Commencement Address of Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo

Delivered on June 20, 2026, at the 1st UA&P Law School Juris Doctor Commencement Ceremony held at the Li Seng Giap Auditorium

University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) Board of Trustees Chairman, Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr.; UA&P President, Atty. John Philip R. Yeung; Law School Dean, Atty. Jeremy Benigno I. Gatdula; Vice Dean,  Atty. Kathleen L. Capulong; Secretary, Atty. Jesus Joel Mari D. Arzaga; Law Faculty and University Officials; the Law School Graduating Class of 2026; their Parents and Loved ones; Friends; Ladies and gentlemen.

This occasion is particularly meaningful because it marks a historic milestone in the life of the University of Asia and the Pacific School of Law. For the first time, the UA&P Law School celebrates its graduates in a separate and distinct commencement ceremony, a fitting recognition of its growing stature and unique contribution to legal education in our country.

The significance of this moment extends beyond the conferral of degrees. It is also an opportunity to acknowledge the remarkable journey of an institution that, in a relatively short period, has established itself

among the country's most respected law schools.

From its inception, the UA&P Institute of Law has pursued a vision of legal education that transcends the traditional teaching of legal doctrine. While providing rigorous training in the core competencies expected of every lawyer—legal reasoning, advocacy, research, and professional responsibility—it has remained faithful to the University's liberal arts tradition, integrating interdisciplinary and international perspectives into the formation of future members of the Bar.

This approach reflects an understanding that the legal profession demands more than technical proficiency. The challenges confronting lawyers increasingly lie at the intersection of law, economics, technology, governance, business, public policy, and international affairs. In response, UA&P has sought to form lawyers who are not only competent practitioners but also cultured leaders, ethical professionals, and responsible citizens committed to the common good.

The strength of this vision is reflected in the achievements of the School itself. In recent years, UA&P Law has distinguished itself through exceptional performance in the Bar Examinations, including perfect passing rates in both 2021 and 2022. These accomplishments attest not only to academic rigor, but also to the quality of formation that the School provides.

As Chief Justice, I find these achievements particularly encouraging because they embody the very aspirations that animate our continuing reforms in legal education and the administration of justice. They demonstrate that Philippine legal education can produce lawyers who are intellectually rigorous, ethically grounded, socially conscious, and prepared to meet the demands of a rapidly changing legal landscape. 

Yet, while institutions may be measured by their achievements, commencement exercises ultimately honor people. Today, our attention turns to you. To the graduates of the University of Asia and the Pacific School of Law, congratulations.

We gather not only to recognize academic achievement, but also to acknowledge the greater story behind it—your story of perseverance, discipline, and quiet sacrifice.

You completed your legal education during a period marked by uncertainty, rapid technological change, and profound challenges to institutions across the world. Many of you balanced your studies with work and family responsibilities. Others carried burdens known only to yourselves and those closest to you.

Despite these challenges, you persevered. And so today, you stand not merely as graduates, but as proof of resilience, determination, and the enduring value of education.

Yet every achievement has a larger story behind it, for no one reaches this day alone. Behind every diploma is a network of sacrifice and support—parents who gave without expectation, spouses and partners who endured hardship, professors who demanded excellence because they saw your potential, and friends who stood beside you through difficulties. For this reason, I ask you to carry forward one enduring virtue: GRATITUDE.

Gratitude keeps success grounded. It keeps ambition humane. It reminds us that what we receive must always be matched by what we give in return.

A legal education is one of the highest privileges one can attain. It opens doors, shapes thinking, and equips us to influence institutions and serve society. But privilege is never without responsibility. The true measure of your education will not be found in titles, income, or position, but in how you use your knowledge to serve others and strengthen the society of which you are part.

As I have always emphasized in occasions such as this, the law is not merely a profession; it is a public trust. Every lawyer is entrusted with something fragile yet essential: the confidence of clients, the integrity of legal institutions, and the continuing promise that justice remains accessible to all.

This is why the first lesson in law remains the most important: lawyering is service. It is service to those who seek justice, service to those whose voices are unheard, and service to those who seek truth in times of uncertainty.

As you prepare for the Bar and enter the profession, I ask you to cultivate not only competence, but character. Cultivate HUMILITY, because the law is vast and no one ever masters it fully. Cultivate DILIGENCE, because excellence is built on discipline, not chance. Cultivate INTEGRITY, because your word will define your reputation. Cultivate KINDNESS and COMPASSION, because justice must remain humane. Finally, cultivate COURAGE, because there will be times when the truth must be defended.

Always remember: lawyering is not a privilege. It is a responsibility. A lawyer does not use knowledge to dominate, but to empower. A lawyer does not use procedure to delay truth, but to uncover it. A lawyer does not stand above others, but stands with and for those whom the law is meant to serve.

The values I ask you to cultivate are not abstract ideals. They are the same values that must guide our legal institutions. Indeed, the Judiciary itself has been undertaking its own journey of transformation. 

Recently, we commemorated the 125th anniversary of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. We honored an institution that has stood at the center of our constitutional democracy for more than a century. It was a reminder of our continuity and responsibility – that justice must remain independent, impartial, and worthy of public trust.

In response to an evolving society and a rapidly-changing world, we have endeavored to ensure the Judiciary remains a stabilizing force: firm in principle, careful in judgment, and responsive to the needs of the people. Within the constitutional framework, we have pursued reforms to make the administration of justice more efficient, accessible, and transparent.

Under the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022–2027 (SPJI), we have expanded the use of digital court systems, improved case management, modernized court infrastructure, and institutionalized remote and hybrid hearings. Together, these reforms have strengthened the Judiciary’s capacity to deliver timely and effective justice.

We have likewise strengthened transparency and accountability in judicial operations, recognizing that public trust is not assumed—it is earned, maintained, and protected through integrity and openness.

But beyond systems and technology, SPJI is ultimately about people and institutional character. We have strengthened continuous judicial education and professional development, recognizing that a modern judiciary must also be a learning judiciary—one that evolves with society while remaining anchored on principle. We have enhanced initiatives on legal aid and access to justice, and reinforced ethical standards and accountability mechanisms, through updated codes of conduct for court personnel, reminding us that efficiency without integrity is hollow and innovation without ethics is unsustainable.

We have likewise strengthened the ethical foundations of the legal profession and, in particular, reaffirmed the Lawyer's Oath, which I trust many of you will take in the months ahead.

Today, I have reflected on the enduring connection between legal education, professional character, and the administration of justice. These are not separate stages, but parts of a single vocation.

As you move forward in your professional journey, your goal is not merely to advance within the profession, but to remain faithful to the rule of law—to the principle that every person, regardless of station or belief, stands equal before the law and is protected by rights that are fundamental and inalienable.

The future of the legal profession will be shaped not only by the institutions you enter, but also by the values you bring to them. Our laws, our courts, and our democratic institutions ultimately depend upon men and women who are willing to serve with competence, integrity, humility, and courage.

I thank the University of Asia and the Pacific for this honor. 

And to you, graduates of the University of Asia and the Pacific School of Law, today is not the end of your journey, but only the beginning. You inherit a tradition of excellence that has been carefully built by those who came before you. You carry not only the reputation of your institution but also the responsibility of giving life to the ideals it has sought to instill in you.

May you prove worthy of the trust that society places in the legal profession. May you use your knowledge wisely, your talents generously, and your influence responsibly.

Once again, congratulations, and Godspeed.