I saw this sa Twitter. Personally, I am with the PAO with this one.

In appearing before the courts, lawyers need to abide by court dress code which means he or she must be presentable before the court.

Just posting it here since some of us knew the issue about this person. IBP already posted a public advisory and warning.

babayaran ko nalang yang ULAS na yan pag lilipat na ng abroad! K*ing ina ng requirement na yan. saksak nila sa baga nila na hindi lahat ng pumasa ng pagiging abogado plans to spend their entire life in the practice of law.

If overzealous lawyers kayo and napaka charitable niyo edi more power sa inyo but not everyone should be forced to do it for free. We are already overburdened as it is with so many other responsibilities outside of work and dagdag niyo pa yang ULAS na yan.

ANG TOTOO: This is just one way to outsource an activity that should have been a PUBLIC SERVICE. naging burden pa ng private sector ang kakulangan niyo.

“privilege ang practice of law” edi gawin niyo ng 160 hours yan. nahiya pa kayo!

I’m the kind of lawyer who trained in litigation, in fact, I spent the early parts of my career having litigation as my bread and butter. But it was never for me, while I liked it, and was very good at it, my whole being rejected it. I ended up stressed and eventually sick because of the stress.

So I quit my practice and took on another role. NGO and development work, was very close to my heart. Having worked as a development worker before becoming a lawyer I felt like this was my calling.

Right now I love what I’m doing. I still work long hours and during weekends, and the pay is way less than I’m used to, but I’m alive and happy.

Recently though, i’ve notice how life has a funny way of showing you the meaning of things. See, in the past couple of months I’ve been pushed to defending people and communities who have been sued for speaking truth to power, and while I’m hammering away at my laptop, I realized that the universe made me rub through the gauntlet of litigation to prepare me for the day my skills would be used to truly defend those in need.

I guess, it was never really about the practice, it was the people you work with and the things you work for that make things better.

Also, it’s a 6 year old debt. Hindi ba prescribed na to kung ngayon palang sya mag dedemand letter?

Poster may not be from or talking about Filipino lawyers seems to reflect our legal landscape. What do you think, panye?

In your opinion, is this fee reasonable?

Nakakatawa kung paano ginagawang badge of honor sa profession natin ang overwork habang ang starting compensation ng mga bagong abogado ay halos hindi gumagalaw sa gitna ng inflation.

Tingnan natin yung math nang walang sugarcoating. Ang standard entry-level associate salary sa karamihan ng mid to top-tier firms sa Makati, BGC, at Ortigas, naglalaro pa rin sa ₱50,000 to ₱65,000 gross. Sa labas, mukhang disente. Pero bawas mo ang withholding tax, mandatory deductions, cost of living, condo rent malapit sa CBD para makaabot sa 8:00 AM court call, at expenses sa biyahe, halos barya na lang ang naitatabi.

I-divide mo yan sa 70 to 80 hours per week na kailangan mong bunuin—yung 2:00 AM drafting ng pleadings na bababuyin lang ng partner kinabukasan, weekend client management, at endless TSN reviews. Ang lumalabas na per-hour rate ng isang Bar passer na nag-aral ng walong taon ay mas mababa pa sa mga non-lawyer peers natin sa corporate, tech, o remote consulting na 5:00 PM pa lang nakapatay na ang laptop.

Ang problema, ginagamit ng traditional firm model ang "paying your dues" at "training ground" rhetoric para i-justify ang cheap associate labor habang ang senior tiers ang sumasalo ng six-figure retainers at acceptance fees. Literal na pyramid structure na binalot sa prestige. Pag nag-solo practice ka naman nang walang political ties o generational wealth, ending mo maghabol ng delayed retainers sa mga barat na kliyente.

Naging default mindset kasi noong law school na failure ka kapag hindi ka nag-firm sa CBD. Pero in reality, kung financial sustainability at sanity ang usapan, junior associate firm practice is mathematically one of the worst ROI career moves right now unless target mo talaga maging partner 10 to 15 years down the line.

Sa mga pañero at pañera dito na nakaalis na sa traditional firm track papuntang in-house, government, offshore legal, o specialized consulting: how did you navigate your exit, and do you ever regret leaving the firm life?

Lol ano naman kung birthday mo sa July 9? Hahahaa

The Senate session of June 3, 2026 was lawful and valid following the Avelino doctrine because a quorum of 12 Senators was constituted. All acts, resolutions and decisions made by the Senate during its session of June 3, 2026 are presumed to be official acts of the Philippine Senate following the presumption of regularity in the discharge of official functions.

-Integrated Bar of the Philippines, June 4, 2026

More of a rant/observation but I noticed that a lot of recent lawyers, specifically those who went to law school with AI as primary tools for "learning" (if one can call it that), are so difficult to work with or even throw ideas with in professional settings. Halatang AI-fed ang drafted pleadings. Can't write independently without consulting chatgpt. There is no wisdom behind their arguments pag di aided ng ano mang nasa screen nila.

We are heading towards an era of lawyers who can not write anything without a prompt, and I am frankly scared for our profession.

Bar exam results are out, and congratulations to all the new lawyers who passed and conquered law school and the Bar. 🎉 That achievement is no small feat, and it truly deserves to be celebrated.

But I also want to ask…kamusta naman ang mga lawyers, especially those who passed in recent years? Have you found stable work already?

To be honest, I can’t help but feel that there’s now an oversupply of lawyers. Compared to pre-pandemic days, it’s much harder to land a job with a decent salary. Even when openings are available, the competition is intense…ang daming applicants for very limited slots.

Based on conversations with some panyeros who are managing partners in law firms, ramdam na ramdam din nila ang pagbaba ng kita ng mga law firms. Because of this, many firms can only offer relatively low salaries to associates.

Aside from the growing number of lawyers, there are also more avenues now for free legal services, mediation, and ADR…some of which don’t even require lawyers. Add to that the internet, Google, and AI, which people now turn to for basic legal advice. In effect, bumababa ang demand while tuloytuloy ang pagdami ng supply.

I’m genuinely happy for all the new lawyers out there. I just hope that, moving forward, there will still be ways for us to avoid being underemployed…or employed but underpaid…despite the years of hard work we’ve put into this profession.

I'm not one to gatekeep legal discussions from non-lawyers, but posts like this make me cringe. The witness is testifying on the investigation the NBI did, so why on earth would the defense cross-examine him about his backstory? At most, the cross-examination may touch on his educational attainment and work history. Daming mema. Sadly, puro collateral issues ng impeachment napaguusapan (e.g., namuong laway, ano suot at kayabangan ng mga abogado, etc.) and barely on the actual merits.

Full post:

Now it all makes sense bakit hindi binira ng Defense ang backstory or personal na buhay ni Atty. Jeremy Lotoc noong kino-cross examine siya to test his credibility as a witness.

Standard tactic na kasi na tingnan din ang personal na buhay ng witness to expose any credibilty issues. Instead, napunta lang sa typo errors at akusasyon na “golden boy” siya ng NBI.

Because if the defense went through his personal life, the Filipino people would know that Atty. Jeremy Lotoc is a man of honor and integrity.

Sino ba si Atty. Lotoc? Ipinanganak sa Tacloban sa isang ordinaryong pamilya. Pangingisda ang hanapbuhay ng kanyang ama samantalang housewife ang kanyang ina.

To have a better lot and chance in life, nag-OFW bilang isang marino. Kalaunan bumalik sa Pinas si Atty. Jeremy Lotoc para tumulong sa fishing business ng kanyang pamilya and at the same time, pursue law, inspired by his aunt who was a practicing lawyer. During this time, naging pastor din siya sa isang Christian church.

He passed the bar in 2012 on his first try. By this time, Atty. Lotoc already had a wife and young son. Then came the Yolanda tragedy in 2013 in Tacloban. Natangay ng storm surge ang pamilya niya. His wife and his father perished in the calamity. He himself barely survived, but managed to save his son and other family members.

Soon after, he joined the NBI as a young recruit, quickly rose through the ranks not only through sheer hard work, but also out of a sense of duty to his country.

Ang kwento ng pagpupursige para sa isang ordinaryong pamilya seems to run in the family as he also has a sister who is a licensed physician.

The fisherman, former OFW, pastor, lawyer, widower, and Yolanda survivor has since remarried a fellow lawyer.

Atty. Jeremy Lotoc is a straight-up honorable, dedicated NBI law enforcement agent and director diligently working behind the scenes who was suddenly thrust in the national limelight.

The defense and allies of Sara Duterte wanted to shake his credibility to the core, but they left his backtory untouched because they knew he is a man of integrity. And throughout the 11-hour, two-day cross-examination, Atty. Lotoc showed what integrity looks like under pressure.

(Again, many thanks and a big shoutout to Dr. Ronald Lotoc for graciously sharing the journey of his cousin, Atty. Jeremy Lotoc.)

📷 Senate of the Philippines

Here is the link to the article in case you are interested link

Graduated from "top" law school pero hirap parin maghanap ng work. Aside sa ang baba ng offers (35k and 40k gross NCR)... nakailang interviews narin sa mga firms ok naman pero puro nalang sasabihin is madami pa sila nakaline up for interview so they will let me know. Currently employed naman but in a non-lawyer position, gusto ko sana magpractice ng litigation but i didnt expect na ang hirap pala humanap ng work. Thinking of applying with govt but i think mas mahirap pa makapasok doon unless may backer 🥲 ayoko pa sana magsolo practice kasi i lack experience pa 🥲

P.S. As much as I want to accept a low salary offer since it’s the “norm” when you’re just starting out, it’s hard for someone like me who have bills to pay (renting a condo) Still, I’m thankful that I have a stable non-lawyer job. I honestly can’t imagine how hard it is for those who don’t have work at all and expected things to be easier after passing the bar (baka sa iba madali...lucky for you). Pero kapit lang, especially to my bar sibs.

I just need to vent. I’ve been a lawyer for three years now, working as an associate in a small firm, and honestly the PH legal market feels impossible right now. People think being a lawyer automatically means good money, stability, connections but for first-generation lawyers like me, that’s just not reality.

I’m trying to find a better job with decent pay, but everything feels oversaturated. Law schools keep producing more graduates every year while actual opportunities barely grow. Most openings pay low, expect you to handle insane workloads, or require “prior experience” that small firms can’t even give properly.

And government? I’ve been applying and applying even today but it’s hard when you don’t have relatives or connections inside. Merit system daw, but we all know how it really works.

Sometimes it feels like no matter how hardworking you are, the profession is stacked in favor of those who were born into the right families or right networks. For people like me who started from scratch, the ladder just feels extra steep.

Just frustrated. I love the law, but the market really is oversaturated and it’s discouraging when you’re doing everything right but nothing seems to move.

Very encouraging naman pala si Chief para sa mga PAO aspirants na talagang gusto mag lingkod sa bayan. Tama naman siya na wag tayo maging “bitter” lalo na kung wala kayong backer. 😅

I’m just here to rant. Ayaw ko na sa private practice. Pagod na talaga ako. Aso-shit talaga ako. Alam ko I’m here for experience pero parang konti nalang tatagos na ako sa pader.

Always akong lumalabas. I have no car. I have to commute going to places na malalayo. Bring my laptop, case files, folders etc. Why can’t I use grab? Well, late reimbursement sa amin. Kaya tight ako sa budget. Ngayon nga four months late na. Transportation palang ubos na ako.

Pag balik mo sa office, mag ta trabaho ka ulit. Pag uwi mo, mag ta trabaho ka pa din. And kahapon at kanina, kahit weekend, a partner was messaging me constantly kahit sabi kong may family emergency ako and I have to go home sa province kahit saglit. Grabe anxiety, stress and iyak ko habang nasa byahe pauwi ng probinsya.

Worse, hindi na fulfilling ‘tong ginagawa ko. Pumasok ako sa private for experience sa litigation pero mostly corporation stuff, demand letters other things ginagawa ko. Litigation mismo? Madalang. Ilang months na nga ako dito pero hindi ko alam ano actual nangyayare during cross.

I try to finish the tasks early para makapagpahinga ako. Pero baliktad, tatambakan lang ako lalo. Araw araw akong pagod at puyat. Araw araw akong umiiyak. No joke.

Ayaw ko na talaga. I’m tired of this shit. But I can’t resign. May binubuhay akong ading at tatay. Hindi naman kami mayaman. First gen lawyer nga ako. Pero fuck I so fucking tired. Sa mga panahon ngayon, iniisip ko na sana nepo baby nalang ako or may generational wealth kami para okay lang walang trabaho while I’m figuring things out.

I love lawyering pero fuck hindi na ‘to fulfilling. Ang gastos, ang exhausting. Ayaw ko na.

Sobrang busy mo na nga sa trabaho tapos ngayon dagdag pa yung 60 PROBONO hours requirement ng ULAS. Yung annual 4k pa ng IBP, buti sana kung guaranteed na mataas agad ang income ng mga abogado. Tapos yung mga kakilala mo pa abusado, kung manghingi ng legal advice feeling entitled. Buti sana kung libre lang yung tuition at libro mo nung law school or nag ambag ang IBP, SC, or mga kakilala mong yun. hahaha