Supreme Court Justices Marvic Leonen and Antonio Carpio urged fresh graduates of two University of the Philippines campuses to be critical of the issues facing the nation and to fight ideas that divide and weaken the country.
Associate Justice Leonen advised UP-Manila graduates on how to face the coming “difficult days” with parts of his speech were shared on Twitter.
One UP graduate summed up Leonen’s “to-do” list in a Twitter post.
Five things to do according to Associate Justice Leonen:
1. Read, analayze, understand, be critical
2. Engage others through (real) conversations
3. Act on your beliefs
4. Do not wait for the outrage#AntiLodi
5. Have the courage to speak out#UPManilaCommencement— Josh Protacio ✨ (@JoshProtacio) June 22, 2018
Leonen urged the graduates to have a more critical view or else they will become “hostage” to the “personal agenda of others.”
“A critical view means seeking a deeper understanding of events. A non-critical view on the other hand is being slavish hostage to the slant, the misguided attention and the personal agenda of others,” Leonen explained.
Other parts of his speech which he shared on Twitter also became popular.
"I cannot fully describe to you the difficulties of making the right decisions during times of crises. Then as now, all I can say is that I know that it takes courage to do what may seem unpopular, dangerous, inconvenient but right.”
Leonen J., 2018 UP Manila Commencement
— Marvic Leonen (@marvicleonen) June 23, 2018
"Titles are masks. They are worn for a purpose. They do not represent all of who you are and will be. Who you are evolves as you wade through your existence creating meaning for yourselves… and your community. Titles, like all of life, is impermanent.”
UP Manila 2018
— Marvic Leonen (@marvicleonen) June 23, 2018
Carpio to UP graduates: Resist ideas that divide the nation
Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio challenged the graduates of UP-Diliman’s National College of Public Administration and Governance to be vigilant and steadfast in protecting the country’s territory and sovereignty.
“We must always be on guard and resist any and all attempts to weaken the nation in defending our national territory and maritime zones,” Carpio said during the UPD commencement exercises.
Carpio, who graduated cum laude from UP College of Law in 1975, explained to the future public servants how differing ideas can “divide the nation.”
“We must all be steadfast in fighting ideas that divide the nation, for a divided nation cannot focus on national development and, worse, a divided nation is a weakened nation in defending national territory and maritime zones.” he said.
Carpio upholds the need to assert or fight for the Philippine’s sovereign rights in its exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea which was the subject of the 2016 landmark ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.
China hes not recognize this proceedings and ruling that invalidated its nine-dash line claim the covers nearly the entire South China Sea including parts of the West Philippine Sea.
However, President Rodrigo Duterte warned that fighting for such right will only lead to war and sought closer ties with China instead.
