Article 19p. 19

LEGAL AND JUDICIAL ETHICS CODES, CANONS AND RULES

and discussion of reports including the annual report of

the Board of Governors, the transaction of such other

business as may be referred to it by the Board, and the

consideration of such additional matters as may be

requested in writing by at least twenty Delegates. Special

conventions of the House may be called by the Board of

Governors to consider only such matters as the Board

shall indicate. A majority of the Delegates who have

registered for a convention, whether annual or special,

shall constitute a quorum to do business.

Section 6. Board of Governors . — The Integrated Bar shall

be governed by a Board of Governors. Nine Governors

shall be elected by the House of Delegates from the nine

Regions on the representation basis of one Governor

from each Region. Each Governor shall be chosen from a

list of nominees submitted by the Delegates from the

Region, provided that not more than one nominee shall

come from any Chapter. The President and the Executive

Vice President, if chosen by the Governors from outside of

themselves as provided in Section 7 of this Rule, shall ipso

facto become members of the Board.

The members of the Board shall hold office for a term of

one year from the date of their election and until their

successors shall have been duly elected and qualified. No

person may be a Governor for more than two terms.

The Board shall meet regularly once every three months,

on such date and such time and place as it shall

designate. A majority of all the members of the Board

shall

constitute

a

quorum

to

do

business.

Special

meetings may be called by the President or by five

members of the Board.

Subject to the approval of the Supreme Court, the Board

shall

adopt

By-Laws

and

promulgate

Canons

of

Professional

Responsibility

for

all

members

of

the

Integrated Bar. The By-Laws and the Canons may be

amended by the Supreme Court motu propio or upon the

recommendation of the Board of Governors.

The

Board

shall

prescribe

such

other

rules

and

regulations as may be necessary and proper to carry out

the

purposes

of

the Integrated Bar as well as the

provisions of this Rule.

Section 7. Officers . — The Integrated Bar shall have a

President and an Executive Vice President who shall be

chosen by the Governors immediately after the latter's

election, either from among themselves or from other

members of the Integrated Bar, by the vote of at least five

Governors. Each of the regional members of the Board

shall be ex officio Vice President for the Region which he

represents.

The President and the Executive Vice President shall hold

office for a term of one year from the date of their

election

and

until

their

successors

shall

have

duly

qualified. The Executive Vice President shall automatically

become the President for the next succeeding full term.

The Presidency shall rotate from year to year among all

the nine Regions in such order or rotation as the Board of

Governors shall prescribe. No person shall be President or

Executive Vice President of the Integrated Bar for more

than one term.

The Integrated Bar shall have a Secretary, a Treasurer, and

such other officers and employees as may be required by

the Board of Governors, to be appointed by the President

with the consent of the Board, and to hold office at the

pleasure of the Board or for such terms as it may fix. Said

officers and employees need not be members of the

Integrated Bar.

Section 8. Vacancies . — In the event the President is

absent or unable to act, his duties shall be performed by

the Executive Vice President; and in the event of the

death,

resignation,

or removal of the President, the

Executive Vice President shall serve as Acting President

during the remainder of the term of the office thus

vacated. In the event of the death, resignation, removal, or

disability of both the President and the Executive Vice

President, the Board of Governors shall elect an Acting

President to hold office until the next succeeding election

or during the period of disability.

The filling of vacancies in the House of Delegates, Board

of Governors, and all other positions of Officers of the

Integrated Bar shall be as provided in the By-Laws.

Whenever the term of an office or position is for a fixed

period, the person chosen to fill a vacancy therein shall

serve only for the unexpired term.

Section 9. Membership dues . — Every member of the

Integrated Bar shall pay such annual dues as the Board of

Governors

shall determine with the approval of the

Supreme Court. A fixed sum equivalent to ten percent

(10%) of the collection from each Chapter shall be set

aside as a Welfare Fund for disabled members of the

Chapter and the compulsory heirs of deceased members

thereof.

Section 10. Effect of non-payment of dues . — Subject to

the provisions of Section 12 of this Rule, default in the

payment of annual dues for six months shall warrant

suspension of membership in the Integrated Bar, and

default in such payment for one year shall be a ground for

the removal of the name of the delinquent member from

the Roll of Attorneys.

Section

11.

Voluntary

termination

of

membership;

reinstatement .

—

A

member

may

terminate

his

membership by filing a written notice to that effect with

the

Secretary

of

the

Integrated

Bar,

who

shall

immediately bring the matter to the attention of the

Supreme Court. Forthwith he shall cease to be a member

and his name shall be stricken by the Court from the Roll

of Attorneys. Reinstatement may be made by the Court in

accordance with rules and regulations prescribed by the

Board of Governors and approved by the Court.

Section

12.

Grievance

procedures .

—

The

Board

of

Governors shall provide in the By-Laws for grievance

procedures for the enforcement and maintenance of

discipline among all the members of the Integrated Bar,

but no action involving the suspension or disbarment of a

member or the removal of his name from the Roll of

Attorneys shall be effective without the final approval of

the Supreme Court.

Section 13. Non-political Bar . — The Integrated Bar shall

be strictly non-political, and every activity tending to

impair this basic feature is strictly prohibited and shall be

penalized accordingly. No lawyer holding an elective,

judicial,

quasi-judicial,

or

prosecutory

office

in

the

Government

or

any

political

subdivision

or

instrumentality thereof shall be eligible for election of

appointment to any position in the Integrated Bar or any

Chapter thereof shall be considered ipso facto resigned

from his position as of the moment he files his certificate

of candidacy for any elective public office or accepts

appointment to any judicial, quasi-judicial, or prosecutory

office in the Government or any political subdivision or

instrumentality thereof.

Section 14. Positions honorary . — Except as may be

specifically authorized or allowed by the Supreme Court,

no Delegate or Governor and no national or local Officer

or committee member shall receive any compensation,

allowance

or

emolument

from

the

funds

of

the

Integrated Bar for any service rendered therein or be

entitled to reimbursement for any expense incurred in

the discharge of his functions.

Section 15. Fiscal matters . — The Board of Governors shall

administer the funds of the Integrated Bar and shall have

the power to make appropriations and disbursements

therefrom. It shall cause proper Books of Accounts to be

kept and Financial Statements to be rendered and shall

see to it that the proper audit is made of all accounts of

the Integrated Bar and all the Chapters thereof.

Section 16. Journal . — The Board of Governors shall cause

to be published a quarterly Journal of the Integrated Bar,

free copies of which shall be distributed to every member

of the Integrated Bar.

© Compiled By RGL

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