ILOILO City – Addressing new law graduates here, Kabataan party-list’s representative-elect Atty. Renee Louise Co challenged the future lawyers to go beyond self-interest and become defenders of the marginalized, warning against detachment from the people who uphold society’s foundations.
Speaking as the commencement speaker during the 2nd Commencement Exercises of the West Visayas State University – College of Law (WVSU-COL) held at the WVSU Cultural Center on June 6, Co urged the 14 graduates of Batch Kadampig to use their legal knowledge to amplify the voices of ordinary Filipinos — including workers, farmers, fisherfolk, and public transport drivers.
“We must not forget the role of the ordinary Filipino who brought us to where we are now,” Co said, citing those in the transportation, agriculture, and healthcare sectors. “They are impacted by laws that currently fail to address their needs — laws that must change.”
Atty. Co, an activist and former University of the Philippines student regent, paid tribute to working students and their support systems, commending their grit and resilience in balancing work and legal education.
“Kung ano man ang hirap ng full-time law student, doble at triple ang hirap na hinaharap ng mga working law students… Saludo ako sa inyo,” she told the graduates.
She reminded them that their understanding of the law carries a responsibility: to uphold justice, protect vulnerable communities, and reinforce grassroots movements pushing for genuine change. She emphasized that legal systems are born out of real societal struggles, not just academic discourse.
“We’ve studied the principles behind policies, but their application can be bureaucratic, tedious, and complex,” she said. “Still, lawyers must rise above that — to represent and safeguard those who do not have the means or the power to defend themselves.”
Her address also served as a call to action, urging the graduates to practice law “beyond the self, beyond immediate interests, and mainly for service to the people,” particularly in the face of what she described as “a compounding and worsening national and global systemic crisis.”/PN
