MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court  on Tuesday reminded the University of the Philippines College of Law and all other law schools of the code of professional responsibility in the wake of calls by UP lawyers for the resignation of Supreme Court Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo.

Court administrator Jose Midas Marquez said the code states that lawyers cannot make public statements on pending cases, especially through media, which may rouse public opinion for or against a party.

Marquez said the plagiarism issue against del Castillo is pending before the Supreme Court ethics committee. He said the public should wait for the ethics committee's recommendations and the en banc's own decision on the controversy.

UP law faculty members on Monday urged del Castillo to resign following allegations of plagiarism and misrepresentation.

In a statement, the University of the Philippines faculty led by Law Dean Marvic Leonen said el Castillo’s ponencia in the dismissed reparation demands of Filipino comfort women has been a “fundamental breach” that already places the entire judicial system in a bad light.

Leonen was joined by 5 other former law deans, 10 regular faculty and 20 lecturers.

Del Castillo is the ponente, or author, of the Vinuya vs. Executive Secretary case issued last April 28.

The decision junked the petition of 70 Filipino comfort women to compel the Philippine government to get a public apology from Tokyo and to provide reparation for the victims of sexual abuse during the World War II.

A Newsbreak article said the ruling allegedly lifted from 3 materials by foreign legal experts without proper attribution.

The legal experts had already called the attention of the high court on the matter.

The SC, for its part, has already formed an ethics committee to look into the allegations.