20/05/2025
𝗠𝗦𝗨 𝗟𝗮𝘄 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗦𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗟𝗲𝘅 𝗟𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀
MSU College of Law – General Santos Extension held last Sunday night, May 18, 2025 its Purplehood Ceremony for the graduating class of 2025 at Greenleaf Hotel, General Santos City. The ceremony, a tradition as rich in symbolism as it is in solemnity, saw Batch Lex Luminis (Latin for "Light of the Law") prelude to the next chapter that the law students will face – the Bar examinations.
Assistant Dean Donna Ann T. Balboa opened the event graced by the graduands, proud parents, faculty, staff, and guests. On the other hand, Chancellor Shidik Zed Abantas of Mindanao State University – General Santos congratulated the graduands while also reaffirming his firm support for the college.
Continuing the precedent of inviting luminaries, Associate Justice Bautista G. Corpin Jr., Chairperson of the Court of Appeals Twentieth Division and the Purplehood 2025 Guest of Honor, addressed the graduands: “I see not just graduates. I see beacons of hope and the next generation of lawyers. Lawyers destined to shine light in the darkest corners of injustice, clarify confusion, unveil truth hidden in shadows, and stand firm even when the tides are against you.”
Justice Corpin reminded that the road ahead will be challenging, especially with the upcoming Bar exams, and even beyond. “It’s easy to feel overwhelmed at times, even question your faith in the law itself, in the system, and at moments, in yourselves. But through it all, remember this: the values that lead you to this very moment tonight are your lifeline.”
“The law is not just a career, it’s a calling that requires dedication beyond winning cases. It’s about fighting for the greater cause, that is justice.” Punctuating his points, he further enjoined the graduands to embrace humility, summon their courage, and always practice kindness.
Concluding his speech, Justice Corpin stressed: “To batch Luminis, may your light shine brightly not just in the Bar exams but for many years in the service of our country, of justice, and for the Filipino people. Let us be up to do it with a heart for any fate. Still achieving, still pursuing. Learn to labor, but learn to wait.”
In a recorded message, the Chairperson of the 2025 Bar Examinations, Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier, also extended her congratulations to the graduands. Justice Amy urged the graduands to remember the people behind their success, comparing the practice of law to an open hand. “The practice of law is in itself an outstretched hand leading those blinded by the evil of others to the light of true justice. In our country where the ignorant are purposely lost, your hands will be there to lift them from the darkness.”
“What I am leaving you now, then is to a thought that the practice of law can never be done by one person. There can be no law for one person. The law is meant to serve a community. We have never said, ‘serve a person’. We have always said: serve the people.”
“In our humble practice, we are called upon to hold countless hands. This is a selfless profession. We need to remind ourselves that the moment we become selfish, we cease to become lawyers.”
Justice Lazaro-Javier concluded her message with both a reassurance and a challenge: “Batch Lex Luminis, have faith. A just Bar awaits you. Aim for excellence, because excellence is you. I will see you all during your oath-taking”.
Purplehood 2025 concluded in high spirits, with the sanggulay imposed on the graduands’ shoulders – a symbol of the community needed to nurture a champion of justice, and a badge of the years of toil, persistence, and resilience, yet still achieving, still pursuing. Learning both to love the labor and the wait, with a heart open to fate.
Written by Tobit Abao
Photos by Kaye Angela Sampayan, Murielle Cocjin
