Government lawyers told to uphold competition principles

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) emphasized the importance of upholding competition principles in the practice of law among government counsels as it recently conducted an orientation for government lawyers on the revised lawyer’s code of conduct.

In a statement, the PCC said the orientation for government lawyers covered the newly revised Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA) and the National Competition Policy (NCP).

PCC chairperson Michael Aguinaldo underscored the significance of market competition in driving economic growth and enhancing consumer welfare.

“By requiring government entities to imbibe competitive principles in the pursuit of their respective mandates, we move a step closer to ensuring that every Filipino reaps the benefits of competition,” Aguinaldo said.

During the orientation, resource persons from the PCC introduced the NCP to participant-lawyers from different government agencies. The NCP mandates state entities to integrate competition principles into their existing and prospective issuances and regulations.

The PCC also discussed its competition impact assessment (CIA) tool, which allows regulators to evaluate the impact of their policies and actions on market competition, such as impediments to trade, potential anti-competitive behavior, and limitations on consumers’ right to information and choice.

It added that full implementation of the NCP is among the strategies included in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

In the same training session, Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh provided an insightful overview of the CPRA and ignited the commitment of the participant-lawyers to start the right way.

“We want to raise, not just the standard of lawyering, but also the perception of the public about lawyers.That lawyering is not dirty. It doesn’t involve dishonest people. That there are professionals out there – that’s us – who still practice law ethically,” Singh said.

Moreover, attending lawyers to the orientation took the new lawyer’s oath led by Singh.

The updated CPRA, launched in April 2023, provides guidance for legal practitioners, including provisions addressing responsible use of social media and a renewed commitment to upholding the rule of law by promoting values like truth, justice, freedom, and equality.

Singh said the Supreme Court held a nationwide caravan and series of consultations to gather feedback on the new guide for lawyers’ conduct from legal professionals, the academe, law students and civil service organizations.

As the competition watchdog, the PCC is a quasi-judicial government agency mandated to promote fair market competition by guarding against anti-competitive agreements, abuse of market dominance and anti-competitive mergers and acquisitions.