with conscience. You can refuse one corrupt request…,” Caguioa made the enumeration. “That is how justice advances – through the steady accumulation of acts done with competence, integrity and conviction,” he concluded.