FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
LICENSING PRESS FREEDOM The guarantees of press freedom have created a powerful influence over the people. As we know, it is through information that we learn to listen or to fight back. Hence, press freedom is mandated by the Constitution in lieu of the right of the public to access information (Article III, Section 7). All forms of media, be it in print or broadcast, create a mode of persuasion that easily impacts the people to thought or action, positive or negative. It can be used as a tool to induce people to do good or evil. Because of this, it is important to have the proper rules of ethics to avoid the clear and present danger that reckless information may create. In public relations, media is maximized to create that lasting impression. The development of media as a tool is composed of communication strategies that provides for effective channels for information to reach its proper audience. The message is custom-designed to affect the receivers in such a way that the desired reaction is achieved. Contrary to this, the power of communication is not an aim-and-shoot tactic; it needs sufficient research and study before it can be put to proper use. Albeit an effective way to influence people, the media should not be overused or abused by authority. The practice of using media as a public relations tool to swipe discrepancies from the minds of the people must be avoided. Each journalist is trained to stay unbiased and encouraged to remain detached. In doing so, possible blackmail that some may use against the authorities in the guise of news bits or commentaries is avoided. Because of this, the journalism world is split into two – those who have the balls to report injustices and arbitrary acts made by the government, and those who remain indifferent to its corruptions in order to avoid being restrained. We all know that the media is a powerful tool. But how can you regulate their freedom? After the recent Manila hostage situation that surprised the nation, the media is once again under its own spotlight, and questioned of the rightful freedom that they currently hold. 38 years after the September 1972 proclamation of Martial Law and after their liberation from 14 years of curtailment, the media is still haunted by the possibility of reliving the same experience. Within the 23 years of having press freedom, the media have by now supposedly learned a number of lessons from years of experience and realized greater responsibilities they now hold. Is this really the case? In February 24, 2006 President Macapagal-Arroyo implemented Proclamation 1017 declaring a “State of National Emergency” due to the conspiracy between the leftist Communists and the rightists, as represented by disloyal military officers on their attempt to overthrow the government. Accompanied with the said proclamation was General Order No. 5 which directed the Armed Forces of the Philippines to “maintain public peace, order, and safety and to prevent and suppress lawless violence”. It was the same G.O. that led to certain events that brought the media back to its dark days of Martial Law: the media was blamed of the recklessly magnified events that ensued after the said declaration; the Manila Tribune was raided without proper search warrant; and the NTC attempted to pass necessary guidelines to have broadcast media “cooperate” with the government during a state of national emergency . In the recent August 2010 Manila hostage taking, the role of the media during a crisis was once again reviewed. Numerous suggestions emerged and media ethics were once again questioned. Although numerous organizations and media corporations like ABS-CBN Broadcasting Company and GMA Network have created their own Ethics of Journalism, these codes are easily broken due to rating battles. On the other hand, the Kapisanan ng Broadkaster ng Pilipinas (founded in 1973) is supposed to be the premiere broadcasting organization that regulates both radio and television. The Broadcast Code of 2007 as promulgated by the KBP was created in order to provide the necessary rules and regulations based on proper media ethics. But then again, another problem arises. Who will discipline non-members of the said organization? KBP accreditation is not mandatory, and media corporations may choose to withdraw their membership at times where they fear sanctions for unethical conduct or violations of rules. Some of them withdraw their membership to merely exercise their freedom to associate and disassociate, while others use the old rationalization that the KBP is a mere post-Martial Law tool used in suppressing press freedom. 37 years after the founding of the KBP, would the same issue be relevant? It seems that because of the traumatizing past that Martial Law has created, the press is always ready with a negative reaction to the word “regulation.” Ask yourselves this: when will it be the right time for proper regulation? Support from authority may be needed so that the emancipated media can grow into wisdom, gracefully surpassing mistakes and traumas from the past. Self-regulation may be suitable only if the media cooperates with each other. An independent body, composed of media members together with the public they serve, may be created. An example would be a Press Council or Ombudsman such as the ones in UK and New Zealand, which administers proper regulations and sanctions. The government, on the other hand, through Congress can pass laws not on the guise of prior restraint on content-based restrictions but on strengthening the KBP, making it more independent and mandatory, outside the control of politics. The body can then provide for implementing rules and ethical codes for proper and responsible journalism and fair competition in times of crisis. With the fear of sanction or possibly losing their legislative franchise to broadcast, the media would be compelled to accomplish a more responsible form of journalism. It is public interest vs. press freedom, but since the press has its ultimate goal to provide truthful information in service to the public then they would choose to follow the same rules in order to properly serve its audience and avoid unethical standards. It is a licensed press freedom, not by the government, but by the media and the people that they serve. Through this, media ethics and media regulation can possibly co-exist, media economics and media integrity may then be balanced.
NEWS
Welcome to Law School: Freshman Orientation Seminar and Dean’s Assembly 2010 By Ma. Katerina Santiago
San Beda College Alabang – School of Law (SBCA-SOL) received its newest batch of prospective lawyers as well as its returning students last June 16, 2010. This year, the freshmen and transferees were grouped into their respective sections, each section with selected second year students serving as both facilitators and helpful ates and kuyas. Typical of a first day at school, the students were familiarized Later that day, the new students were introduced to the rest of the SBCA-SOL community during the Dean’s Assembly. SLG President Mayo Arellano opened the assembly with a call for unity and support for the school. Reappointed Rector-President Dom Clement Ma. Roque, OSB greeted the students warmly and announced the improvements the community could look forward to, which will include newly repaired streets, cleaner pool water through ionization, and a renovated football field with better drainage. Dean Ulpiano Sarmiento III then formally greeted all his children, old and new, and welcomed them to their “second home”. He related to them that, to survive law school, one must have an unwavering focus on his goal, and the absolute faith of one who has surrendered himself to God. Afterwards, Prefect of Student Affairs Atty. Bruce Rivera briefed the student body on the new school policies regarding mandatory business attire, class attendance, and boycotting. Notable Alabang graduates KD Frias, Toni Verano and Eliza Yamamoto also imparted some words of wisdom. Rounding out the assembly were representatives of the various student organizations, who promoted the advantages of extracurricular activities and encouraged their fellow students to join.
with their new school and classmates, and were taught the basics of writing case digests and answering recitation questions. They were also given freshmen kits containing helpful materials such as writing implements and a sample case to analyze. School of Law Government (SLG) Second Year Representative and Activity Chair Jom Gonzales described the orientation as having an “interactive, informal and personal approach.”
NEWS
The Blessing and Inauguration of St. Maur Building By Maria Josefina Alfonso
The start of School Year
2010 – 2011 was marked by the blessing and inauguration of the new St. Maur Building last June 17, 2010. St. Maur is the new home of the San Beda College Alabang School of Law, which used to be housed at the St. Bede Hall of the College Department. The relocation is another first for this year’s record, following the recognition from the Commission on Higher Education. The construction of the St. Maur Building was difficult, as it suffered time constraints and scarce resources. Dean Ulpiano
Sarmiento III conceded that many doubted that it would be completed within nine months after groundbreaking. It was not even expected to be used for the 2010-2011 school year, but with the grace of God, and the help of the SBCA community, the building stands tall today. It has become a symbol of the unwavering support for the School of Law and its duty of producing future lawyers who follow the Benedictine principle of ora et labora. The event commenced with the ribbon cutting ceremony, which was graced by the Rector-President, Dom Clement
Ma. Roque, OSB, and a special guest, former senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr. In attendance were the School of Law’s own Dean Ulan Sarmiento, Vice Dean Marciano Delson, and the Prefect of Student Affairs, Atty. Bruce V. Rivera, as well as Director of Services Ms. Arlyn Gatmaitan and other school administrators. The School of Law Chorale sang the national anthem to open the program at the Fr. Robert De Jesus, OSB Multipurpose Hall, while the invocation was led by Fr. Alberic Lazerna, OSB. Dom Clement gave the welcome address and
Dean Sarmiento delivered a heartwarming and inspiring message to the attendees. The general blessing of the building was headed by Abbot Chancellor Fr. Tarcisio Ma. H. Narciso, OSB. The blessing of the individual offices followed, led by Fr. Olegario Z. Commeleran, OSB, Fr. Gerard Ma. De Villa, OSB, Fr. Lazerna, Fr. Dunstan Candol, OSB, Dom Clement, Fr. Paul De Vera, OSB, and Abbot Chancellor Narciso. The closing remarks were given by Fr. De Villa, and the program ended with the singing of the Bedan Hymn.
Commissioner Sarmiento launches book on seven constitutions
By Marianne Aquino
Law professor and COMELEC Commissioner Rene V. Sarmiento launched his third academic magnum opus, “We the Sovereign Filipino People: The Book of Seven Constitutions (1897-1987)” last August 4 at San Beda College. Comparing Philippine Constitutions His third book focused on the evolution and developments of the Constitution since its first conception in 1897 until present. It also provided a comparative study of the different constitutions of the Philippines from Biak-na-Bato to the 1987 Constitution. Commissioner Sarmiento mentioned that it is inspiring to realize that the country has had seven constitu-
tions containing indigenous ideas and principles on rights which go in contrast to some claims that American colonizers planted the seeds of constitutionalism and rights in the islands’ system of laws. “Even as early as Biak-na-Bato we already have knowledge on the philosophy of laws,” the author quipped. Writing to inspire Sarmiento shared in his speech that an inspiring sense of history was the reason that moved him to write the book. “A knowledge of history gives us a glimpse of our glorious past and help us to face the present and future with wisdom, pride, and patriotism.” He also meant for this book to “inspire our
young law students that we have a great Filipino mind and spirit. That we belong in a continuum of principles.” He further added that this new work is a timely discussion which can be of aid in the undying proposal to institute charter change. In order for more effective changes to be introduced in the Constitution, individuals must possess a good background of our fundamental laws. Launching in SBC The book launch was attended by public figures and legal luminaries such as Dr. Firangel Rosario Braid and Dr. Wilfrido V. Villacorta of the 1986 Constitutional Commission who both delivered their remarks on the book. Also present was Commissioner Sarmiento’s colleague in the Commission on Elections, Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal The Bedan community, led by RectorPresident Rev. Fr. Aloysius Ma. A. Maranan, OSB and Dean Virgilio B. Jara of the College of Law, awarded the citation to Commissioner Sarmiento. The event was hosted by Dean Ulan Sarmiento of San Beda Alabang.
NEWS
SBCA-SOL Debate Society Competes in ANC Square-off By General Du The San Beda College Alabang-School of Law Debate Society engaged the University of the East (UE) in their first battle last August 13, 2010 in The ANC Square-off: The CVC Law Debates in Quezon City. The debate was televised live via satellite by the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC). The three valiant San Beda Alabang debaters, Argel Joseph Cabatbat, Jom Vibandor and Allen Bautista, were accompanied by the other members of the debate team namely, Kaye Arenas , Joan Palacio, Joseph Bertrand Arquero and Nyn Guevara. While waiting for that fateful hour of battle, the team was pleasantly surprised to chance upon the incomparable and seasoned broadcast journalist Ted Failon. They did not let the opportunity pass by without a photo opportunity and were glad that the distinguished broadcaster happily obliged. The excitement and anticipation of the debaters quickly faded and were replaced with fear and anxiety as the show started. Before the actual event, the show’s host, Twink Macaraig, prepped the two teams on the rules of the debate, speaking in front of the cameras, the length of time for the introductions and arguments and other important matters. As the cameras rolled, the spectators found themselves on the edge of their seats. A notable gaffe happened at the start of the show. While each side was supposed to introduce themselves alternately as previously directed, it was inadvertently missed by one of the members of the UE team who introduced himself during what was supposed to be Cabatbat’s turn. Consequently, some slight confusion followed as he forgot his introductory speech, and eventually blurted out the infamous line, “I don’t know what I’m talking about.” Tension gave way to laughter as a result of this surprising twist. During commercial break, the host was quick to remind the judges that the introductory speeches were not part of the debate proper and were not to be scored. The main issue of the debate was the impeachability of the Ombudsman. The San Beda Team was on the affirmative side. Jom Vibandor was the first to present her argument, followed by an interpolation by the negative side, vis-a-vis. This was the format followed throughout the battle. The sub-issues were on the necessity, the advantages and the feasibility of their respective motions. The San Beda team’s main argument focused on the alleged betrayal of public trust, the supposed negligence and manifest partiality in the prosecution and handling of cases of the present Ombudsman. This was supported by relevant and notable juris-
prudence and insightful analysis cited by the SBCA-SOL debaters. The opposing team, also citing jurisprudence, dwelled on the lack of facts and substantial evidence, and the seemingly horrendous consequences that would result from the impeachment of the Ombudsman. As the debate proper came to a close, the SBCA – SOL team impressed the majority of the audience with the arguments they presented. With the team’s commendable performance, SBCASOL was expected to win. After the scores were tallied, the host announced that the U.E. team, who was on the negative side, prevailed. It was quite amusing to note Twink Macaraig’s candid, albeit surprised response to the result of the debate. In the end, in an unexpected turn of events, which surprised the two other judges and the two professors who accompanied the U.E. team, the negative side prevailed. It was a hard-fought battle—won only by a single point. One of the judges, Atty. Mike Toledo, was impressed by the performance of the SBCA-SOL Debate Team and even gave an inspiring speech which boosted the morale of the team. To paraphrase, “I am happy to know that the future of the legal profession is in good hands with excellent students like you.” After exchanges of pleasantries and more photo opportunities, the San Beda Alabang team left the studio, not with heavy hearts, but with smiles on their faces and hopes in their minds that a possibility of earning a wild card slot in the finals is not far out. For the team, to say that the experience was priceless was an understatement.
NEWS
“N
GOT SPACE? By Rio Dizon
o pen, no ink, no table, no room, no time, no quiet, no inclination.” James Joyce once wrote that in a letter to his brother during a time of disillusionment, a time when he was down and out. Who can blame him? I would like to think any work that banks on the use of one’s head needs a room of its own. In other words, an office. With the rise of the new St. Maur Building, three bodies were given their own spaces: The Office of The Dean, The Student Law Government and The Red Chronicles. THE OFFICE The Office of The Dean is not ornamented Ivy League style with dark wooden desk, old-fashioned furniture, ornate carpet and walls lined with bookshelves. But it’s close. The new office is a whole new upgrade compared to the past Office of The Dean situated in the St. Bede’s Hall. The new office houses new executive desks for the Dean, the Vice Dean and the Prefect of School Affairs, couches, carpeted floors, two desks for each Administrative Assistants , two computers and brand new air conditioning units. The ambience is definitely brighter and lighter. And yes, colder. Administrative Assistant Jun Cadugo says that having the new office provides the Dean and the faculty more privacy. He adds that they are only waiting for a few more improvements such as the installation of cabinets for better storage and filing of documents. NOMADS NO MORE “It was very difficult for us to work before when we didn’t have an office.” Sayeh Hassani, Editor-in-Chief of The Red Chronicles, states. “On the first year , we had to go to Mendiola to work at The Barristers office for press work.” Last year, the school paper’s editors and staff struggled to produce issues by doing press work in coffee shops or someone else’s house. As a result of such gypsy-style labor, the team suffered a lack of dedication from some members. Indeed: no pen, no ink, no table, no room, no time, no quiet, no inclination. “Now the office is fairly new and we haven’t actually maximized its use yet since we lack the facilities. But I really am expecting that it will make a difference lalo na if we get our PC.” Hassani adds. COMING SOON The Red Chronicles(TRC) shares spaces with The Student Law Government on the third floor of St. Maur Building. While TRC’s side of the room is Spartan in design with its plain desks, red couch, long table and cabinets, the SLG’s side is... empty. Mayo Arellano, SLG President, explains that they have not made use of the room yet because the budget needed for their office interior has not been released. But as soon as they are able to fix their office, he would be looking forward to finally having a place of their own to hold their meetings and conferences and finally having a space for file storage.
SBCA-SOL IMPLEMENTS DRESS CODE By Vanessa Elaine Tianco School year 2010-2011 brought several changes to the San Beda College Alabang-School of Law. Aside from the recently inaugurated, cutting-edge St. Maur Building and the newly constructed canteen which will cater to the gastronomic sensibilities of the law students, another change which brought about a dramatic impact to the student body was the implementation of the school’s new dress code. The announcement that the students are required to wear corporate attire in school, was made during the first Dean’s Assembly for the school year. The new policy caused a multitude of reactions-- ranging from quiet acceptance to a vehement uproar from the student body. Many objected as it meant more expense due to the need to invest in a new set of clothes for people who are used to wearing casual attire. As a result of innumerable objections to the policy that simmered into student pressure on the School of Law Government (SLG), a reasonable delay for its implementation was adopted. Some male students find that the policy worked to their advantage as the choice of apparel has been greatly simplified. Others find it impractical to be wearing corporate attire during unfavorable weather conditions. Some women found it too expensive to buy a new wardrobe. However, majority of those interviewed were in favor of the dress code for it gave them a sense of being a part of the esteemed legal profession.
In The Service Of Others
NEWS
By Cherryl Irene Banaria and Genevieve Gutierrez
On September 18, 2010, the students of San Beda College - Alabang School of Law went out of their way and freed themselves from the indulgence of their books to participate in community service for a public school in Mandaluyong City. The law students were asked to give donations, while some 30 students from different levels actively participated in the reconstruction of an office and in the painting of a mural in Nueve de Febrero Elementary School, which has a population of a little more than four thousand students. The community service was successfully conducted in coordination with Hands On Manila (HOM) through its SERVATHON (Service Marathon) program. Servathon is a yearly activity of HOM which “mobilizes hundreds of volunteers, both first timers, as well as veterans, to work together in providing assistance to marginalized sectors” according to the HOM website. Participating companies and organizations in the said activity are asked a fixed amount of P75,000.00 donation, together with 30 employees or members who can participate in activities like coastal clean-up, gardening, medical-dental mission, livelihood trainings, mural painting, construction or renovation. According to Atty. Bruce Rivera, the Prefect of Student Affairs of SBCA-SOL, who was also present during the community service, “Alabang got involved in the project through Dean Sarmiento whose sister Neneth Sarmiento-Schmid, is one of the forerunners of Hands On Manila.” Dean Ulpiano Sarmiento III then forwarded the request for the school’s participation with the School of Law Government (SLG) President Mayo Arellano who involved the entire student body. An appeal for donations
and for volunteers to make this community service possible was mobilized afterwards. Prefect Rivera also said that there was a very good response from the student body. He also added that there should be more community involvement activities like the Servathon of the Hands On Manila in future endeavours. After the mural painting activity, the community service was concluded with a program at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. Ms. Diane Castellejo and Mr. Marc Nelson, himself a volunteer of Hands on Manila, hosted the event. The purpose of the program was to recognize the thousand
of volunteers who became heroes for a day by constructing and renovating schools, gardening and tree-planting, medical missions, mural painting, school enhancement activities and giving free legal assistance. In acknowledgement and gratitude for the valuable community service rendered, the representatives of 39 corporations were each given a plaque of recognition each.
San Beda College Alabang was the only law school who took part in the event, together with other companies like BWM, HSBC, Thomson Reuters, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Pancake House, among others. Admin. Assistant kuya Jun Cadugo and Mr. Arellano received the plaque on behalf of the volunteers. A sumptuous buffet meal was served to the volunteers. The HOM president Wynn Wynn Ong said that the program’s greatest asset was its volunteers. The Servathon 2010 chair and HOM board of trustee Neneth Sarmiento Schmid said she believed that the Servathon 2010 has surpassed last year’s volunteers, and that the number of participants keeps on growing. This year particularly, at least close to 50 volunteers were under 20 years of age which she called “ the new generation of change agents”. As proof of such statement, a dance number was performed by the scholars of HOM Galing Mo Kid Project who were 9 to 12 years of age. The program also ended with a song
number from the Hail Mary Queen choir and young
volunteers. Schmid said that studies show that “a person who volunteers is a happier person” and that it is their big hope to “raise the voice of volunteerism today.” She encourages everyone to continue to volunteer even in their own little way, to be involved, and to be of service.
BAR OPS 2010: LIONS ROAR TWENTY FOUR
THE 2010 TESTIMONIAL DINNER
I
n honor of its second batch of barristers, San Beda College Alabang School of Law held a special testimonial dinner last August 9, 2010 at the Diamond Hotel. It was a night of laughter and inspiration for the bar examinees. The luminaries and faculty of the school, and members of its student body, attended the glorious event. The beloved Dean Ulpiano Sarmiento III, Vice Dean Marciano Delson, Prefect of Student Affairs, Atty. Bruce Rivera, COMELEC Commisioner Rene Sarmiento, Judge Gina Bibat-Palamos, Judge Wilhelmina Jorge-Wagan, Atty. Nicasio Cabaneiro, Atty. Risel Castillo-Taleon were among those who graced the affair. Amidst all the cheerful banter among the attendees, the highlight of the night came in the form of speeches from some of the pillars of the School of Law faculty. In his speech, Atty. Cabaneiro expressed his utmost desire for the Bedan barristers to not only achieve a 100% passing rate, but also to recapture the top spots. Commissioner Sarmiento told the barristers that success in the bar exams can only be attained by preparing sufficiently, praying fervently, and answering the questions concisely. He also challenged the community to uphold the role of a Bedan lawyer in preserving the rule of law and democracy in the Philippines, and in enhancing and improving the same. Prefect Rivera and Vice Dean Delson also stressed the advantage of having a San Beda education. They asserted that what distinguishes Bedans from other students is their training, which equips each Bedan barrister with the necessary armor to withstand the grueling battle that is the bar examinations. The proud father of the School of Law community, Dean Ulan Sarmiento, capped the night with a personal message for his children who were preparing to face the impending exams. He asked them to believe and have faith because God is with them. As he so precisely put it, “Do not question God. He knows what is good for you. He knows that you want to pass the bar, so have faith.” Despite all the concerns regarding the 2010 SBCA Bar Operations raised by its Chairperson Pinky Belizario, the community remains optimistic that at the end of the day, all its hard work will be rewarded by the success of its barristers. With the support of the School of Law, and the diligent practice of the Benedictine principle of ora et labora, San Beda will once again belong to the cream of the crop of this year’s bar examinations.
By Maria Josefina Alfonso
BAR OPS 2010: LIONS ROAR TWENTY FOUR
A Lions’ Gathering: The 2010 Robing Ceremony and Send-Off for the Barristers By Rio Dizon
The banner in the chapel read, “San Beda College Alabang– School of Law, God Bless Our Barristers, Lion’s Roar Twenty Four!” SBCA-SOL held its second Robing Ceremony and Send-off for the Barristers in St. Benedict’s Chapel last August 27, 2010. The ceremony began when the Prefect asked the students to rise for the procession of the Professors and the Barristers. The beloved Dean, also donning the academic red robe, led the line of school professors and the Barristers, who were all wearing the same. ORA ET LABORA The Mass was celebrated by Abbot Chancellor Tarcisio Ma. H. Narciso, OSB. The First Reading was read by Atty. Emmanuel Palabrica, the Responsorial Psalm sung by the SBCA-SOL Chorale and the Prayers of the Faithful delivered by Judge Wilhelmina Jorge-Wagan. Father Abbot gave an inspiring homily that stressed the Bedan way of hardwork and prayer.“When you pray for someone, you put that someone in your heart.” Father Abbot gave this endearing message to our Barristers. He assured them that the professors and the entire Beda community are praying for them. THE DIAMOND AND THE COAL The solemn mood of the Mass was followed by a light-hearted comical vibe courtesy of none other than the “Perfect Prefect” himself, Atty. Bruce Rivera. Never failing to deliver a piece packed with meat and humor, Atty. Rivera’s introductory speech for the Robing Ceremony sent the whole community into laughing fits once again. But the change in the tone and tenor of the event was not just for the sake of a good laugh. In a true Bruce Rivera fashion, the Perfect Prefect shed light to the meaning of the ceremony by delivering substance wrapped in a sweet coat of banter and wit. Atty. Rivera explains how the ceremony was a double prong activity: The school is sending off their Barristers who are the diamonds while it ushers in the newbies who are the carbons or the coals. These unpolished and raw minerals will eventually become the hardest and most precious stone when the time comes. And it is the law school that is the pressure that will mold
these coals to become diamonds. But why the need for robing? Accordingly, the Robing Ceremony officially welcomes new students and clothes the same with wisdom. This practice can be traced from the oldest British and American Universities dating to Medieval times. Atty. Rivera also took the time to explain the concept of the Academic Regalia. The said ensemble is comprised of the gown, the hat and the hood. The academic gown is first worn during the beginning of the students’ journey in the academe. The hat is conferred to them as they progress in their field of study. And finally, the students receive the hood which is indicative of the completion of their degree. THE MYTH OF THE ROBE George Herbert once said that “One father is more than a hundred Schoolemasters.” And indeed, in SBCA-SOL, the student body does not need any other schoolmaster for aside from being a devoted Dean, Atty. Ulpiano Sarmiento has made it felt that he is the affectionate and doting father. And like a father talking to his child, Dean Ulan took to the stage and began his fatherly speech by mentioning the 1953 Biblical Epic Film, “The Robe.” He wanted to stress the symbol of the robe: humility, charity and service to others. He then called upon each Freshman section to rise to put on their robes and be officially welcomed as members of the San Beda family. It was a fulfilling moment for these cubs to be embraced in the proudest pride of lions. THE WISE OLD MAN AND THE NAUGHTY YOUNG KID Now that the coals have been ushered in, it was time for the school to send off their diamonds. Atty. Angelo Sanchez, a recent former student gave the introductory speech for the Send Off Ceremony. He gave tips for facing the challenge that is the Bar Exams. In essence, he advised the Barristers to just relax. To take the Bar in stride and to breathe easy are helpful pieces of advice for it qualms the disquieted hearts of the Barristers. But the Bedan family cannot make their beloved diamonds embark on a road where angels fear to tread without a word from one of their veterans. And so for the message to the Barristers, SBCA-SOL chose one of the top cats of their pride to inspire and fuel the hearts of their soldiers. Atty. Rivera introduced him as an epitome of a true Bedan, a friend, an Illuminary and “the best Supreme Court Justice we will never have.” This was none other than former Senator, Atty. Rene Saguisag.
In his sharp quipping address, Atty. Saguisag expressed his expectations from the second batch of Barristers of SBCA-SOL. He reminded the crowd that the last time San Beda snatched both 1st and 2nd place was way back in 1954 with Florenzo Regalado and Renato De la Fuente taking the crowns respectively. The drought ended only in last year’s Bar Exams when finally, two Bedans once again garnered the top spots. Atty. Saguisag expressed how he looks to this class to surpass Regalado and De la Fuente. Always abreast with current events, he also made reference to the recent bus hostage crisis. “We need to help the Government,” he urged the Barristers. True to the quixotic spirit he is known for, he rallied for a non-partisan politics: “We should speak with a single voice.” The Bar Exam overhaul that paved way for Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ’s) did not escape Atty. Saguisag’s jibes. He teased the Barristers saying that they will belong to the class of “Multiple choice lawyers.” And he then restated what he tells his students, over and over again, what for him is a test of a good lawyer: a “grammatically correct, legally tenable, intellectually respectable and psychologically satisfying” answer. As for his words of wisdom for the Barristers, like a grandfather to a grandchild, he narrated one amusing story: That of a wise old man in the mountain and a naughty young kid. The naughty kid had a bird in his hand behind his back. Just to test the old man, the naughty kid asked if the bird is alive or not. The wise old man said, “The answer is in your hands.” And with that, Atty. Saguisag said, “Never cease to dream and pray.” “AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE GO BACK TO WHAT WE ARE” An audio-visual presentation featuring messages from family and friends who wish each barrister well for the Bar Exams was shown. And after such, the closing remarks were given by Vice-Dean, Atty. Marciano Delson. As a final message and to cap off the ceremony, the Vice-Dean aptly remarked: “At the end of the day, we go back to what we are.” And he reminded us who we are. “We are Bedans molded in the tradition of prayer and work.” A Turkish proverb says that a lion sleeps in the heart of every brave man. And bravery, can be forged by prayer and work. Perhaps as the ceremony ended far into the night, students, both old and new, went home with a lion sleeping in their hearts, ready to roar and hunt when their time comes to live up to the name of the proudest pride of lions one can ever belong to.
BAR OPS 2010: LIONS ROAR TWENTY FOUR
Zero Hour: The 2010 Bar Examinations Send-Off By Dugie Dela Cruz
Every minute counted on the first Saturday of September, when the students of San Beda Alabang School of Law and San Beda College of Law Manila rallied on the grounds of the Mendiola campus to roar in exaltation for the 2010 barristers. 1230 hours: A multitude of colors were scattered around the college grounds, representing the various student organizations preparing for the send-off. The San Beda College Alabang School of Law Government, represented by white, was stationed at the Sabater Court, assisting the Alabang students. Jom Gonzales, the second year batch representative, headed the checking of attendance for the students. 1300 hours: The barristers, the faculty and the members of the bar operations for both San Beda Alabang and Mendiola enjoyed a sumptuous lunch buffet at St. Maur’s Hall. Meanwhile, droves of students were flocking to the campus to support the afternoon’s event. 1430 hours: The School of Law Government called the attention of the students to prepare themselves for the mass. The other student organizations busied themselves with securing their posts for the upcoming “Salubong”. 1500 hours: A mass was held at the Abbey of San Beda Mendiola. Fr. Basil Apostol and the other Benedictine priests celebrated the Holy Eucharist for the mighty twenty-four of San Beda Alabang and the barristers of San Beda College Manila. Dean Virgilio Jara, Dean Ulpiano Sarmiento III, Vice Dean Marciano Delson, Prefect of Student Affairs Atty. Bruce Rivera, Atty. Rene Saguisag, Atty. Nicasio Cabaneiro,Judge Gina Bibat – Palamos, Judge Alberto Serrano, and Atty. Rafael Padilla prayed with them for a blessed and successful bar month. 1600 hours: Drumbeats roused the crowd, amid the many different cheers and chants. The students of San Beda Alabang yelled the name of their school with pride. Although the students in white were outnumbered, their roars echoed louder. 1615 hours: The cheering intensified when a Chinese Tiger puppet danced its way down the isle separating the different student factions to call down upon the barristers the good fortune of the Year of the Tiger. Everyone applauded when Dean Ulpiano Sarmiento and Atty. Rocky Delson showed up to lead the way for
the barristers. Mere moments after the presentation, the pride of San Beda emerged from the Abbey. Emotions poured and tears flowed as the crowd cheered with seemingly inexhaustible energy for the future Bedan Lawyers. It was without doubt that, at that very moment, every one of those students saw themselves one day walking along that same isle and receiving the same support that no other law school could give. 1700 hours: The noise gradually faded, and the crowd abruptly dispersed as the barristers boarded the bus to Diamond Hotel. 1745 hours: The barristers arrived at the hotel to check-in and prepare for the first of the four mighty Sundays of their lives. 19:00 hours: The volunteers for the bar operations of San Beda Alabang distributed the dinner to their assigned barristers. 2000 hours and on onwards: “Because we work hard, and we party harder”… After securing the needs of the mighty twentyfour, those who had been working hard in assisting the examinees had a small celebration in the suite. Meanwhile, others were walking around, in, and out of the hotel to make sure that all that was needed for the next big day was under control. 0300 hours, First Sunday: Work began (again). The occupants of Rooms 2001 and 2002 began preparing the last minute tips and review materials for the examinees. 0400 hours: Wake-up call for the barristers. 0500 hours: The members of the bar operations of San Beda Alabang, together with some of the professors, gathered at the hotel lobby to greet the barristers and cheer for them before they rode the bus for De La Salle University Manila, where the Bar Exams were to be held. 0530 hours: The mighty twenty-four headed for La Salle, equipped, confident, and blessed by the Holy Spirit to make history again. 0545 hours: was not only the end the first weekend of the hotel operations, but also the beginning of the four weekends of hard work and unity. The incomparable service and support given by the school and the administration to the mighty twenty-four demonstrated that graduating from San Beda College Alabang School of Law is indeed a privilege, because nobody does it better than family, and nobody does family like the Alabang community.
BAR OPS 2010: EXCLUSIVE LIONS ROAR TWENTY FOUR SALUBONG 2010 BLAST: WHEN THE LION BECAME PREY
BEDANS INJURED IN BAR EXAMS
BLAST
By Maria Josefina Alfonso and Aretha Eugenio The supposedly festive end of the bar exam month unexpectedly turned out to be a ghastly event when a blast rocked the students and supporters of the barristers who were waiting to welcome the examinees. The explosion occurred in front of McDonald’s, along Taft Avenue and beside De La Salle University, where the Bar examinees were holed in. Initial reports stated that a pillbox exploded around 5:00p.m. on the 26th of September 2010, injuring a number of students, mostly coming from San Beda College Mendiola. A great number of the victims were female as the explosive was allegedly thrown in the area where the League of Lady Barristers (LLB) were stationed. Most of the eyewitnesses did not realize how serious the explosion was until they saw the victims lying on the ground, with different parts of their bodies drenched in their own blood. Jun Cadugo, first year law student and one of the Administrative Assistants in the SBCA School of Law shares: “malakas yung putok, pero akala ko fireworks lang”. Ronald Pasamba, a second year law student, who was also in the area said “bigla nalang may sumabog and may nag-fountain. Malakas siya kasi feeling ko tinamaan ako dahil yumanig yung ground, nagdisperse yung tao, nagclear yung area. I saw two people who were already bleeding, and there was this girl na overflowing talaga yung dugo”. Fortunately, the dispersal of the people did not result in a stampede, which could have possibly increased the number of people injured. According to other witnesses, there was no immediate help from authorities after the incident. “Our Alabang boys were
the ones who carried the injured girls kasi walang nagrespond”, Atty. Bruce Rivera, Prefect of Student Affairs in the SBCA-SOL shared in his Facebook account. Sources reported that Atty. Jek Casipit, together with Jonathan de Vera, Jay Gernale, Ron Esquivel, Hero Colorado, Erwin Hocson, Margaret Mangunay and Lexter Lonzame were among the few who helped carry the victims, and bring them to the nearby hospitals for immediate help. Those who were injured where rushed to the Ospital ng Maynila, Manila Doctors Hospital, Philippine General Hospital, Manila Sanitarium, and Medical Center Manila. Most of the injuries suffered by the victims were below the waist. Four of the victims were students, initially reported to be in critical conditions. Among the injured was Dianne Hazel Cañita, second year law student from San Beda Alabang. She suffered serious injuries on her legs. Raissa Laurel, second year law student from San Sebastian,had to have both legs amputated because of the serious injuries caused by the explosion. In an interview with ABSCBN, Laurel said she was “in the wrong place, at the wrong time”. As of press time, two other female victims are confined in Manila Doctor’s Hospital; and one of them was reported to have already lost her left leg. The PNP Manila Police Unit are still gathering information regarding the identity of the suspects, the motive behind the attack, and police lapses which might have occurred during the event. In an interview with ANC, Manila Police District OIC C/SUPT. Roberto Rongavilla said that they have already ruled out the possibility of terrorism and are now looking into “frat wars”. After conducting investigation at the scene of the explosion, Manila Police District Explosives and Ordinance Division Head Chief Inspector Oliver Navales said that the investigators recovered metal fragments, broken parts of a fuse assembly, safety lever, striker spring and striker from
TRC Features Editor Hurt In Frat Violence By Samantha Santos
Argel Cabatbat, a fourth year student of SBCA-SOL and Features Editor of The Red Chronicles, was stabbed a few meters away from Taft Avenue, Manila late Sunday night on September 26, 2010. He sustained injuries and abrasions which were mostly situated on the left side of his body. Cabatbat was immediately rushed to the Philippine General Hospital for immediate medical attention. The stab wound which was an inch deep below his left rib cage and roughly six inches in length did not hit any internal organs. Due to the number of cases being treated in PGH, Cabatbat was transferred to Medical Center Manila where
a grenade at the scene of the explosion. The post-blast investigation revealed that an MK-2 fragmentation grenade was used in the explosion. (Philstar.com) Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato C. Corona already released a statement and ordered the authorities “to identify the perpetrators of this senseless act of cowardice, and bring them to the bar of justice.” (ABS-CBN News) Asked about where the investigation is at present, Court Administrator Atty. Midas Marquez said, in an interview with ANC, “We have a clear video of who were there and of what transpired after the explosion. We already forwarded this (video) to the investigators. It is difficult to pinpoint anyone at this time. The court will start its own investigation within a day or two”. The SBCA-SOL School of Law Government has already released a statement. SLG President Mayo Arellano, expressed that the “SBCA School of Law family strongly condemns the violent attack that occurred last Sunday. Such an act of aggression should not be tolerated.” Arellano also appealed to the authorities to “conduct a full investigation into the matter and a prompt, impartial, credible and transparent investigation in order to capture not only the perpetrator of the crime, but also its author.” The SLG also called for the participation of the entire community in the legal profession. “We call on every law school to cooperate with each other to prevent future acts of aggression and violence. We should not allow fear and apathy to win and the violence to triumph. Together, we should put an end to the hostilities and ease the suffering of the victims. Each of us should bear the responsibility of ensuring the future of the barristers and future lawyers. The future of the legal system will not be cajoled into cacophony because of this single act of violence. Let us adopt the ‘shared security’ that is being implemented in the international community.”
he underwent an operation for the stab wound early Monday morning. Cabatbat and other students were leaving a restaurant when they were attacked by a group of men, allegedly from a rival fraternity with bottles and long steel tubes. The altercation was said to be rooted from the bottle-throwing event during the salubong earlier that day. According to Cabatbat, the group attacked as he was on his way home and talking to someone on the phone. Cabatbat tried to run but the group eventually caught up with him. Details of that night were partly supplemented by Cabatbat’s friends who were also on the scene. They had brought him to the hospital but according to Cabatbat, he could not remember in detail the events of that night. Cabatbat is now in stable condition and is scheduled to be released within a few days.
BAR OPS 2010: EXCLUSIVE LIONS ROAR TWENTY FOUR SALUBONG 2010 BLAST: WHEN THE LION BECAME PREY
ON GROUND ZERO A firsthand report from Taft Avenue By The Red Chronicles Photographer Jeamie Salvatierra Even a week ago, I was determined to go to the last Sunday of the traditional Salubong of the barristers. I was equipped with my camera on one hand and a water gun on the other. I arrived at Taft Avenue around 4PM and went to the lion’s lair. Seeing the dominant color red, I was surprised to see two giant mascots among the Bedan crowd. I took pictures of other students who were just as proud and happy to welcome their barristers. At that moment, I was especially proud to be a Bedan. Each school, including their Greek-lettered organizations, had their own gimmicks in welcoming the barristers. As expected, the crowd had mixed emotions, parents were ecstatic, professors stood proudly while students were in high spirits. In the midst of such joy and excitement, who would have thought that there could be such a tragic turn of events? It began with a loud bang. But like everyone else, I ignored it and assumed that it was just part of the celebration. There was a ten-second lapse before the crowd reacted. Suddenly, I heard people screaming,
everyone started running, pushing each other, all in a hurry to get to a safer distance. I was in shock and it took me a while to come to my senses. I remember looking back and seeing three students lying down on the floor, crying for help, their legs bleeding. Some started to run in shock despite being hit by the explosion only to collapse after realizing they had been injured. From the trauma of what was before me, I felt paralyzed and I hesitated to take more photos. I felt sad, knowing that they were students like me, and more importantly that they were Bedans like me. My Christian faith prevailed over the fact that I needed to document this. Some people took pictures and videos rather than put down their cameras to help the victims. The police tried to control the crowd and clear the area. Still, I feel that they could have done more. I cannot even recall an instance where a police officer actually helped carry the victims to safety. Instead, I witnessd other students heroically coming to the aid of the injured, doing whatever they could do for them. We arrived to salubong our barristers in what might have been their first step in becoming lawyers after graduation. Though September 26 may be marked as the most violent day in bar operations’ history, we must never forget the compassion we extended to the injured as well as the urgency of justice to which we now commit ourselves. We are Bedans and we roar united, be it in victory or in tragedy.
BAR OPS 2010: EXCLUSIVE LIONS ROAR TWENTY FOUR SALUBONG 2010 BLAST: WHEN THE LION BECAME PREY
BLOODIED
RITUAL By Ron Erwin Esquivel
Heavy traffic, cars parked everywhere, people walking in different directions, different establishments filled with waiting bystanders, hushed white and green campus, and a sea of people cheering, shouting, waiting in excitement while they showered themselves with beer and water. It started as a jovial day for everyone who were at Taft Avenue where the traditional “Salubong” for the barristers after taking-up their Bar Exams is annually held for the past years. As a devotee for the past years of that ritual, I was there, also waiting in excitement and cheering for my colleagues and Alma Mater. It was late in the afternoon when I arrived at Taft Avenue, where the law community, together with different people waiting, are already assembled in the middle of the street. After putting my bag in the “Tambayan,” I immediately rushed to where the Bedans are. To my left were Atty. Verano and Atty. Padilla, cheering with a whistle on, while in front of me was a group of law students wearing black and green shirts. In the middle of it all was Atty. Rivera who was trying to control the crowd so that the barristers especially those who are disabled can pass easily. Everybody was shouting and pouring beer over people’s heads. Drums were rolling. Different schools turns belting out their school cheers were taking turns on being belted out by their respective schools. The group in front me was chanting. In jest, I asked them to chant the name of Atty. Rivera. It was a momentous and blissful event for everyone. Until something unexpected occurred. A loud bang. Initially, I thought this was a glorified party POPPER. But in just a second, I saw smoke rising a couple of meters or so, 11 o’clock in front of me. I was stunned. I froze while the people around me were pushing and running
for safety. I was left in the middle of the street, trying to decipher what happened. Then the truth dawned on me when I saw bodies of bloodied law students down on the ground. It was an explosion. A demonic act was committed in the middle of the festivity where innocent and clueless people were gathering. My first instinct was to go to the helpless victims crying and shouting in pain and fear. The injured persons I first saw were Jokat Ledda on my left and Raissa Laurel on my right. “Aray!” Jokat shouted in the loudest possible way she could while sitting on the street. Raissa was crying. Her injury was unbearable that I can’t even look at it. Then I finally heard a familiar voice. It was Johnber Afaga, Jokat’s boyfriend. He was yelling at me, telling me to help him carry his girlfriend’s body, but I was circling in the place where I stood for I didn’t know what to do and was confused as to who I should help first. After seeing that someone approached Raissa’s location to help her, I focused my attention on Jokat who was continuously crying and shouting. She was crying not because of the pain, but because she saw the gravity of the injury her foot has suffered. Her boyfriend was trying to carry her by taking her upper body so I tried to help by focusing on the lower part, but I couldn’t. Jokat’s injury was so dreadful that I couldn’t find a part to hold for me to carry her. Circling, I looked for anything close to a stretcher where we can place her. As I searched for anything helpful, someone pulled me and pointed to another body lying on the other side of the street with no one rendering help. When I looked back at Jokat, I saw people trying to help her so I shifted my attention to the other injured person on the other side. It was Ram Milanes. He was in front of me before the explosion and was on the left side of Atty. Bruce during the jovial time of the Salubong. He was on the other side of the street because he was able to push Atty. Verano away from the area of the explosion. As I approached him, another lady assisted him at the same time. He was half-conscious with his eyes slowly closing, lips turning pale and left leg bleeding severely. Having very few knowledge in first aid treatment, I slapped his
face repeatedly and yelled in his ear so as to keep him awake. The other woman grabbed a green jacket and tied it to his bleeding leg. When help came, we carried him towards the other victims who were being loaded in a white van so that they may be transported to a hospital. When I returned to the crime scene, there were no more injured persons. The place was a mess. Remnants lay everywhere: banners, plastics, slippers, jackets. It was all covered with blood. It was hell. Friends, classmates, and worse, women were victimized by some people who had no conscience whatsoever to come up with that act. The happy and exciting tradition turned into a tragedy. The tradition and the lives of the victims were ruined. These people were just there to celebrate the end of the hardships of their fellow Bedans who took the bar exams. They were just there to show support. They were innocent. I composed myself, and together with the Alabang delegation, I headed to a safer place. Hours passed and I visited the injured persons in the PGH hoping that I could talk to themto let them feel that they are not alone; to let them know they are not the only victims of this tragic event. We all are. On the third floor, we were able to talk to Raissa’s father and boyfriend, both teary eyed and in shock. Her mother was crying while seated on the stairs. They cannot accept the fate of their loved one. They were blaming the system, the tradition and the way some people acted. Raissa’s father said that if he only knew that this would happen, he would not have let her enter law school to become a lawyer. Her father cannot believe that someone can think of committing such horrible act. He hopes that her daughter’s dream of becoming a lawyer will not disappear in the explosion. And he calls for justice. After what happened, one thing became clear: we are all united. United towards catching a single enemy-- the perpetrators who are so barbaric and heartless that they even deserve to suffer more than the victims are suffering. Because of what transpired, we will forever remember Bar Exams 2010.
BAR OPS 2010: LIONS ROAR TWENTY FOUR
OPINION
“E
“OFF WITH HIS HEAD!” EDITORIAL
veryone in that grandstand had a role to play.” –Maria Ressa, Head of ABSCBN News and Current Affairs, said in a noncommittal response to the issue of the role of media in the August 23 Quirino Grandstand hostage crisis. A defensive stance considering the public outrage over the failure of the media to restrain itself and prioritize safety and security over scoop? Probably, but, is anyone really in the position to wash their hands clean and point fingers? Certainly not the members of the PNP who employed sledgehammers to break the bus windows and less-than-stellar, if not miscalculated, tactical efforts to prevent the 11-hour ordeal which ended in bloodbath. Certainly not the high-ranking local officials of the City of Manila, who undeniably, had territorial jurisdiction. Not the widely-criticized DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo, nor Supt. Orlando Yebra who just recently admitted before the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) headed by DOJ Secretary Leila de Lima, that there was actually no official negotiating unit in the PNP. Not even Chief Inspector Romeo Salvador who claimed he could have overcome the hostage-taker were it not for Yebra’s orders to do otherwise. Heaven forbid, not even the bystanders on the scene could deny the least shred of responsibility for aggravating the situation much to the chagrin of this nation as the whole world watched on live TV! The list of names could go on as long as the number of days or months that could pass by before clarity and resolution finally resurface. Ironically, President Aquino himself took “full responsibility” for the tragedy that once again placed the Philippines in international shame. While the subordinates were busy squabbling among themselves on whose head must roll, the Chief Executive seemed to put an end to all that and just took the cudgel of blame, as if the words itself would undo what has been done. Is this formalized act of pin-pointing (cleverly disguised in marathon hearings) a desperate attempt to save face and show to the world that yes, we’re sorry but we’re doing everything we can to resolve it, but with no guarantees as to when? Interesting how the adage “Justice delayed is justice denied.” will play out in this case— in local television lingo, Abangan! Then again, who can cast the first stone, really-- when we, Filipinos, are generally famous for being exceptional nitpickers
Illustration by Brad Listones
and brilliant fault-finders. We laugh at the slightest mispronunciation or grammatical error. We passionately criticize, and most randomly at that-- from something as mundane as a stranger’s hideous choice of footwear to the more serious and complex issues of massacre cases having 200 defendants and 300 witnesses, of real estate firms and government housing anomalies, impeachment and, well… global warming! Is our knack for criticism a boon or a bane to our identity as a people and to our so-called Pinoy pride? On one side, we could justify this as our overwhelming desire be above mediocrity, to make things right and make the wrongdoers pay and ultimately, to make “due process” and “justice” living and breathing ideals. On the other hand, this could be an indication of our lack of accountability and eroding sense of righteous dignity. Maybe criticism will only serve to benefit everyone if we actually do something about the error and not just stand on the sidelines like cantankerous spectators—which, unfortunately, we are most often guilty of. It is a “major, major” feat to become, not mere fault-finders but active problem-solvers, but we ought to do it.
OPINION
Fraternities and violence There is a certain prestige, a special enigma, if you will, in becoming a lawyer. It is made more so by the unmatched difficulty of passing the Philippine bar examinations. In recent years, the passing rate has been hovering between 20 and 24 percent as distinguished from the 50 to 60 percent passing rate of bar examinees in the United States of America. Because of this, year in and year out, the thousands who dare take the bar exams are met with much fanfare, revelry and celebrations on the last Sunday of the licensure exam for lawyers. Bands, cheerers and confetti from different schools of law meet the examinees. Wine, beer or water is gleefully poured and showered on just about anyone in the dense crowd of friends, family and schoolmates waiting to meet the examinees. There has always been a warm festive mood that envelops the crowd in the traditional yearly Salubong. De La Salle University on Taft Avenue, where the bar exams are held, has traditionally been a place of happy and touching memories especially in the last Sundays of September. But sadly, all that changed this year. Shock and horror at the unexpected diabolical attack on the innocent crowd quickly replaced the happy atmosphere on September 26. What met the examinees this year was chaos and blood spilled all over Taft Avenue. The prefect of students of the San Beda School of Law, lawyer Bruce Rivera, who survived the grenade blast, said that for a moment he was paralyzed by shock as he heard first the thundering explosion, followed by cries. Then he saw his students covered with blood. The chilling scene was made even more eerily diabolical, he said, by the chanting of the word “Akrho, Akhro” by certain groups of men who, he could only presume, were members of the fraternity called Akrho (short for Alpha Kappa Rho). On that fateful day of September 26, the lives of two young female law students of the San Beda College of Law forever changed. One of them, Raissa Laurel, lost both her legs while Joanne Ledda, lost one. Some 48 other San Beda law students, mostly girls, suffered serious injuries in various parts of their bodies from shrapnel that came from the grenade lobbed at the dense crowd. The police are still investigating the incident and are searching for the perpetrators of that evil
deed but the theory is that it was, most likely, an act perpetrated by a fraternity. Parents send their children to school to become useful and responsible members of society and to learn the values that govern living in a society ruled by law. But on that fateful day, parents of two sides of the pole woke up to frightening and painful realities. The victims’ parents suddenly realized that law school is not a safe place for their children to be, after all. Their dreams of having children who are lawyers were shattered by the life-changing injuries their children sustained. On the other hand, the parents of the perpetrators, if they had an inkling of what their children had done, woke up to the ugly truth that their once lovable and cuddly babies have turned into murderers that can kill innocent people for no reason. Though it is unlikely that the perpetrators of the evil deed will ever admit their act to their parents, a mother feels it in her guts when she has lost the child she brought into the world to evil forces. Does membership in a fraternity automatically make one prone to violence? What triggers violent behavior? Fraternities are societies of the like-minded. Certainly, it is not fair to brand all fraternities and Greek-lettered societies as innately violent. One fratman commented that the tragedy of legitimate fraternities is that their culture is mimicked by bands of gangsters which also use Greek letters in their names. These bands of gangsters, often operating underground, are the ones more prone to senseless violence, he said. But then there is no denying that fraternities nurture violence in many ways. They may differ in degrees but fraternities cannot deny that the system of using violence to initiate neophytes, as well as the practice of using violent means to either defend one’s frat or start a war with another frat, beget violence. And this culture of violence is encouraged by a culture of impunity. Their mantra that “a brother is a brother, right or wrong” emboldens the more violent among them to carry out acts that injure and harm others because they know that their fraternity will not turn in its own to the authorities. In her book, Tears and Tantrums, Aletha Solter said that there are two conditions that produce violent behavior in humans. One is that the person has been hurt. A child who is
spanked, beaten, hit or threatened with violence will tend to be violent. The accumulation of minor hurts such as disappointments, frustrations of childhood and anxieties can build up and cause a child to display violent behavior. The second basic condition is that a person has not been allowed to release the emotions resulting from hurts. He has unresolved and unexpressed feelings of hurt. Violence is a distorted expression of a person’s rage or terror in an environment where it is not safe to show or release strong feelings, Solter said. Added to these conditions is the fact that violence is tolerated, even glorified, and is culturally linked to appropriate male behavior. Thus, boys are encouraged to fight back and to be aggressive rather than cry to release their feelings when frustrated or angry. If the perpetrators of the September 26 grenade blast will be proven to be law students, not only must they be punished in the strongest terms and forever barred from becoming lawyers but a study must also be made to analyze what drove them to commit such an evil act. Could there be a link between how law schools teach and the creation of frustration and anger? Could the admission process in law schools be so flawed that the psychologically unfit are not weeded out? Or could it be that persons who grew up with bottledup anger are the ones attracted to join fraternities because it is where they are given the opportunity to express their anger in violent ways? If so, must fraternities then be altogether banned? The answers to these questions must be searched for long term solutions because I shiver at the thought that we could be breeding evil-doers in law schools and creating lawyers who will be society’s nightmare. But in the short term, since many fraternities avow their commitment to peace and their rejection of violence, every stone must be turned by all of them to put the perpetrators of the grenade blast to the bar of justice. I would like to believe that some of those who know what really happened then and who were behind the premeditated plan to maim, and even kill, are now grappling with the voices of their conscience. Coming forward with the truth will release them. Republished from the Manila Standard Today October 4, 2010 issue.
OPINION
TEACHING LAW IN SAN BEDA: ADVENTURES,DISCOVERIES, BREAKTHROUGHS
“A teacher affects eternity, he can never tell where his influence stops.” - - Henry Adams
T
he year 2010 marks my four years of law teaching in San Beda. Four years (2006-2010) at the historic Mendiola campus. Three years (20072010) at the young and sprawling Alabang campus. Political Law Review, Constitutional Law, Evidence and Legal Philosophy in Mendiola. Political Law Review and Legal Philosophy in Alabang. Through all these years, I had dialogued and laughed with, mentored, coached and graded hundreds of students, many of whom are now lawyers carving out their niches in the legal profession. My law teaching in San Beda is a never-ending saga of shared adventures, discoveries and breakthroughs with students. Not a schoolyear passes without the introduction of a project or activity that will deepen their love for transformative law, excite their pens, energize their vocals, unleash their talent for organizing and networking, and influence their passion for what is noble and true. This project or activity is done collaboratively with students as nourishing supplements to the regular Socratic mode of teaching and learning familiar to law teachers and students. When done, this project or activity is documented, formatted, packaged in a book form and bequeathed to the law library as a gift/memento from the students. Years and decades from now, they can, with satisfaction, reminisce this empowering and participative experience.
Seniors’ Constitutional Convention (2006-2008)
For three consecutive years, 2006-2008, fourth year students in Political Law Review held their Seniors’ Constitutional Convention in order to equip them with skills in constitution-making. Closely patterned after the processes of the 1986 Constitutional Commission that drafted the 1987 Constitution, the seniors selected their Presiding Officers, Majority Floor Leaders and Sergeant-at-Arms. The seniors then divided themselves into several committees, each headed by a Chairperson. Guided by the Rules of the San Beda Seniors Law Student Constitutional Convention (based on the Rules of the 1986 Constitutional Commission), the seniors conducted their twoday deliberations on their proposed Constitution. Dressed like true-to-life delegates (in barongs, coat-and-tie, in kimonos, in blazers), they reported, debated, harmonized their opposing views and finally agreed on the proposed Constitution. Copies in book form of the proposed Constitutions are available at the San Beda Law Library.
Law Seniors Speak on Law, Democracy, Governance
In 2009, the Seniors undertook a new project. They held the Law Seniors Speak on the theme “How Can I, A Filipino Lawyer, Enhance Rule of Law, Democracy and Good Governance?” Every student wrote a paper and orally delivered it with gusto before his/her classmates. The fruit is a book containing their pictures and speeches-masterpieces all donated to the San Beda Law Library. Read these speeches and be uplifted by the soaring thoughts, ideals and dreams of the students!
An Afternoon Session With Supreme Court Justice Teresita de Castro So that the seniors would have an intimate and up-close dialogue with a Supreme Court Associate Justice and see for themselves the human face of the Highest Tribunal, the seniors invited in 2008 Associate Justice Teresita de Castro, former Presiding Justice of the Sandiganbayan, in a forum entitled “An Afternoon Session With Supreme Court Justice Teresita de Castro.” It was a free-wheeling, no holds-barred and friendly exchange of questions and answers between Justice Teresita de Castro and the seniors, capped by a sumptuous dinner hosted by the seniors. “I was impressed by the questions,” commented Justice Teresita de Castro. The documented proceedings are now preserved in the San Beda Law Library.
Moot Court for Juniors (2007-2008)
The third year law students taking up Evidence and Trial Technique were not to be outdone. In 2007 and 2008, the Juniors held Moot Courts. They divided themselves into several groups, each group tasked to prosecute and defend a criminal or civil case. Each group assigned members who acted as prosecutors or defense counsels complete with victims and witnesses. Applying the rules on evidence and trial technique they had learned in the classroom, the Juniors showed, in my presence as Presiding Judge, their knowledge and mastery of direct examination, cross-examination, re-direct examination, re-cross examination, objections, offer of evidence, etc. The finished products of these moot courts, in book form, are now on file in the San Beda Law Library.
Compendium of Seven Philippine Constitutions Yes, there are seven Philippine Constitutions. In 2009, freshmen law
students taking up Constitutional Law I each collected and compiled copies of seven Philippine Constitutions starting from the 1897 Biakna-Bato Constitution up to the 1987 Philippine Constitution. This project was intended to inform freshmen students about the Filipinos’ long history in constitution-making, about their knowledge of the different forms and types of government and about their awareness of human rights, democracy, republicanism, accountability and good governance. Adopt a Role Model This October 2010, a new project will be introduced to the Seniors.
Each one will choose his/her role model who was or is a lawyer, jurist, lawyer-public servant. Or he/she can be a non-lawyer public figure but personifies values and virtues worth emulating by a law student-soon-to-be-lawyer. The student shall present a paper before a forum about the life and times of this role model with an explanation why he/she was chosen. The papers containing the picture of the student and role model will be compiled and arranged in a book form to be titled “Our Role Models.” The Quest Continues The quest for new and innovative projects for the Bedan law students
shall continue. Experiments, adventures, discoveries and breakthroughs will be explored and preserved. In this way, we creatively prepare law students for developmental lawyering, patriotic leadership and responsible servanthood, for God and country!
OPINION
The fantastic verbosity of the Philippine law in statutes and jurisprudence new and old is simply mind-boggling. In the publication of legislative intent, there are attempts and there are successes through the careful choice of words to convey the very specific and capture the vague. The law is this, and the law may encompass these. While in the judiciary, there is more freedom to create – there is a veritable magical spindle in the possession of many talented jurists. They weave words into tapestry – law and literature entwined
The
hostage crisis last August 23, 2010 allowed us to witness how the anger and frustration of one man brought shame and disrepute to the whole country. I read stories about Filipinos in other countries actually denying their nationality. The Philippines even made it to the number one spot on the list of topics being talked about on the web. Our country has been called names and was allegedly even referred to as the “worst country to go to”. There is no single word to describe how I felt during that time. I felt sorry for the families of the hostages whose lives were lost in the crisis; I felt ashamed and dejected in the futile attempt of our public officers in arriving at a bloodless negotiation; I was dissapointed because I knew this incident would have a
like truth and enlightenment or lovers in tight embrace. A wise dean once revealed in his address to freshmen law students that law is like learning a new language. In this context, the words of the law fan out a spectrum as they caress different eyes. A scholar, a student, and a layman thus perceive the law in different lights. Here lies the art, the challenge, and the confusion, respectively. There is delight in reading the words of the law through the eyes of a scholar. A delicious syrupy affectation in text giving visions of leisurely reading on Sunday afternoons. There are literature virtuosos in many a Justice in the persons of George Malcolm, Claudio Tehankee, Oliver Wendel Holmes, Isagani Cruz, Hilario Davide, just to name a few. With the law as the base note the melody of each story and beats of emotion make har-
detrimental effect on our economy and tourism; And most of all, I was furious at the criticisms made about my country, but in the midst of all the negative emotions, I felt love--a love that transcends all wrong. The kind of love that endures in good and in bad, in right and in wrong-- that at the end of that day, it was all that was left for me to feel: Love for the Philippines, my own country. With this, one would ask me, “Am I patriotic?” I believe, yes, I am. PATRIOTISM. How do we define it? It is a love and devotion to a country or homeland for no other reason than being a resident there. United States President Barack Obama said, “Patriotism is not just love of America in the abstract, but a very particular love for, and faith in, one another as Americans.” For Mark Twain, patriotism
meant “supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” The philosopher Seneca once said, “Men love their country not because it is great, but because it is their own.” For me, patriotism is loving your own country not just in times of greatness but also in times of adversity. But do we just stop there? How do we exactly show the patriot in us? Is it simply by proclaiming to the whole world that we are proud to be Pinoy? Or do we, just like Bamboo, express our patriotism through music, and sing “Hoy! Pinoy ako, buo aking loob, may agimat ang dugo ko”. Or do we need to be like Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio or maybe Ninoy Aquino? One does not need to be a hero in order that he may be patriotic. We can all practice patriotism in very simple ways. We can be patriotic even by exercising the rights granted to the Filipino people in the 1987 Constitution. Registering to vote, voting independently, obeying the law,
monious music. Learning the law starts in stacatto. Through time and huge effort, the legalese eventually become the familiar. The learning curve steeps and students become fluent in the language of the law, a step closer to scholarly delight, and to being a lawyer. Enter the ordinary person. He needs a lawyer. Imagine declaiming the preamble of the Philippine Constitution to a fish vendor. Beautiful, majestic is the language of the law as witnessed by learned eyes. Compared to the eyes of ordinary persons, they are few. The law is written for both, but the sheer number of laymen conjures a unique predicament. There is an impending, if not material challenge to place the law within the grasp of the layman and yet preserve the artistry that has evolved as part of the legal history.
appreciating Filipino culture and tradition, making ourselves aware of public issues in the country and respecting our fellow countrymen--all these would reveal the patriotic in us. We should always remember that each day is a chance for us to magnify our love for the Philippines. With everything that our country has been through, one might say that practicing patriotism is easier said than done. For the longest time, the situations our country has been in make it so easy for Filipinos to lose faith in the government, the institutions and its officers, and in each and everyone of us. Filipinos sometimes feel that there is no hope left and that our country will never be on its way up. As Filipinos, we have the duty to bolster our confidence in our country every chance we get. Let us all find reinforcement in seeing what is good in our country. Let us all focus on the things that make us proud to belong to this nation (think: abundant natural resources, not to
mention our breathtaking beaches and scrumptious delicacies). Let us all make stable foundations of patriotism in each and every one of us. So that when a similar situation occurs, the love that we have for our country would be so overpowering that it triumphs over the things which are despicable. Love, as I see it, is one of the easiest things to give. The moment we stop believing in our country, then we begin to bring our own nation down. I believe that if we, Filipinos learn to love our country a little bit more, then we could help to make the Philippines a better place to live in. Let us all have a goal of putting the Philippines back in the world map for the right reasons (not merely because of a major-major frustrated crown or a politician who sees the congress as a boxing ring). Besides, what better thing to do than love your own? Let us all be proud of the Philippines and express our love for our motherland. After all, it is our own.
OPINION
7200 Hours Later: The Maguindanao Massacre By Joan Cruz Palacio
It has been almost a year since the world was rippled by the shockwave of the Maguindanao Massacre, which ended the lives of 52 people coming from all walks of life: women, politicians, lawyers and journalists. Videos of the tragic aftermath even went viral on the internet, displaying images of bloody corpses sprawled over dirt and gore. The news unraveled a domino of protests from human rights activists, both locally and abroad. Some Filipinos who, for the longest time, were just sitting on the sidelines of apathy with regard to local politics suddenly found themselves crying for justice. Many Facebook users even responded by displaying a black ribbon on their profile picture, as a sign of protest against political violence and extrajudicial killings. 7200 hours later, we still find ourselves clamoring for justice, seeking change in the political landscape and praying for a speedy and honest disposition of the pending case. Retracing Steps Taken The massacre established well-founded fears of impending failed elections not only in the Maguindanao area but also in other parts of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Thereafter, then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared Martial Law in Maguindanao through Proclamation No. 1959 which was eventually lifted after nine days, on December 13, 2009. In that same month, multiple murder and rebellion charges were filed against the Ampatuan political scion, including Andal Ampatuan, Jr. and Andal Ampatuan, Sr. Tug of War and Power over the Coffers
Political violence is not uncommon in the Philippines. The motherland has witnessed and wept for countless lives frittered away in the struggle for power. Power over the coffer. This nibbling greed that does not seem to relent has poisoned the minds of some politicians which have kept them from divesting their steely control over the jurisdiction which they have long held. The Philippines has infamously been labeled as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Trillions of pesos have been wasted to benefit the private lives of public individuals when it should have been allocated to alleviate the overwhelming poverty of both rural and urban poor and other societal issues, over which the country has found itself still chained to the foray of dismal bleakness over the past few decades. Autonomy or Unity? Freedom is always a good thing. No one wants to be held in tyranny. But does autonomy necessarily equate to freedom? Furthermore, does autonomy create a faction? Even Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan seeks for the abolition of the ARMM, that same faction of local government for which he is a part of, for which he is administering. Why then does one of the leaders of the ARMM himself bellow for its abolition? The Great Irony ARMM, in its autonomous state continues to be a primary recipient of the national budget, with billions of pesos being allocated for it. Over the years, political autonomy does not seem to translate to fiscal autonomy. The region still milks from the same skinny cow. However, it still remains as
one of the most underprivileged and poorest regions in the country. True autonomy seems to remain a pipe dream rather than a reality as nepotism and clans continue to rule the region, hampering the opportunity for other leaders to serve. Poverty, political violence and partiality. Slicing the Cake Even More Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, together with her son, Representative Dato Arroyo has proposed a bill that will divide the ARMM region into two, Autonomous Region of Central Mindanao and Autonomous Region of Southwestern Mindanao. It seeks to recommend the inclusion of Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, Isabela, Dipolog and Dapitan, among others. According to its advocates, it will lead to conflict resolution in Mindanao. Many are skeptical as to the feasibility of this proposal. How can further division cause unity and peace? Can a meager realignment and restructuring salve the longstanding conflicts in the South? Handing Scissors to Cut the Cycle It seems that a cycle has materialized from every catastrophic news one witnesses on television. Tragedy, outcry, standstill. Tragedy, outcry, standstill. Although Filipinos, resilient as we are, still find hope in the faintest of light. We still pray for a brighter tomorrow. With the advent of the PNOY administration, we keep our fingers crossed and wait for change. Change for the better. That our dreams for the nation would finally awaken.
Deprived of Salubong 2010 From the Bar Ops 2010 Chairperson Pinky Baquir-Belizario
Memories are irreplaceable for they shall forever exist in the minds of fertile brains. We all condemn the tragic incident that we now call as the ill-fated Salubong of 2010 as the bar operations will never be the same again after this. It is not much for the tradition that was deprived off our 2010 bar takers, but it is for the essence of why we were all at Taft Avenue last Sunday. It is not just a festivity as the uninvolved thinks; the Salubong is a privilege, a celebration of sacrifice and hard work. All law students dream of taking the bar, passing it and ultimately earning them the right to walk along the halls of justice, defending rights and upholding the law. Isn’t it your dream and mine to stride along Taft Avenue and gallantly face the battle to conquer the minds of the examiners? Isn’t it our right as students to be happy and rejoice with our barristers, to shout and cheer and sweat and get wet? All of us were deprived. The bar takers, their classmates, the professors, the academe and our families, present or absent, will never be the same again. We shall never look at Taft Avenue the same way again. I am sure that the barristers were looking forward to be welcomed by a throng of people who are happy for what they have just accomplished. Yet, destiny had it otherwise. I said it before and I say it once more, taking the bar is not a matter of fear, it is a matter of pride. And when that expectation is taken over by sorrow, then we are deprived. We remain steadfast in our faith to our barristers. We regret that your moment had been taken away from you as it was to us. We can no longer rewind the time to give you what clearly should have been your time, but this we say, your time has just started and let no one throw a pillbox to take that away from you.
OPINION
THE OMBUDSMAN:
TO BE MERCIFUL OR NOT TO BE MERCIFUL By Argel Joseph Cabatbat
“Public office is a public trust. Public officers and employees must, at all times, be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency; act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives.” – Section 1, Article XI 1987 Constitution Presumption of regularity of work, privileged communication, proof beyond reasonable doubt, lack of evidence, immunity from suit, and due process are the legal shields that a public officer can make use against charges of corruption, partiality and incompetence. However, in the case of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, the best shield that has protected her from being removed from office through impeachment is the lack of number in the House of Representatives sufficient to transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate. In 2009, the impeachment complaint filed by Former Senate President Jovito Salonga and civic group Kilosbayan was junked by the 14th Congress. The House of Representatives voted 172-15-1 in favor of a committee report junking the impeachment against Gutierrez due to lack of substance. After Noynoy Aquino was sworn to presidency, hopes were high that enough numbers will be obtained this time during the 15th Congress. The House justice committee last September 2, 2010 found the two impeachment complaints filed against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to be sufficient in substance. However, as of that date, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Sr. admitted that there were not enough votes to impeach the ombudsman. It is to be noted that a vote of at least one-third of all the members of the House is needed to either affirm or junk the findings of the committee. Old grounds, new grounds The grounds used in the impeachment complaint in 2009 against the Ombuds-
man covered the Mega Pacific graft and corruption case, the delay on the investigation on the World Bank-financed road projects, the defective information filed regarding the extortion case against Justice Secretary Hernani Perez, the inaction concerning the Fertilizer Fund scam, the delay in investigating case involving the “Euro-generals”, and the manifest bias against Governor Tupas and Governor Garcia. As for the Mega Pacific graft and corruption case, the Ombudsman has already absolved former COMELEC chairman Benjamin Abalos and other COMELEC officials despite the findings of the Supreme Court and the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee of clear violations of law and jurisprudence and reckless disregard of COMELEC’s bidding rules and procedure. As for the World Bank road projects, the Ombudsman made an investigation only a month after an impeachment complaint was filed against her in 2009. According to the World Bank, the Ombudsman knew already of the said irregularities in the road projects back in 2006. In the case of Justice Hernani Perez, the information, being fatally defective, was dismissed. After five long years, the Ombudsman announced last July 2010 that Jocelyn “Joc Joc” Bolante is liable for graft and malversation of public funds in connection with the P728-million fertilizer fund scam. Last September 9, the Ombudsman announced the preventive suspension for six months of six officials of the Philippine National Police for their alleged anomalous travel to the Russian Federation in 2008. This preventive suspension came almost two years after the said incident, despite admissions of violations by the police officers themselves. On the other hand, the impeachment complaint filed by Risa HontiverosBaraquel, Danilo Lim and Pestaño spouses contained allegations of dismal and unconscionably low conviction rate of the Ombudsman, which amounted to a criminal level of incompetence and failure to act promptly against pressing issues. Some of these notable allegations are: the NBN-ZTE deal fiasco which put former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and other
government officials in the spotlight, the delay in the investigation on the death of Ensign Philip Pestaño, the questionable decision to uphold the legality of the arrest and involuntary detention of Hontiveros at the height of the ‘Hello Garci’ controversy, the failure to investigate the P1million dinner for the presidential party at the Le Cirque restaurant in New York during an official government funded and sanctioned trip, the failure to take prompt action on various cases involving former President Arroyo such as the Mega-Pacific scam among others, and the refusal to grant ready access to public records such as the Statement of Assets, Net Worth and Liabilities of former Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo. Legislative vs. Judiciary Last September 13, the Ombudsman sought help from the Supreme Court in nullifying the September 1 and 7, 2010 resolutions of the House Justice Committee, which found the two impeachments complaints both sufficient in form and substance. Within twenty-four hours, the Supreme Court, in extraordinary promptness, ordered the suspension of the impeachment proceedings against the Ombudsman. The Supreme Court based its decision on the one-year ban in lodging an impeachment complaint against the same officer. Three justices dissented against the status quo ante order of the majority, namely: Associate Justices Antonio Carpio, Conchita Carpio Morales, and Ma. Lourdes Sereno. Talks of defying the order of the Supreme Court circulated. The members of the House of Representatives feared that the order might translate into a judicial dictatorship. However, last September 15, the House of Representatives decided to suspend “in the meantime” the impeachment proceedings against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to give respect to an order issued by the Supreme Court. The legislative department has decided to defer to the Supreme Court regarding this issue. However, since there seems to be no showing of declining interest in impeaching the Ombudsman, there still is a big chance that despite the Judiciary’s decision of suspending the impeachment proceedings, the war against Merceditas Gutierrez shall continue.
OPINION
IN THE RED CORNER “In the Red Corner” is a venue for students’ expressions, ideas and opinions gathered in the form of surveys. Survey 1: Parking What do you think are the possible improvements that can be made in our school’s parking system? “The High School and Grade School should coordinate with the School of Law regarding the beginning and end of classes. The schedules should be made to correlate in order that the parking spaces would be utilized by both law students and school buses, in an organized manner. At present, there is a conflict between the schedules because the parking spaces are only made available to law students at 5:30.”
-Mayo Arellano SLG President
“There should be enough and fair consideration for everybody. The parking spaces are made available to law students only after 5:30 and classes start at 4:30. This forces students to park outside because although there are a lot of parking spaces in front of the building, the same is not available to them. Moreover, a valet parking service could also help in making parking less difficult, and students who pay their tuition in full should be granted reserved parking.”
Survey 2: MCQ-type bar exams What are your fears and concerns with respect to the multiple choice question type of exams that is being proposed for the 2011 bar examinations? “With respect to implementation, it would have been better, in a sense, if the MCQ format would be adopted in the exams maybe two or three years from now so that law schools are given the opportunity to revise their teaching methods specifically in answering the bar exams questions.” -Hector Miole, Jr. SLG VP-Internal
“There would be a bigger possibility in getting the wrong answer as compared to an essay type of exam where students will be entitled to partial points. In an MCQ type of exam, it will be very hard to determine the best answer when all the choices given are actually correct.” -Will Eusores 3rd year “It’s very hard to pick the correct answer because all of the choices given are correct. Moreover, students will either get it right or have no point.”
-Pinky Belizario 3rd year
-Ernanie Gonzales 2nd year
“There should be a specific pick-up time for High School and Grade School students so that the school buses do not have to use the parking slots while waiting for the dismissal of the students. Moreover, a designated area for pick-up should be assigned where they can wait for their respective school buses.”
“The thing with MCQ type of exam is that the best answer will be according to what the examiner thinks is correct. I think that answers are subjective and an opportunity to defend one’s answer, like a lawyer’s point in court, is essential in gauging the knowledge and preparation of the student.”
-Ron Esquivel
4th year
SLG Treasurer
“The practice of reserving parking spaces should be eliminated. Parking should be on a first come, first serve basis to be fair to everyone. A lot of students go to school early to study, but have to park their cars outside because the parking spaces are already reserved.” -Niño Lina 1st year
“There should be clear rules on who gets to park where. There should be no discrimination. Parking spaces should be made available to all and not just for those who have nice cars or the school buses. We all pay for the San Beda sticker, I think that we should all get what we paid for.” -Anonymous
-Jane Bantaran “I think that the problem with an MCQ type of question is that, it leaves no room for justification. Hence, less chance of getting partial points and bigger chance of getting a low score.” -Jom Vibandor 3rd year
“I think the main concern for now is if the professors or examiners know how to properly formulate multiple choice type of questions. This is a process of experimenting and should not be implemented immediately. There should first be a training for the professors and students.” -Dino Austria 1st year
FEATURES
A Glimpse of Hope for the New Bedan Lawyers By Andrea Joson
No one forgets their first. Year 2010 was definitely an unforgettable first for San Beda School of Law as it produced thirteen new lawyers who paved the way to show others our school’s competence and worth. For most people, the great feat had been won but for these new Bedan lawyers, the real battle has just begun. Even before the results came out, many were concerned with issues that went beyond the plain anticipation of who will pass, fail or top the bar. These more important issues pertain to life after the bar exams and the common challenges in the legal profession our new lawyers would have to face. Cuthroat competition in the field of private practice, scarcity in positions being opened in prestigious firms, the exhausting slow grind of our litigation process, and lack of facilities and prosecuting lawyers and judges in far flung areas, are but some of the challenges our new lawyers would have to be exposed to. Launching our thirteen new Bedan lawyers into this kind of environment creates a bit of apprehension for the rest of us as their career could ultimately prove how our common training ground can really prepare us for the real world. How have these issues affected our new Bedan lawyers and how have they coped so far? It has been about five months
since the oath taking of our first batch of SBCA lawyers and it’s quite befitting to inquire about how they have managed to jumpstart their career so far. Out of these thirteen new Bedan lawyers namely, Atty. Patrice Barron, Atty. Anthony Ferrer, Atty. Toni Joy Verano, Atty. Karmela Jorvina, Atty. KD Frias, Atty.Thea Nueve, Atty. Rochelle Dayanghirang, Atty. Benedict Aquino, Atty. Jeckereen Joy Casipit, Atty. Cyrus Montessa, Atty. Jasmine Sedilla, Atty. Rafael Angelo Padilla and Atty. Angelo Albert Sanchez, majority have ventured into private law firms specializing in various fields such as labor, corporate, and general practice. A few of them have also accepted invitation from our own SBCA professors to join them in their practice, making former students now their professors’ colleagues. At present, the majority who joined private law firms said that they are still testing the waters and are uncertain as to whether they would stay in private practice for a considerable length of time. Gaining more experience is their current priority but hopes of venturing into public service and bringing the law to the marginalized remains not too distant. When asked about their plans in the near future, four out of nine declared specific interest in working for the Office of the Public Prosecutor, while the rest expressed their eventual dream to explore the area of litigation as well. It is also interesting to note that the desire to teach law subjects is slowly becoming an increasing trend among our new lawyers. As we already know, Atty. Rafael Angelo Padilla now teaches Statutory Construction in our very own campus. Some of the others also plan to teach law courses in other schools in the future. There is every reason to be proud hear-
ing how the future goals and career plans of our new lawyers have turned out to be so noble, socially oriented and conscientious. Fully aware of the hazards and difficulties in public service, many of them are still willing to forego profit in order to be of service to the community. As a bit of background, even with the signing of Republic Act 9046 in 2007, which mandated an increase in the salary of Public Attorney’s Office lawyers, an associate public attorney only gets a monthly basic pay of P20,800, while a public attorney of rank II gets a little over P21,000. In private law firms, an entry-level lawyer receives P30,000 to P50,000 a month. (Gonzales, N. Business World Research www.bworldonline.com/ Research/economicindicators.7 July 2010)
There is never really enough preparation for life after the bar exams as every step thereafter becomes a learning experience especially for new lawyers. Still we continue to hope that our Bedan lawyers would stay true to their commitment to the public and remain steadfast with the Benedictine values they have inherited. In the words of Wigberto E. Tanada during the First Alternative Law Conference, (Alternative Law Groups., Inc. Lawyering for the Public Interest, November 8-12, 1999) “ We begin the process of real change for the better by simply living out the noble oaths of the profession. But eventually, we should do more – as our assistance and services are very much needed by our people in their continuing struggle for a more just, democratic, equitable, sovereign and prosperous Philippine society.” In this struggle, San Beda School of Law has no doubt and in fact certain, that with our thirteen new lawyers together with others soon to come, there is a glimpse of hope for real change.
FEATURES
THE WEIGHT OF DESTINY By Raymond Santos-Estrella
“Son, the ball is now in your hands.” —Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr., in a letter to his son. History is filled with men like Benigno Simeon “Noynoy”C. Aquino III-- men whose parents were giants with big shoes to fill in their respective fields. These men have the unenviable position of living up to a legacy, of always being compared to the accomplishments of the previous generations, and more often than not, of coming up short in the eyes of the public. However, once in a while there arise individuals who have both the ability and the will to walk the destiny which their predecessors have laid before them. Whether Noynoy will be the kind of man who can finally bring to fruition the hopes and aspirations of his parents, only time will tell. The story of Noynoy cannot, by any measure, be his alone. His tale carries with it that of his grandfather, the origin of the Benigno name-his father, the great “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr., and his mother, the beloved Cory Aquino. Ninoy and the birth of the dream The Aquinos hail from the landlocked province of Tarlac, home of endless fields of rice, sugarcane, corn, and coconuts. Benigno “Igno” Aquino, Sr. himself was an assemblyman for the 2nd district for three terms before running and succeeding in becoming a Senator in 1928. During the Japanese occupation which established the Second Republic, Igno served as Jose P. Laurel’s vice president. His son, Ninoy, would later carry on the family’s interest in politics. Born in Concepcion, Tarlac, Benigno “Ninoy” S. Aquino, Jr. was no stranger to politics when he, himself, entered the fray. He was the youngest municipal mayor at age 22, the youngest vice-governor at 27 and the elected governor of Tarlac at age 29. He broke another record when he became senator at 34. Through all this, it seems almost inconceivable that he had gotten married and sired four children. While this string of victories emboldened the young Aquino, it set him on a collision course with the Marcos administration. Starting with scathing criticisms on the armed forces budget, the gradual militarization of civilian government offices and even the erection Cultural Center of the Philippines, Ninoy made quite a name for himself in the eyes of the masses. He was gradually seen as a contender for the presidency since Marcos was prohibited for serving another term. On September 21, 1972, however, martial law was declared and forever changed the political landscape for the Aquinos. With martial law in effect, Ninoy was one of the first to be arrested. In protest, he went on a hunger strike for 40 days but was eventually persuaded to stop for the sake of his family. During this time, charges of treason and possession of illegal firearms were brought before a mil-
itary commission. For years he remained in prison, eventually being declared guilty of all charges and sentenced to death before a firing squad. While awaiting the execution, he suffered a heart attack. While he was stabilized at the Philippine Heart Center, Aquino refused the services of Philippine doctors, lest he suffer an unfortunate “accident” in their hands, opting instead to undergo a coronary bypass in the United States. It was on May 8, 1980 that Ninoy, along with his family, was jostled into a plane bound for the U.S. to undergo his surgery after bartering a deal with the authorities that he would leave immediately and would not make any effort to return to the Philippines. He stayed there for seven years until he finally made that fateful decision to return to his motherland. Fearing for the country’s future due to the declining health of Marcos, Ninoy was hopeful that he could convince the former to withdraw the rule of martial law and reinstitute democratic process. Of course, Ninoy knew fully well the dangers of returning. He would likely be imprisoned or killed, whether through the death sentence or by an assassin. It was then that Ninoy uttered his famous words, no less truer then than they are today, that “the Filipino is worth dying for.” On August 21, 1983, as Aquino was disembarking from his plane, he was shot in the head. A subsequent investigation produced no definitive results. His death, however, sparked an upwelling of emotion from the masses. Over two million people lined the streets as his funeral cortege brought him to his final resting place. Cory and The Revolution Ninoy Aquino’s death had a much more lasting and dramatic effect on the Filipino people. The few members of the opposition transformed almost overnight into a massive crusade of the poor, the middle class, business leaders, the military, and the Catholic Church. It was then that his widow, Ma. Corazon “Cory” C. Aquino, was thrust up into the public consciousness and entered the political arena. Far from the dutiful homemaker’s routine lifestyle, Cory found herself as the presidential candidate of the opposition party in the 1986 snap elections against Marcos. The declaration that Marcos had again won the election became the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Led by Cory’s call for civil disobedience, protests and boycotts, Filipinos rallied at EDSA to show their collective outrage, not only against the massive electoral fraud, but also against the years of injustices and excesses suffered by the Filipino people that drove the masses to the streets. This was eventually dubbed as the 1986 People Power Revolution. Rizal, himself, would undoubtedly be proud to have witnessed it. In a bit of irony and a dose of fate, what Ninoy had started over a decade before, his widow had completed: a restoration of democracy. Even Ninoy’s aspirations to the presidency were fulfilled by Cory as head of the revolution-- she eventually became the 11th president of the Philippine Republic under a new constitutional framework. After her presidency, Cory retired to the private life from which she was hesitantly seized by the events of history. However, her voice continued to remain as a constant moral compass for the people, decrying the same government excesses that would jeopardize the democracy that she and Ninoy had fought so hard for all those years. And after all this, “Tita Cory”, as she is now affectionately called, still had one last part to play in our saga.
FEATURES Noynoy and his destiny To say that Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” C. Aquino III has big shoes to fill is an understatement. With such towering achievements in the service of the Filipino people, his parents cast a very long shadow. His father joined a long list of brave, courageous men martyred on the altar of democracy. His mother, taking up his father’s mantle, led the People Power Revolution and, despite lack of training and her own reluctance, had ushered a reform of government whose consequences are felt even unto today. It might then be said that the most natural thing for Noynoy would be to distance himself from such a legacy, to find his own path in life. No one would blame him for such a choice, after seeing the indelible mark that politics and the public life had cast on his family. After graduating from the Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Economics, Noynoy joined his family in exile in the United States. There, he describes himself as a jack of all trades, performing all sorts of routine chores for the family as driver, handyman, electrician, plumber, and even dog handler. Following his father’s assassination and “The Revolution”, Noynoy found himself working in the business sector, being employed by Mondragon Industries, Intra-Strata Assurance, and Central Azucarera de Tarlac. What train of thought led to Noynoy’s eventual acquiescence to the “family business” is open to speculation. Whether it is a true desire for public service or conceding to a destiny as epitomized by the line of politicians in the Aquino family is not immediately relevant. Suffice it to say, Noynoy served as representative of the 2nd district of Tarlac for three terms, starting in 1998. In 2007, he ran for and was proclaimed a senator. It was unfortunate, though, that in his time in the legislature, none of the bills he introduced were passed into law. With seemingly trivial accomplishments, it takes very little effort to assert that Noynoy is not the man that his father was. Nor was he in the same opportune position as his mother when Ninoy was assassinated. Few would wager that he would, much less could, run for the presidency and succeed. A reluctant hero In July 2009, Cory’s health was reported to be in a precarious state after having battled colorectal cancer for over a year. On August 1, 2009, she died due to complications of cardio-respiratory arrest at age 76. It seems that when it came to Cory, information just travels quickly as requiem masses were held around the country. Philippine flags in all government offices flew at half-mast and the masses prepared to say their final respects to their beloved Tita Cory. Hundreds of thousands of supporters lined the streets to escort Cory’s funeral cortege to her final resting place beside her husband’s tomb. Following his mother’s death, there began a gradual call for Noynoy to run for the presidency. Just like his mother, Noynoy had voiced out his apprehension about running for the office. Whether it was because of an innate humility or a fear of the Chief Executive’s responsibilities or a tendency to misjudge his own abilities, one cannot know. Suffice it to say that Noynoy had never, at that point in time, shown an inclination for the presidency. At the initiative of Edgardo Roces, the Noynoy Aquino for President Movement, with the task of collecting a million signatures to persuade Aquino to run for president was created. Coincidentally, Edgardo’s own father, Chino Roces, had done the very same thing to convince Cory to run against Marcos in the 1986 snap elections. Both initiatives easily garnered the one million signatures. Even Senator Mar Roxas, president and standard-bearer of the Liberal Party, who had already publicly declared his presidential aspirations, eventually announced his withdrawal from the presidential race and gave his support for Aquino. The next day, and reminiscent of his mother who would go on “spiritual retreat” prior to agreeing to run in the 1986 elections, Noynoy spent a weekend to mull things over. In the end, Noynoy proved he was his mother’s son. Just like Cory’s
initial reluctance, Noynoy finally acquiesced to public clamor. Suffice it to say, that the greater public would have none of it. The only son of Ninoy and Cory must run for the presidency and they would support him. With the filing of his candidacy, Noynoy brought to fruition the sum total of his life’s past events. It is commonly said that history has a way of repeating itself. The saying cannot be any truer than it was of Noynoy’s rise to the presidency. Parallels of his and Cory’s rise to the presidency can be drawn on several lines: the death of a relative, the public cry for their leadership, a
Roces-led initiative, the retreat, and finally their declaration of candidacy for the presidency. Mother and son both share the same problems they’ve inherited from their predecessors: graft and corruption, budget deficits, a weak currency, international debt, high unemployment levels, rebel insurgency, and divisive politics. Not unlike the titan Atlas bearing the burden of the world on his shoulders, Noynoy must endure the incredible responsibility that comes with the presidency. His is no ordinary office today. He must bear not only the troubles left by his predecessors but the promises left by his parents. Promises of hope for the Filipino people, the end of corruption in government, fiscal responsibility, of national progress, greater employment opportunities, more protection to overseas Filipino workers, a stronger peso, and the conclusion of peace talks with rebel groups, are just some of these. Noynoy wasn’t the smart vote in the last elections. To the thinker, he was merely an unaccomplished son of two great Filipinos. His was a burden of living up to his name which he had no chance in upholding. There were others with a more impressive resume in their time in public service. There were others with proven abilities and achievements that far surpasses his. However, there is something to be said of him and his lineage. There is something to be said of his being an Aquino. If Noynoy is anything like his parents, then at least his candor, his love for the country and the burden of upholding the family honor has assured the populace. Maybe this one time it may be a good idea to place our bets with the underdog. Fervor may yet win against proven ability. The blood that runs in one’s veins might yet reveal an uncanny proficiency at governance. Just this once, the signs might just reveal themselves, the stars may align and we may all find ourselves proud of our president, and, in the end, proud of ourselves for supporting him. After all, this is destiny.
Cover Story
The Ultimate Strike of the Gavel: An Interview with Newly-Appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,
RENATO C. CORONA By Aretha Eugenio and Andrea Joson
Chief Justice Renato C. Corona is the 23rd Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. At the age of 61, he is one of the youngest magistrates to be appointed to the highest court. A pursuer of excellence, graduating at the top of his class in Ateneo Law School and ranking 25th in the bar exams, one would say that occupying the highest post in the Judiciary was an easy task for him. On the contrary, his appointment was a near miss as he met several controversies while assuming his position. Justice Corona was appointed by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo a few months before her term ended. The constitutionality of his appointment was challenged by many, but was later on upheld by the Supreme Court. Several issues were embraced by the Chief Justice in the first few days after his appointment. He had to deal with protests and a number of calls to quit his post. All that he requested for at that time was for the public to give him a chance and not to be judged at once. Now, a few months later, armed with tons of experience and numerous accomplishments, he has already proven himself worthy and showed that he is the right man for the position. In this interview, the Chief Justice talks about his plans for improvement in the Judiciary, suggestions for the development in the legal profession, views on the present administration and valuable lessons for new and future lawyers.
“We hear horror stories about people saying that the judge was partial or even bribed. But you have to take these comments with a grain of salt�
Q:
VISIONS OF REFORM IN THE JUDICIARY As the new Chief Justice, what are your main concerns and how do you plan to address them?
A:
1. Court System I would like to unclog the court dockets. It’s very important because cases are piling up due to various causes. First, it is very hard to recruit judges. There are several vacant salas in Mindanao since these are located in “trouble spots” and the amount of the prospective judges’ salaries and benefits are not commensurate with the danger they will be exposed to. Second, there is also a problem with the funding from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) because not all salas created by Congress are funded. The salas are there, but they have no funds. These are two different things, the creation of the sala and the money to answer for the salaries of the Judges and court personnel, the purchase of computers and things needed in the court. 2. Computerization / Digitalization – I also plan to computerize the courts to make things transparent and make people aware of what’s going on with their cases. Also, with the computerization of the courts, there will be less or even no room for corruption. 3. The Halls of Justice - Many of the courts, case records and computers that were destroyed by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng have not been repaired until now. However, there’s no money for the needed restoration because we have not yet received the budget releases from the DBM. Even those Halls of Justice which were not damaged by the typhoons also need to undergo repairs. 4. Judges – I’m concerned in raising the bar of integrity. I think that’s very important not only for those in the legal profession, but society in general. When
Cover Story you hear Judge X and Judge Y allegedly receiving bribe money, that’s very upsetting and disappointing for the society even if you don’t have a case with that Judge, and this erodes the faith of the people in our judiciary. On the other hand, as far as judges are concerned, for those who are good, competent and honest, I would like to enhance their skills, training and education through continuous training under the PHILJA. Every once in a while we hold seminars and forums to update them on the new rules, procedures and laws being passed by Congress. These seminars are similar to the MCLE undergone by lawyers. 5. The Marginalized – I want to increase the access of the poor to justice. This is why we have exempted the poor from payment of filing fees and the clients of the Public Attorney’s Office are also exempt from paying legal fees because most of them are financially Through the years, there have been a lot of protests regarding the justice system of our country. What changes, if any, are needed in the system? How do you intend to effect these changes?
Let’s be honest about it – there will always be protests. Here in the Supreme Court, and in all other courts, there is always a winner and a loser, so you have to keep yourself 50% happy and 50% sad with what you did. There are two sides to every story and as long as you think you are right, as long as your conscience tells you you’re right, then so be it. You’ve learned from your Civil Law that the judge cannot refuse to decide a case. But the other side of course is, if there are issues that would cause one to question the validity of a decision. This is subjective. Of course, we hear horror stories about people saying that a judge was partial or even bribed. But you have to take these comments with a grain of salt. I’ve come across many instances where it’s the lawyer of the losing party fabricating these stories to cover up for his own stupidity. Lawyers will never admit their mistakes. There’s no one accusation that would apply to all. Of course I admit that there could be instances where we have shenanigans in the Judiciary but we are trying to get rid of that one by one. But then again, that would require people to file their case and prove it against that judge. Most of the time, they complain about the decision but not the judge himself. Included in your list of priorities is the strengthening of the Katarungang Pambarangay system. In what way can this help the judiciary in de-clogging the courts?
The law provides for a certain dispute settlement mechanism to be conducted by the Katarungan Pambarangay or the Lupon Tagapamayapa for minor cases. There is a big role to be played by that lupon because any case that it settles does not have to go through the court system. If the case gets settled, it will not be sucked into the judicial system anymore. Now of course we are talking of the future tense. Why future tense? Because those which have already been filed in the MTCs or RTCs will either have to go to trial or could be subject to an alternative dispute resolution. ON THE ENHANCED JUSTICE ON WHEELS (EJOW) PROJECT The Enhanced Justice on Wheels is a revitalized version of its predecessor program, Justice on Wheels created by former Chief Justice Reynato Puno. It is a mobile court, touring around various towns, cities and provinces across the country, the objective of which is to de-clog court dockets by releasing inmates with cases due for resolution, and educate the marginalized of their legal rights. The Justice on Wheels has been a successful project of the SC. How do you intend to strengthen its vision in helping decongest the country’s jails and court dockets?
The Enhanced Justice On Wheels (EJOW) focuses on far areas not only to unclog court dockets but also to give justice where it is due. Some prisoners should have been released a long time ago, but because of their ignorance of the law, the irresponsibility of their lawyers, and the inefficiency of the court system, they end up rotting in jail. That is one important problem that is addressed by the EJOW. This system used to be called Justice On Wheels. Its only function then was to manage the release of those who are overdue, but it has been enhanced. The EJOW now includes arbitration, mediation, legal, medical and dental assistance to prisoners. Part of your judicial philosophy is to give a voice to the weak and the oppressed. Is the SC planning to formulate any projects which can create such forum?
The EJOW is actually one project that caters to the weak and oppressed. We have eight designated buses that are stationed in different parts of the country. These buses go around their areas of responsibility and have already helped a lot. Around 5,000 prisoners who were due for release have already been set free. This is one of the ways that can further enhance the access to justice of the poor.
ON THE NEW BAR EXAMINATION SYSTEM Many law students and even law professors are skeptical of the Multiple Choice Question type exams for the 2011 Bar exams. Is the same really effective despite the years of Socratic type of reasoning that future Bar takers are accustomed to?
First, whether it’s an old or new system, there will always be pros and cons. I am sure this MCQ type which Justice Abad proposed will also have its strong and weak points. Now, I cannot say with all certainty at this point whether that will be successful or not. But all that I am willing to recognize is the fact that we have had the present system for more than a hundred years since the time that the bar examinations started in the 1900.
frontational. Sometimes, we should not listen to people who always try to create a hostile scenario between government officials. Disagreeing is not necessarily fighting. You could be the best of friends, or the most cooperative people, but at some point you will disagree.
WORDS OF WISDOM FOR NEW AND FUTURE LAWYERS How do you define a strong, moral and ethical set of values that young lawyers should have?
I think it is time to innovate and explore new ways of gauging the knowledge and skills level of our would-be lawyers. When this system was envisioned in the 1900s, there were only a handful of laws but as time went by, there have been thousands of laws passed. Yet, we still use the same type of questions in the bar. There is something inherently wrong with the bar examinations if they do not conform to developments in the legal system. Is the MCQ type bar going to be easier? Personally, I think it is going to be more difficult. An MCQ is not simply a mixture of five right and wrong options. All five choices are correct, but you have to choose the best one among them. You have to spend more time digesting the implications of each choice before you finally choose one. This is not only difficult, but also intellectually draining and time consuming. However, the upside of this system is that the examinees will be given specific topics where questions will be chosen. So you are actually limiting the coverage; it is not going to be “shotgun”.
ON THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION In your opinion, what should be the top three priorities of the President?
For any administration, economy should always be number one because it affects the greatest number of people. It influences the everyday lives of people: their jobs, eating 3 times a day, sending children to school, the quality of life, maintenance of clean water and a healthy environment. Inviting foreign investors should also be prioritized because this would generate new businesses that would in turn generate more employment and income. Number two, political stability. Economic and Political stability go together. A vibrant political situation, political system, will encourage people to come and invest. If foreigners would see political stability and a strong economy, they will be lured to invest here. Which brings me to the third priority that is, good public governance. Actually, these three all form one concept, just different dimensions of running the country well. I also think the insurgency problems on the CPP-NPA and the MILF are financially draining the government. This becomes the cause of humanitarian conflict. Peace and order is therefore vital to enhance political stability and to save more funds for national development. It is the first time in history that we have all the three branches of government being occupied by new leaders. Do you think the same serves as a challenge or a blessing in balancing and separating the powers of these three?
In a sense, yes, I think it enhances the independence of the three branches of government for the reason that we don’t know each other, we have not worked together before. But the important thing to remember is that even if we are independent, nobody says that we have to be hostile to each other. There is still such a thing called unity under the leadership of the President of the Philippines. So, just because I am in representation of the Judiciary, I am independent, I am a co-equal branch of government, nevertheless, President Aquino is still the leader of the country. And therefore, we have to give him all the support that we can give. That can bring good things for the country without hampering his style of governance. We are not necessarily friends, but neither are we enemies. I think there should be a great deal of cooperation. We have seen that in a vibrant democracy like in the United States. The US Supreme Court has, on many occasions, declared as unconstitutional the acts of the President. But here, if the SC decides against the acts of the President, there are people insinuating that the representatives of each branch are enemies or hostile or con-
We have all sorts of rules on this matter but these are all on paper. In actual life, you can impose all the rules but are these being followed? So more than the rules that we impose, I think, we have to be able to build a strong ethical foundation for our lawyers. Actually not just for lawyers, even doctors, nurses, society in general, we have to have that strong code of ethics of what is right and wrong. You have learned that the discernment between right and wrong comes naturally to a person. Nobody has to teach you that because that’s what conscience tells you. A strong conscience creates a strong value system. You are your own policeman. As you are now our Chief Justice, and as we may consider as our father in the legal profession, are there any thoughts that you may wish to pass to your sons and daughters, the future lawyers of our generation?
I think this is a beautiful country that we have. It is the only country that we have. We should love it because it is the land that has given us all the opportunities in life, put us where we are and will bring us to even greater heights. Despite its imperfections, it is the only world that we know, its the only country that we have and I think we should love it. I think you, as Jose Rizal once said, are the hope of the nation. I really believe in that because I think that even if there are some older people who have corrupted the world, I think that is not reason for you not to hope for better times. And if there are more of you thinking the same way about having a better Philippines, then I think we will still achieve it. In 20 years, you will be judges, justices or even government leaders. I think we just have to continue despite the bad things. That is not an excuse for us to stop trying to make this country a better place to live in.
Having the opportunity to discuss relevant issues with our new Chief Justice not only allowed us to envision hope for a much more improved Judiciary; it also brought about a sense of inspiration and contentment that all these visions, if one day achieved, will create a greater impact in our society and in our endless pursuit of justice for all.
Featuring Professors’ Profile Student Organizations
A Roar Of Its Own:
San Beda College Alabang School of Law By Laisa Aguila, Wilson De Jesus and Michael Lorico San Beda College Alabang- School of Law, before it came to be the “School of Law” that we know, was just a mere annex of San Beda College of Law in Mendiola. In 2005, it was established to cater to residents of the southern part of Metro Manila who would like to avoid the hustle and bustle of the capital. Now, SBCA-SOL is a recognized institution, independent in many ways and is geared to attain success even in her early years of independence. Through a certificate of government recognition issued by the Legal Education Board on June 29, 2010, the School of Law was granted a charter that allowed it to produce graduates under its banner, establish rules and policies, and exercise all the conferred rights by such charter to fully effectuate its autonomy. Such recognition was received, not from the Commission on Higher Education but from the Legal Education Board, in accordance with Republic Act 7662 otherwise known as the Legal Education Re-
form Act of 1993-- a feat that is not common to all institutions dedicated to the study of law. The result of this recognition brought about many changes in the institution. For one, the school administration was reformed. Vice Dean Ulpiano Sarmiento III became the official Dean of the School of Law, Atty. Marciano Delson was named Vice Dean and Atty. Bruce Rivera, the Prefect of Student Affairs. Next term, new rules should be expected for a revised student handbook is underway. More changes will occur but rest assured that all will be for the best. “SBCA is not far behind.” Indeed, SBCA-SOL has come a long way from when it first opened its doors six years ago. From an initial student population of around 112, the school is, “at this point, more than 500-student strong”, beams Atty. Bruce V. Rivera, Prefect of Student Affairs. That is not to say that the body has evolved only in terms of enrolment. Since the grant of recognition,
SBCA-SOL has already established most of its primary institutions— the two-year old SBCA Student Law Government, The Red Chronicles, The ELECOM, The SBCA School of Law Chorale and The SBCA-Law Debate Society. Moreover, two formidable parties, namely CLIQUE and KATARUNGAN, have been the political machineries that have so far produced the elected student leaders in the School of Law Government for two years running. SBCASOL also has its own Hotel and Bar Operations (BAROPS), which had assisted and supported the school’s barristers in the latter’s successful hurdle of the 2009 Bar Examinations. Last year, it has also organized its own Intramurals and Ms. SBCA-SOL beauty pageant as well as its Fun Run. In addition to all these, organizations for both The Law Journal and Legal Aid are also in the process of formation. Atty. Rivera aims to establish both of these “hopefully within three years” or until his term as Prefect of Student Affairs ends in 2013. He pointed
out that, “It took them (other law schools) 20 to 30 years to establish these organizations.”. This bodes well for the school considering the fact that SBCA-SOL is still an infant institution that is still in the process of evolving. Some policies with regard to student affairs have also been, in a sense, modified with this year’s implementation of the dress code which required students to attend their Monday to Friday classes in business attire. This policy is not unique to SBCA as most of the law schools have long adopted this. Atty. Rivera stresses that the dress code policy was not meant to set us apart from our brethren in Mendiola, rather it stemmed from the faculty’s desire to prepare its students for the professional environment in the field of law. He pointed that this policy aimed to address the issue of “provocative clothing” which was
obviously not suitable in the law profession. The Coding System which required students to identify their exam booklets using their assigned student numbers instead of their full names sought to eliminate “certain biases” and ultimately, to prepare the students for the bar examinations. Incidentally, one of the academic policies this year incorporated the Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) format in the exams in deference to the order of the Supreme Court. Atty. Rivera also stressed that, “The QPI System is not abolished, but merely suspended. It will never be abolished because it is part of the academic requirement and the dean may, at any time, actually reinstate the QPI rule.” and cited that the suspension was primarily because the student population is still “man-
ageable”. He also cautioned students against “complacency” which may arise from the wrong impression of the suspension of the QPI. “Symbiotic relationship”, not zero dependence
Atty. Rivera readily admits that with regard to student affairs, San Beda College of Law in Mendiola is arguably “more mature, more experienced, more outlined and streamlined in terms of management” seeing as it is a 60-year old academic institution. However, SBCA-SOL is “more student-worthy” and cites “a feeling of family”, evidenced by its well-attended and commendable student participation in activities and the “Robing Ceremony which is unique.”. Another strength of SBCA-SOL is that it is also “more democratic” in that “the offices are readily accessible to students”. Its
SBCA-SOL is “more studentworthy and cites a feeling of family”. - Atty. Bruce Rivera
campus is also “conducive to learning and has a peaceful, orderly and safe environment.” While SBCA-SOL was initially intended as an extension campus from its inception six years ago, this did not remain stagnant and true enough, the school is now relishing its recognition as a law institution. However, Atty. Rivera shares that full autonomy is “not a conscious effort”. He also does not see “full autonomy as an advantage. Rather, it is better to keep our ties with SBC-Mendiola.”. He cites the fact that both schools are Bedan institutions which share a roster of brilliant faculty members. He more aptly describes both schools as having a “symbiotic relationship” and not one of absolute or zero dependence on each other. As Prefect of Student Affairs, Atty. Bruce V. Rivera envisions “a happy student body” which could be achieved “through continued cooperation between the whole student body and the faculty as well as the Dean and the Vice Dean”. As with other institutions, discipline is one of the foremost priorities; however, “the best service to the student body” takes precedence. Yes, this grant of recognition vests new-
found significant responsibilities upon the institution which requires Herculean efforts from everyone. If anything, this milestone is only a preview of better things to come. SBCA-SOL’s new home Quite fittingly with this grant of recognition, the St. Maur building became the newest addition to the SBCA community. It is located between the Elementary and High School buildings. The newly constructed law building consists of four floors. The first floor is devoted mostly to administrative services. It has a chapel, a clinic, a bookstore, the rector’s office and the School of Law Dean’s Office. The second floor houses the library which is exclusively for the use of the law students and two classrooms, while the third floor consists of five classrooms, the office of the Red Chronicles and the School of Law Government, as well as the School of Law Guidance Office. Lastly, the fourth floor of the new building boasts of a 500-seater multi-purpose hall where school activities are usually held. The law building however, still has room for two major improvements: first, the students’ perennial problem of finding available parking
spaces, as the parking lot is usually full from 12 PM until 5:30 PM when the high school and elementary students are dismissed. Another major issue is the need for a more spacious library with more chairs and tables. This problem was clearly realized during the midterm and final examinations when students were cramped inside the library and some had to sit on the floor due to the lack of available seats. Despite such issues, the St. Maur Building is something all Bedan students can be proud of. The architectural design is modern and functional, the classrooms are conducive to learning and its facilities are excellent. Aside from the fact that the School of Law is already recognized as an institution, it is a great achievement for these future Bedan lawyers to pursue their calling in a building they can truly call their home. Without a doubt, the future is bright for this institution. It has hit the ground running and is ready as ever to face what lies ahead. Bearing in mind the Bedan faith, “that in all things, God may be glorified”, San Beda College Alabang- School of Law now truly has a roar that is, unremarkably, its own.
School of Law Faculty S.Y. 2010-2011
Dean Ulpiano Sarmiento III
Persons and Family Relations / Obligations and Contracts / Legal Research / Legal Counselling
The father of the San Beda College Alabang School of Law (SBCA-SOL) which he established in 2004, Dean Ulan is a teacher, a lawyer, a professor, a school administrator, a legislator, and a father to his own children and the students of the School of Law. He is as affectionate and approachable as he is strict and quick to instill discipline and the love of God and for the law to all students. He teaches Persons and Family Relations, Obligations and Contracts, Legal Research, and Legal Counseling. A true Bedan of the Century, he was bred in San Beda since college and took Bachelor of Laws in 1982 and Master of Laws in 2008. As a legislator, Congressman Ulan involved himself in issues affecting education. He held the position of Assistant Secretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs to DECS Secretary Lourdes R. Quisumbing, member of the Panel Consultants, Teachers’ Welfare and Benefits, Congressional Commission on Education (COCED) of 1991, and later as Executive Director of the Congressional Oversight Committee on Education (COCED), Senate of the Republic of the Philippines. Presently, he is one of the directors of the Catholic Education Association of the Philippines (CEAP) and legal consultant of the Funs Assistance for Private Education (FAPE) and the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU). He is presently a senior partner of the Law Firm of SARMIENTO DELSON & DAKANAY.
Vice-Dean Marciano G. Delson Property / Civil Law Review An accountant, a top-notch lawyer and a teacher rolled into one, Atty. Marciano Delson, “Sir Rocky” to his students, is currently the Vice Dean of the San Beda College Alabang School of Law and the Prefect
of Student Affairs in Mendiola. Among the subjects he teaches are Civil Law Review, Property, Wills and Succession and Partnership and Trust. Sir Rocky owns a sharp memory that is said to be the secret of his numerous accomplishments. He was a consistent honor student and class valedictorian in elementary and high school. He graduated from St. Louis University in Baguio with a degree in BS Accountancy, Cum Laude, and passed the CPA licensure exams in 1986. He was taking up law in St. Louis when a “northern star” led him to San Beda Mendiola. He brought glory to the school by placing fifth in the 1990 bar exams. Sir Rocky’s students look up to him like their own father. His presence in the Alabang campus is a source of pride to the students and faculty alike as the school is a brainchild of his and of Dean Ulpiano Sarmiento III.
Atty. Bruce V. Rivera Persons and Family Relations / Constitutional Law II / Administrative Law
An English dramatist once said that “comedy is simply a funny way of being serious.” Atty. Bruce Rivera, a natural raconteur, gifted with the instinct of the witty and the comic, is a shining example of this dichotomy that lives within every comedian. Having the eye for human folly, he delivers remarks and anecdotes en clair based on solid observations. No matter what the subject is, his classes are never dull. The students enjoy hearing his witticisms while the otherwise difficult laws are enfleshed with his funny but relatable examples. Perhaps his well-timed punchline is a result of his combined Cebuano trait of lightheartedness and his own smarts. After all, he graduated Magna Cum Laude in Southwestern University, Cebu with a major in Political Science. Having taken up law in San Beda, Mendiola, one can understand Atty. Rivera’s love and dedication for the institution and its student body. This is very much manifested in his all out support for the Bedan barristers during the BAROPS and his Prefect duties in San Beda, Alabang. Atty. Rivera has got it all in spades: a big heart, the zest for life, the comic gift and the brains. The soul of his character, forged by having known struggle and laughter, speaks of his depth as a person. And for this, he indeed is one of the most beloved professors of SBCA-SOL.
FACULTY Dean Virgilio Jara Civil Procedure / Remedial Law Review Dean Virgilio Jara’s career as a law professor spans more than 40 years. He teaches Remedial Law Review, Civil Procedure, Evidence and Trial Technique, and Special Proceedings. He is also a premiere pre-bar lecturer in San Beda College of Law, Arellano University, San Sebastian College, and University of San Jose-Recoletos. In 1999, Dean Jara was appointed Dean of San Beda College of Law in Mendiola and remained in the position until the present. His classes are favored by students who are daring and eager to learn from his strict style of teaching. Those fortunate students who have been under his tutelage under his him proudly testify to that fact.
Vice-Dean Pablito Perez Corporation Law / Evidence and Trial Technique Atty. Pablito Perez began his teaching career at the San Beda College of Law Mendiola in 1984 and is currently the Vice Dean of the institution. He teaches Corporation Law and Evidence and Trial Technique in San Beda Alabang School of Law. He is also a lecturer in the Konrad Adenauer Asian Center for Journalism at the Ateneo de Manila University where he conducts an online graduate course on Contemporary Issues In Media Law and Ethics and in Philosophy. Atty. Perez’s his classes in Corporation Law and Evidence and Trial technique have the additional dynamism of simulated practical experience and the appropriate injection of humor to keep the class interesting. His eloquence remains to be envied. He is currently the First Vice President and General Counsel of the Filinvest Group of Companies and Corporate Secretary of Filinvest Development Corporation and Filinvest Land Inc.
Atty. Maximo Amurao Criminal Law I and II / Criminal Law Review He has built up an image as a “terror” in Criminal Law. What many people don’t know is that deep inside, he is proud of his fourth-year students in Alabang—even bragging about their performance to his co-teachers. He is the much-feared Atty. Max Amurao. With his serious mien and intimidating presence, Amurao has made recitation time a veritable torture test. Students have been known to call on the names of all the saints to help them escape the dreaded ‘bokya’. Despite his fearsome reputation, however, Atty. Amurao actually serves as a constant inspiration to his students by instilling in them the values of “Ora et Labora.” Atty. Amurao graduated with a degree in Associate in Arts, with honors, from the University of the East. He received his Bachelor of Laws degree from San Beda College under a partial scholarship. He also studied at the University of Singapore as a Ford Fellowship grantee. Legend has it that he obtained a perfect score in Criminal Law when he took the bar exams in 1963. Atty. Amurao is not only an accomplished lawyer and teacher but also a loving husband, father and grandfather.
Atty. Rene V. Saguisag Constitutional Law I and II Since the beginning of SBCA-SOL there are days when students are drawn to the faculty room because of the presence of a certain lawyer. From the whispers you can make out the words - Atty. Saguisag is here. It is understandable. He is considered as one of the great lawyers of our time. To take Constitutional Law under Atty. Saguisag is considered a privilege and a treat. Expect the lessons to be packaged in innate eloquence and insider experiences in landmark court cases, the Senate, Philippine politics, and stirring national events. Here and there, anecdotes on chats with leaders, diplomats, movie stars, convicts, accused and plaintiffs keep the class interesting. He has been teaching law since 1961. The Great Senator and human rights advocate obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree, cum laude, at San Beda College of Law. He acquired his master of laws under a full scholarship at Harvard University thereafter. From being a working student then a private law practitioner, he became the spokesman of candidate and president elect Cory Aquino. He was elected senator in 1987 up to 1992.
FACULTY Judge Perpetua Atal – Paño Criminal Procedure Her patient, pleasant and soft-spoken demeanor, coupled with the quiet strength and air of dignity, makes Judge Paño one of the most appreciated professors of SBCA-SOL. Though she describes herself as a humble neophyte in SOL’s formidable faculty lineup, she herself has much wisdom and experience to share from her 20 years of service in the judiciary. She has assumed many different positions throughout her career – arbiter, confidential attorney, and state counsel, among others – and her current office has given her a broad understanding and appreciation of our various laws. For her, teaching is an opportunity to help shape fresh legal minds and further sharpen her own skills. As a woman of great faith and spirituality, she strives to become a conduit through which the justice and kindness of God may flow to others.
Atty. Risel Castillo-Taleon Wills & Succession / Legal Foms / PALE Atty. Clarisa Risel G. Castillo-Taleon was Class Valedictorian when she graduated from San Beda College of Law. She ranked 6th among the successful examinees of the 1991 Bar Examinations. Her practice areas include: Intellectual Property Licensing; Franchising; Trademarks; Patents; Industrial Models and Designs; Copyrights; Corporate Law; Family Law; and Foreign Investment. Atty. Castillo-Taleon is currently a partner in Saludo Agpalo Fernandez Aquino & Taleon Law Offices. She was born in 1967. She currently holds membership in the following organizations: International Trademark Association (ITA); Association Internationals Pour La Protection De La Propriete Industrialla (AIPPI); Asian Patent Attorneys Association (APAA); and Intellectual Property Alumni Association (IPAA). She is likewise a director in the following organizations: Intellectual Property Association of the Philippines (IPAP); Licensing Executives Society Philippines (LES-Philippines); and Intellectual Property Professors and Researchers Organization of the Philippines (IPPRO).
Prosec. Noemi Suavillo-Macababbad Criminal Law I The narrative of a journalist and of a lawyer is different. But one can say they both tread on a field vexed with the power-struggle between the raw truth and words. Having worked for The Manila Times during her law school days, Pros. Macababbad is a testament to the duplicity of a person who is both a journalist and a lawyer at heart. She has worked for the Senate Electoral Tribunal, The Supreme Court of the Philippines and even in the Registry of Deeds of Makati City. But a recurring theme in such record is her journalist undertakings. She took up Journalism in UST, wherein she became Editor-in-Chief of “The Journalese”. In law school, she was also the Editor-in-Chief of the The Barrister (SBC Law Manila’s Official Student Publication) and the Associate Editor of the San Beda Law Journal. More importantly, for more than fifteen years as a law professor, her passion for teaching continues to grow as she nurtures her students to reach their goals of becoming lawyers keenly respectfully of the nuances of justice, equity and fair play. She attributes her love for teaching to her two great and brilliant mentors, who encouraged her to join the academe, former Senior Justice Florenz D. Regalado and Justice Antonio B. Nachura.
Amb. Rolando Gregorio Constitutional Law I / Public International Law One of the two respected and cherished ambassadors in the San Beda Alabang School of Law, Ambassador Rolando Gregorio is a professor who has great knowledge of foreign laws. During his stint in the Foreign Service, he became an ambassador of the Philippines to dynamic and busy countries such as Hawaii, Thailand, France, and in the United States in a span of more than twenty years. He is one of the professors which students opt to have if only to learn from his practical experience. Ambassador Gregorio does not limit the learning of a student within class, he requires attendance in queries and discussions outside class. Though very approachable, he expects all students to be prepared when they come to class.
FACULTY Atty. Romeo Batino Labor Review / Labor Relations / Labor Standards Some call him a genius—and his credentials readily attest to this. Atty. Romeo Batino is regarded as the youngest enrollee—at age 15—at Ateneo de Manila College of Law. He finished his elementary education in three and a half years—instead of the regular six years—and graduated from high school as class salutatorian. At the early age of 13, he was admitted to the University of the Philippines, where he received his Associated Arts degree. The son of a former mayor of Tagaytay, Batino teaches Labor and Constitutional Law and Labor Law Review to first and fourth year students, respectively. A bona fide labor expert considering his broad experience in labor management relations, Batino teaches law subjects at San Beda to fulfill a cherished dream. As a teacher, he emphasizes the value of painstakingly memorizing important matters in law knowing that memorization stimulates appreciation. Despite his busy schedule as the owner of a coffee farm in Tagaytay, Atty. Batino generously offers his expertise along with his farm as a venue for student activities pro bono.
Atty. Nicasio C. Cabaneiro Taxation I and II / Banking Law / Negotiable Instruments Law / Taxation Review Atty. Cabaneiro is the quintessential tax lawyer who, with decades of academic and real world expertise, is much revered in the fields of Banking, Finance, Income Taxation and especially the academe. Atty. Cabanero started his law career by entering San Beda College of Law as a decorated Magna Cum Laude graduate of Commercial Science in the same institution. In more than 30 years, he rose to the zenith of his profession as Vice President of The Bank of the Philippine Islands until 2007. Today, he is a much sought after lecturer in the pre-bar programs of San Beda, Arellano University, University of Manila, Cosmopolitan Review Center, and Pamantasan ng Maynila. A testament to his success are the numerous heads of industries and politicians in the country, lawyers who look up to Atty. Cabaneiro with gratitude as their mentor.
Judge Ed Vicente Albano Constitutional Law I A native of Dingras, Ilocos Norte, Atty. Albano took up both his undergraduate degree in Political Science and law degree in Far Eastern University. According to him, ever since he was a child, he always wanted to become a lawyer. His extensive credentials could fill up a page. These include being a judge in different courts, both in Manila and Pampanga. He is also a bar reviewer and conducts lectures in different parts of the country as requested by the Judicial Academy. Another noted achievement is his authorship of books in fields that he specializes in, Civil, Political, and Remedial law. These days, teaching and lectures take up his time. He does little private practice when his schedule permits him to. Leisure is a non-issue. He mostly spends what little time he has with his family.
Ambassador Amado Tolentino Public International Law / Public Corporation Law / Constitutional Law I Ambassador Amado Tolentino received his law education from the University of the Philippines, the Universidad de Madrid and the Southern University in Dallas, Texas, USA. He was elected Delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention representing Oriental Mindoro. He is a member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and the New York State Bar and possibly the last to take the Philippine Bar Exams at the age of 20. A true environmentalist, he is one of the pioneers of Environmental Law in the country, which earned him a moniker of “Father of Environmental Law.” He was appointed first director of the Environmental Management Bureau and became an Environment Law Consultant to the UN Environment Program. Aside from being an environment advocate he also went into Foreign Service and became an ambassador of the Philippines to Papua New Guinea and Quatar. He teaches Constitutional Law I, Public International Law, and Public Corporation Law.
FACULTY Judge Gina Bibat-Palamos Criminal Procedure / Special Proceedings / Election Law / Insurance Law Judge Palamos is currently the Presiding Judge of the Regional Trial Court branch 64 in Makati City, a specialized criminal court for drug cases. She is also the Acting Presiding Judge of the Regional Trial Court branch 194 of Paranaque, a specialized Family Court. A true Bedan at heart, she graduated from San Beda College of Law Mendiola in 1990. After a brief stint at private practice, she became counsel for POEA, Clerk of Court in the RTC of Pasig, State Prosecutor for the Department of Justice, Metropolitan Trial Court Judge of Pasay City, and the versatile Regional Trial Court judge that she is today. As a law professor her strict style of teaching keeps her students on their toes and instills diligence and perseverance which leads to proficiency in the courses that she teaches which include Special Proceedings, Election Law, Insurance Law, and Criminal Procedure.
Justice Rodrigo Cosico Legal Profession / Legal Ethics Justice Cosico is the first appointee from San Pablo Colleges as an Associate Justice for the Court of Appeals, where he served for almost eleven years until his retirement. He passed the bar on January 22, 1962 after which he became a State Prosecutor for the Department of Justice for 23 years and thereafter became a Regional Trial Court Judge in Laguna. Among his numerous achievements, Justice Cosico was also awarded with the George Malcom Award by the Rotary Club of Manila and an Achievement Award by the Court of Appeals for having finished all the cases conferred to his office before he retired. Now Justice Cosico, continues on his love for law by being a professor in Legal Profession and Legal Ethics in the School of Law of San Beda Alabang; and as a Professorial Lecturer in the Philippine Judicial Academy.
Judge Selma Alaras Negotiable Instruments Law / Practice Court I and II / Criminal Law I An embodiment of success, propriety and integrity in the judiciary is Judge Selma P. Alaras. With about seventeen years of court practice, she sits as the presiding judge of Branch 62 of the Regional Trial Court of Makati. The only female professor teaching Practice Court 1 in fourth year this semester, Judge Alaras was a consistent honor student from elementary and high school at Centro Escolar University and even in college at the University of the Philippines. She has a long list of firsts to her name, to wit: She is the first teacher to preside over the newly opened moot court and the first Practice Court teacher at the San Beda Alabang School of Law. She was elected as the first female president of the Law Student Government of SBC Law, where she received her Bachelor of Laws in 1990. She was also elected as the youngest and first female president of the City of Prosecutors League of Manila in 1998. Loved by her students for her generosity and for treating them as her children, Judge Alaras is an esteemed member of the school who is willing to share her knowledge in law and her fruitful experiences in court. Currently, she is finishing her Masters of Law in the Graduate School of Law of San Beda as a full scholar.
Atty. Joan Ca単ete-Chan Sales and Lease A psychology graduate, she received her law education at the University of the Philippines and graduated in 2001. She considers herself as blessed to have been taught by a crop of truly dedicated professors like Sanidad, Baviera, Fernandez, Concepcion, and Leonel, who made studying law an exciting experience. Atty. Chan specializes in Labor Law, Corporate Law and Taxation Law. She has been a professor in San Beda Alabang since the School of Law started. Currently, she teaches Sales and Lease, and Obligations and Contracts. According to Atty. Chan, she teaches because she loves to. As for her students, Atty. Chan makes studying a lighter burden because she makes it a point that the law is understood by all her students. To her, learning is attained not only by teaching, but also by mentoring.
FACULTY Atty. Nicanor Jimeno Labor Relations / Labor Standards / Torts and Damages With his witty remarks, great sense of humor, and charming looks, rest assured that there can never be a dull moment in his class. Atty. Jimeno is well loved by his students, even though he tends to assign numerous reading materials and cases every meeting. A self-confessed “audiophile, vinyl, and analog freak”, he first dreamt of being a medical representative because he wanted to see the Philippines. Apparently, he has gone a long way from that fantasy, because he unexpectedly ended up being one of the most sought after labor experts in the law profession. As a professor, he expects his students to hurdle the bar examinations without much difficulty. For him, although he cannot win every case, winning is one of the perks of the profession, but sadly, “you can’t win them all.”
Commissioner Rene Sarmiento Political Law Review / Legal Philosophy
With the wisdom gained from his experience in law practice and in public service, COMELEC Commis-
sioner Rene Sarmiento serves as a perfect role model to aspiring lawyers. He graduated with a Political Science degree, Magna Cum Laude, from San Beda Mendiola. He entered the University of the Philippines College of Law in 1978. As an active member of the bar, he has contributed primers, essays, speeches and articles on justice, law and human rights in the publication The Lawyers Review. Recently, he authored the following books: Grow in Grace and Govern in Wisdom (Readings in Legal Philosophy), Towards More Justice and More Liberty (Understanding Writ of Amparo and Habeas Data), and We, The Sovereign Filipino People (Compendium of Seven Philippine Constitutions). He currently teaches Political Law Review to fourth year studets at San Beda Alabang School of Law and San Beda College of Law Mendiola. Commissioner Sarmiento’s sage advice to his students: Never rest on one’s laurels; the quest for self-improvement is a never-ending process.
Atty. Melanie Trinidad Criminal Law I / Insurance Law A professor as radiant and cheerful as Atty. Trinidad is certainly hard to miss. However, there’s more to her than a warm smile, friendly disposition and elegant wardrobe. As a law professor with ten years of legal practice in Criminal and Labor laws two fields close to her heart, she articulates these topics with relish and intensity. She describes her nearly three years of teaching as a “tremendously enjoyable” experience of educating students as well as learning from them. As a parent, she balances the demands of working as both managing partner of a private law firm and being a doting mother to her children. But as serious as she is about her career, Atty. Tinidad has a great sense of humor – in fact, she pictures herself as a stand-up comedienne had she not pursued law.
Judge Wilhelmina Wagan Criminal Law I / Civil Procedure / Evidence Judge Wagan completed her bachelor’s degree in Political Science at the Divine World University in Tacloban City (1989) and pursued a Bachelor of Laws at the San Beda College of Law (1993). She had her short stint in private practice before being asked by Associate Justice Romeo Callejo, to become a Court Attorney IV at the Office of the Court of Appeals (1994), where she served for six y. She barecame a Judge of the MTC in Calamba which was then merely a municipality and was promoted as a City Judge of the MTCC in the young city of Calamba for five years. Since 2006 the lady judge presides in the RTC of Pasay City. Teaching has also been her passion. She teaches Criminal Law I, Civil Procedure and Evidence at San Beda College Alabang School of Law.
FACULTY Atty. Emmanuel B. Palabrica Land Titles and Deeds / Transportation Law “A family man, a true friend, a simple person who enjoys sports and who loves nature,” that is how he perceives himself outside the school and the courtroom. Atty. Emmanuel B. Palabrica graduated in San Beda College of Law. As a lawyer, Atty. Palabrica specializes in Maritime Law, Land title cases and Medical Malpractice. From 2001 to 2005, he was appointed as Commissioner of the Games and Amusement Board. He was also the former Legal Counsel of the Pan Pacific Boxing Association and World Boxing Association. He was a former member of the Editorial Board of Adviser of the SCAD; and the National Head for Youth Development Program of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxillary, with the rank of Commodore. Currently he is the President of P.E.N.C.I.L Foundation, Inc., School Director of St. Mary’s School, Cagayan, and the founder of the Rotary Club of Sucat, Parañaque. In class, Atty. Palabrica is known to be the systematic teacher. He would never call it a night unless he is certain that he has finished all the topics on that certain day. According to him, teaching is not just imparting knowledge, but ensuing that what is learned is put into practice; and that learning is not just an accumulation of factual information but the ability to translate into life what has been learned.
Judge Alberto Serrano Land Titles and Deeds / Wills and Succession Having a magnificent career, it is but an understatement to say that Judge Alberto Serrano is a fine lawyer. Graduated Cum Laude in San Beda College of Law, he was among the great lawyers produced during his time. Judge Serrano’s career started during the martial law when he became an associate lawyer of the Tañada, Sanchez, Tañada and Tañada Law Firm. He was able to take part in the case of Benigno Aquino, Jr. and Jose Diokno when both were imprisoned by the Marcos administration. He was able to handle cases in all court levels and tribunals, even in the Supreme Court. After 40 years of private practice, he then eventually joined the judiciary. He is currently the Presiding Judge of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 92 of Calamba City. He teaches Land Titles and Deeds, Wills and Succession, Obligations and Contracts and Credit Transactions. According to his students, he has the innate ability to explain the complexities of law in simpler terms.
Atty. Isabel Romero Negotiable Instruments Law / Law on Intellectual Property Atty. Romero received her law degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman. She considers the years she spent in law school as the happiest school days she had. In practice, she had been engaged in Commercial Law. In the 2008, Atty. Romero decided to teach in San Beda Alabang School of Law together with her husband, Atty. Charlton Jules Romero. She is currently teaching Negotiable Instruments Law and Laws on Intellectual Property. Atty. Romero is known for her “Back to Basics” style of teaching. She would always remind her student to know the subject matter by heart. As a professor, she would want to touch lives and to make her students realize that being in law school is probably the greatest learning one could possibly have.
Atty. Floresto Arizala Legal Medicine Armed with his cellphone, this tough Medico-Legal Division Chief of the National Bureau of Investigation never runs out of jokes. The only lawyer-doctor and the only professor teaching Legal Medicine in the campus, Doc Arizala specialized in surgery. He studied medicine at the Manila Central University-FDTMF after taking up pre-med at the University of Santo Tomas. He graduated from Arellano Law School and passed the bar in 1998. Doc Arizala has since attended several medico-legal seminars and conventions in the US. He has conducted a number of lectures on the significance of the admissibility of DNA which have contributed to the Philippine legal system. His lectures regarding DNA before the judiciary have inspired the Supreme Court to promulgate A.M. 06-11-5-SC Rule on DNA Evidence in the Philippine Courts. Aside from being a lawyer, surgeon, NBI officer and teacher, Doc Arizala is an avid writer and a collector of poems—he can recite many of them from memory. To his formidable list of accomplishments, he may soon be adding yet another laurel: his own book on legal medicine and jurisprudence.
FACULTY Atty. Deborah Acosta Taxation Law I and II A brilliant tax professor, an accountant, and an outstanding lawyer, Atty. Acosta started shaping her career as a tax lawyer by graduating cum laude from the University of the Philippines when she received her degree in Accountancy. She took up law in the same institution and graduated with a distinction of Order of the Purple Feather in 2006. After she took the Bar Examinations that year, she became an Underbar Associate of the Siguion Reyna, Montecillo & Ongsiako Law Offices. When the results came out, she ranked 2nd out of more than six thousand examinees. She stayed in Siguion Reyna for two years before she became an Associate Attorney of Puno & Puno. She teaches Negotiable Instruments Law and Taxation I and II. To most of her students, having been under Atty. Acosta means having a formidable foundation in Taxation Law which makes one well prepared to face the Bar Exams.
Atty. Numeriano Rodriguez Law on Intellectual Property Atty. Rodriguez is a true advocate for the respect and protection of Intellectual Property Rights. As a professor, he wants his students to be interested in the course “because beyond being a mere subject in law school, intellectual property is a way of life.” He is one of the nicest professors in school, but one must not take him lightly for he expects his students to do their part as well, which is to read, and be prepared for every meeting. He advises his students to read the cases, not the digests, to build stock knowledge. However, despite having a very demanding and time-consuming profession, Atty. Rodriguez never fails to prioritize his family because he believes that at the end of the day, the success of a man is based on how successful he is as a family man.
Atty. Rafael Angelo M. Padilla Statutory Construction Atty. Padilla is the newest member of the school’s roster of top notch faculty having just passed the 2009 bar examinations. He is dubbed as San Beda Alabang’s Golden Boy being the school’s first valedictorian. A graduate of De La Salle University-Dasmarinas, Atty. Padilla took up Political Science and in his last semester of college, he decided to pursue his childhood dream of becoming a lawyer. He went on to study law in San Beda College Alabang. While waiting for the bar results, he taught for a semester in his college Alma Mater. He now works as junior associate in Del Rosario and Del Rosario Law Offices which specializes in maritime law. According to Atty. Padilla, one of his idol in law is the fictional character, Mitch Mcdeere, in John Grisham’s novel, The Firm. Mcdeere led an unfortunate life but because of perseverance, he was able to become a good lawyer.
Atty. Jules Charlton Romero Persons and Family Relations Atty. Romero is a towering figure, literally, and also because of his vast list of achievements as a lawyer. One of his most notable achievements was prosecuting the first computer hacking case under the E-Commerce Law. Being a well-rounded person, his law practice has been balanced with academic, as well as volunteer and probono work, in both the private and government sectors. As a professor, he would always advise his students to “Give more than what is expected of you. Most importantly, balance your life to keep one’s sanity.” A genuine family guy, Atty. Romero spends quality time with his family when he is not in court or inside the classroom.
Atty. Zara Villanueva-Castro Commercial Law Review Atty. Villanueva-Castro took her Bachelor of Laws at the prestigious San Beda College of Law where she graduated at the top, as Valedictorian. She has a comprehensive pre-bar lecture at San Sebastian College – Recoletos, San Jose – Recoletos, and University of Pangasinan. She is currently a professor of fourth year law students at the San Beda Alabang School of Law, teaching Commercial Law review. She is also a Mercantile and Commercial law professor at San Beda College of Law Mendiola, San Sebastian College- Recoletos, Arrellano University, and Far Eastern University.
FACULTY Atty. Ronald Chua Constitutional Law I Atty. Chua graduated from Ateneo Law School last 2004. He is currently teaching Constitutional Law I and Constitutional Law II to first year students San Beda Alabang School of Law. He specializes not only in Political Law but also in the field of Criminal Law and Remedial Law. Atty. Chua works at the Office of the Ombudsman as the Head Executive Assistant. Lawyers hate math? Think again. This professor is a math wizard despite of his being a lawyer. He has precision and accuracy in computing grades of his students. Despite experiencing the prestige and benefits of being a lawyer, his aim is to live a lowly or simple life; that is to become a monk.
Atty. Carlo Busmente Sales and Lease / Transportation Law Atty. Busmente is a product of San Beda Law. He studied Commerce and majored in Management before taking up Law in the same school. According to him, he really wanted to become a businessman instead of a lawyer when he was younger but his father, also a lawyer, bribed him to take up law and he eventually did. Aside from teaching, he engages in private practice. He mostly specializes in litigation. When he gets time away from his busy schedule, he spends it with his wife and two children. Leisure time for Atty. Busmente includes swimming, jogging, and, basically, any sport to keep him in shape.
Atty. Nerina Cassandra Mendinueto Statutory Construction It must come as a surprise that Atty. Mendinueto, who comes from a family of Bedan lawyers, is actually also a registered nurse. She took up Nursing in United Doctors Medical Center and Colleges but eventually decided to take up law in San Beda. Perhaps such unusual combination of education is the reason for her rather amiable and sisterly disposition. When asked, “If you were invisible, what would you like to hear people say about you?” Positive and nice things, she said. “But also negative things—for improvement unless they are mean and unfounded.” As proof of her easy company and spirit of congeniality, when asked if she could add all the knowledge of another person’s brain in hers, she jestingly said, “Prefect Bruce Rivera!”
Atty. Patricia Inez Estaniel
Statutory Construction / Legal Research / Legal Writing / Insurance Law Atty. Patricia Inez Estaniel obtained her Bachelor of Laws degree at the Manuel L. Quezon University Law School. Currently she is a Legal Writing and Insurance Law professor at San Beda College Alabang School of Law. She is also an MCLE Lecturer and a pre-bar lecturer on Legal Ethics and Practical Exercises. Her students describe her as a disciplinarian who makes sure that each day’s lesson is covered and understood. She is open to student who consult her after class and is known to render straightforward and practical answers. Many “lightbulb” moment occur from her clear-cut and patient explanations of the law. Her attention to detail in itself is to a student’s advantage.
Atty. Saul Q. Hofilena Legal Profession Atty. Saul Hofilena gives a first impression of contained confidence and authority: his voice is sonorous, his stare is penetrating, and his humor is dry. Even while he sits, his presence is commanding. But his relaxed, self-assured affect belies such intimidating disposition. A manifestation of the reader’s soul in him is his answer to a random question he picked: If you had to live far away from civilization (without electricity) for 1 year and could bring only 1 item, what would it be? His answer: “The 52-volume work of Blair and Robertson.” Although a Management graduate from the Ateneo De Manila University, Atty. Hofilena has a taste for the Humanities. Asked if he could add all the knowledge of another person’s brain in his, he chose to have that of Descartes’ or of Schopenhauer’s. He picks another question. If you were invisible, what would you like to hear people say about you? Without a moment’s hesitation, he said, “That I’m a good teacher.”
SBCA - SOL STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS SCHOOL OF LAW GOVERNMENT As the official representative of the law students of San Beda College Alabang, the goal and objective of the School of Law Government (SLG) is to develop and implement various programs and services geared towards enhancing student life in law school. In line with this, the SLG has a number of projects implemented through the collaborative efforts of various officers with different student organizations and institutions both in and outside the campus. Among the projects of this year’s SLG include the 2010 Bar Operations Fund raising Campaign, an outreach endeavor with charity institution Hands On Manila, the San Beda Red Card, free coffee during the rigorous exam weeks, as well as the production of several merchandise that shall distinctly identify each student as a member of the School of Law family.
Many of these students can expect to see the implementation of a number of these other projects at the opening of the second semester.
This year’s officers of the 2010 School of Law Government are: Mayo Arellano (President), Joji Miole (IVP), Gabriel Borromeo (EVP), Phoebe Casipit (Sec. Gen.), Ron Esquivel (Treasurer). In addition to this, the SLG also has representatives from each year level, thus ensuring the open and continuous communication between the law school government and the student body. These representatives are: Nil Gonzales (4th Year Batch Representative), Deena Pasion (3rd Year Batch Representative), Jom Gonzales (2nd Year Batch Representative), and Mia Lapus (1st Year Batch Representative).
SBCA-SOL CHORALE
The San Beda College Alabang School of Law Chorale started as having one great pianist and three voices-- the alto, soprano and tenor. The Chorale’s first performance was in February 25 at the Meeting de Avance of the first-ever 2009 SBCA-SOL Elections. Another performance was during one member’s parents wedding anniversary celebrated on the 4th of April in the St. Bede Chapel. Another significant event the group participated in was the First Robing Ceremony and the Induction of Elected Officers for 2009 on August 28. They then realized that being able to sing and helping out the singers amidst the multitudinous workload of the law program are both a form of prayer to the Glory of God and a way of replenishing the artist imbedded in each of the members’ hearts. When the group accommodated more members, the chorale was then truly formed. Their collective sound was so beautiful that after the debut performance in San Beda Mendiola the celebration of the Eucharist and for the Bar Examinees of September 19, Father Eduardo Africa, OSB who celebrated the for SCBA-SOL Chorale to sing in the Thanksgiving Mass on the It was then that the group delivered another splendid performance.
Chapel of Our Lady of Montserat for both SBC-Alabang and Mendiola on mass, requested that it is imperative Last Sunday of the Bar Examinations.
With the help and support of SBCA School Of Law Office and Dom Clement Maria Roque, OSB and his always smiling and accommodating secretary Miss Mina Babad, the Church and Rectory Personnel, the group is able to utilize the St. Bede Church for its rehearsals, which are usually conducted after class and roughly two weeks before a performance or as the majority of the members’ schedules permit.
BAR OPERATIONS (BarOps)
This year’s Bar Operations Committee is not a novice in the field of
assisting and serving the barristers. It has grown into the role and has been trained by the School of Law Government (SLG) for the past three years until they operated the Hotel and Bar Operations (BarOps) independently last year when San Beda Alabang fielded their first “Katorse” barristers. The year 2010 is an improvement from last year’s operations which witnessed the strong and active involvement of the bar examinees’ parents.
ELECTION COMMISSION (EleCom) The Election Commission (ELECOM) is the official electorate board of the SBCA-SOL. Composed of six Commissioners and headed by its current Chairman, William Kristoffer Eusores, the ELECOM is an independent and non-partisan Constitutional Commission geared towards a clean, fair and honest conduct of elections. The Commission has gone a long way from its humble beginnings in 2009. Since early 2010, the Commission has been very proactive in promulgating its own set of rules, and in the process has issued several resolutions and memoranda for the orderly conduct of the polls, including campaigns and Mitings de Avance. However, the true strength of the Commission lies not only from the Commissioners, but more so in its brilliant, hardworking and loyal set of deputies, who have worked so hard in making its visions into reality. Overall, the ELECOM is one with the SBCA-Law community in defining its identity as a training ground for future leaders through unparalleled student involvement.
DEBATE SOCIETY (DebSoc) The SBCA-SOL Debate Team, captained by Jo Marie Angeli Vibandor and Argel Joseph Cabatbat with TJ Cabasa as its President, was formed in early 2009. However, this infant organization had already placed second in the 2009 Conflicts of Law Debate Tournament. Recently, the team had participated in the ANC Square Off: The CVC Law Debates, which was televised live thru the ABS-CBN News Channel. The Debate Society endeavors to participate in the National Debate Championships which will be held in Baguio City on the end of October 2010.
Continued from p.13... BAR OPS 2010: EXCLUSIVE LIONS ROAR TWENTY FOUR SALUBONG 2010 BLAST: WHEN THE LION BECAME PREY
THE BANG
THAT ENDED THE 2010 BAR by Atty. Bruce Villafuerte Rivera on Tuesday, September 28, 2010 at 10:13am
Ever since I entered law school in 2001, I always looked forward to the “salubong”. As a law student, it was the culmination of a month’s work in the Bar Operations. My status as a barbarian (I was unaffiliated) did not deter me from being active in helping our Bar candidates. It was my own way of earning karma points to assure my continued stay in San Beda Law. The “salubong” took on as an activity of higher significance for me. It was my own pilgrimage, my own shout of Bedan pride. It was my salubong. When I took the Bar exams in 2005, the salubong gained even more significance. It was the end of a four-year struggle. When I went out of De La Salle University after the Legal Ethics exams, I was welcomed by a boisterous crowd of Bedans armed with stinky water. They were truly happy for me and I was truly happy and proud that they were there to meet me. It felt good. I was proud to be a Bedan and I know that I made my alma mater proud. That was still my salubong. When I became a lawyer in 2006, I had the unique opportunity to teach in San Beda Law, both in Mendiola and Alabang. I realized it was God’s way of telling me that I had to give back. I had to inspire my students in the very same way I was inspired. After all, it was during the salubong of 2001 when I first told myself, “This is what I want to be part of.” and so I wanted the same experience for them. Thus, I made it a tradition for all students under me to take this rite of passage as a source of inspiration. Now, it will be our salubong. Two years ago, I had another gift. I became Prefect of Student Affairs of the San Beda College-Alabang, School of Law. I wanted the job more than anything in the world. The best years of my life, albeit its incipient horrors, were in law school and I would have given up an arm just to stay longer. This was the opportunity. The 2010 Bar Examinations is special to me. When I started teaching in 2006, I handled one section of Persons and Family Relations--they were my first students. This year, some of them are taking the Bar, one of whom was the class valedictorian. For me, it was significant because these were the first students I required to go to the salubong in
2006 in order to be inspired, and it worked....I inspired them to want to be lawyers. September 26, 2010 was supposed to be the highlight of my year. My birthday was in four days but I cared less. All I looked forward to was the Salubong of 2010. I would have come full circle. I was inspired by the Salubong of 2001, I took my first students to the Salubong of 2006 and now, they just finished taking the month-long Bar. I JUST WANTED TO BE THERE TO WELCOME THEM. I just wanted for my former students to experience the same sense of Bedan pride I felt when I took the bar in 2005. However, I realized that it will not be my salubong anymore. As Prefect, I made sure the San Beda contingent was the most participated, the best dressed and the most lavish. And we were. San Beda Mendiola is already a force to be reckoned with and I wanted San Beda Alabang to make itself known. We are an infant law school of five years with a 93% passing percentage in the 2009 Bar. We were proud and we wanted to show it. I assembled my Persons and Family Relations (all 5 sections in Alabang and Mendiola) and 2 sections of Stat Con in Mendiola to join me in the festivities along with the rest of the law student body of San Beda Law. I was in the middle of it all. As the only administrator there, it was my duty to commandeer the ranks. I shouted with them, took the water assault like a man and made sure we were in a good place. I positioned myself in front of the Tau Gamma fraternity so that I can create a passage for the exiting candidates. The Alabang contingent and my students in Mendiola was on the other side while most of the fraternity/sorority delegation was on my side. We made sure we congratulated the bar candidates as they exited and were all in high spirits as we eagerly awaited the arrival of our Bedan candidates. Then it happened. It was a loud bang like a deviant firecracker. The initial shock turned to horror when I saw my student Miss Abrugena crying and telling me that she was injured. My initial reaction was to run and I took her with me. In the middle of the chaos, I was shouting for help and someone answered my pleas. I saw three bodies in black and green shirt lying in the street. The streets were littered with flowers, bottles and signages, but I saw the blood and I had the cruel realization, we were bombed. I started to make a head count of the Alabang contingent and most of them were intact--shaken but okay. I was informed that one student, Dianne Canita was injured and taken to the hospital. The story on the Men-
diola side was different. Around 50 students, mostly members of the League of Lady Barristers and Alpa Phi Beta fraternity, suffered injuries and at least five of them were serious. Later on, I would learn that two will need amputation. I would also learn later on that the bomb that ruined the Salubong of 2010 was the handiwork of fraternity wars. It was a painful pill to swallow. As a jaded lawyer/teacher, I am used to the fraternity-related conflicts that besieged my beloved institution. I am used to the fistfights and rumbles over the affections of a woman or even over an inadvertent stare. I am used to the meaningless war cries and chants; but today, I did not see the bruises or bumps that I expected to see. I saw terror, blood and evil. If fraternity was about your brotherhood, how can you promote that cause if it meant destroying others? It was once my salubong but now, it was just reduced into another hapless celebration that went awfully wrong because some dim-witted frat boy decided he wants to live his life at the expense of others. It was unjust enrichment at its most vile. I pitied my Bar candidates who did not get to experience the joy and achievement of celebrating the last Sunday of the Bar exams. They had to be whisked away in terror. I only got to see them in the headquarters. I could not come up with words to tell them how sorry I was, I could only muster the strength to embrace them in tears. I could not come full circle, I may never will. I apologize to all my students whom I required to join the Salubong with me. I only wanted to inspire you and make you to want to be part of the profession that has been kind to me. I only wanted to ignite the flame in you to dream big. I only wanted you to be just like me-- a lawyer and loving it. Instead, you became unwilling pawns to a misplaced sense of brotherhood that is a result of a legal education that failed them. I am sorry. Lastly, my heart goes out to the victims. To Raissa, Jokat, and the others who were injured, I could not imagine your pain and suffering. We were just meters apart when the bomb exploded and had it landed on the intended targets, it could have been me instead of you. I just hope that despite your loss, the desire to become lawyers will not diminish. I hope in due time, I will see you exit the halls of De La Salle as you finish and pass your respective Bar exams. Perhaps, if that day comes, I can come full circle. I will move on-- tattered and bruised, but I am a Bedan. While Bedans do not know how to kill, Bedans SURVIVE!
BAR OPS 2010: EXCLUSIVE LIONS ROAR TWENTY FOUR SALUBONG 2010 BLAST: WHEN THE LION BECAME PREY
Bedan Community Holds Vigil for 2010 Salubong Victim
By Dugie Dela Cruz
At exactly five o’clock in the afternoon of September 28, the Abbey of San Beda College Manila was filled with black, white, and green when the students, alumni, and faculty of the College of Law gathered to offer a mass for the victims of the 2010 Salubong Blast. Rector President Rev. Fr. Aloysius Ma. A Maranan headed th celebration of the Eucharist together with the other Benedictine monks. The League of Lady Barristers, the sorority from which most of the victims are members of, sponsored the mass. Before the priests gave the final blessing, Dean Virgilio Jara gave a brief address to the crowd. He avowed with conviction that the administration would never stop until they find out who are responsible behind the abominable incident. He also assured the parents and the students that they would continue to give their full support in trying to restore the lives of the innocent victims of the 9/26 tragedy. Silence echoed the church when the mother of one of the victims stood at the altar to express her thoughts about the dreadful occurrence. She narrated how it was awfully difficult for her child and their family to deal with the trauma. But as a mother, she strives to be strong to shed a glimpse of courage and hope to her daughter. She said “…And I just want to tell her that I love her so much; and that I don’t blame anybody here because it was an accident.” Later on, the priests asked five victims who are present during the mass—Jam Joya, Elizabeth Bongalonta, Ethel Arriola, Kc Camba and Charlotte Sayson, to approach the altar. It was a solemn moment when the crowd raised their hands to pray over them for their speedy recovery. After the Eucharistic Celebration, everyone proceeded to the Grandstand inside the campus for the vigil. The Bedan community fervently offered their prayers for all the victims. Amid the darkness of the night, candles illuminated the grounds to remind each and everyone that the Bedans, as one family, will remain to be the light of hope in the darkest hours of their brothers and sisters.
Bedans Unite in Prayer for the Salubong 2010 Blast Victims By Ma. Katerina Santiago and Aretha Eugenio
On October 1, 2010, San Beda College Alabang – School of Law (SBCA – SOL) offered a Healing Mass for the victims of the September 26 explosion. The activity was held at the SBCA Chapel on a grey Friday afternoon, five days after a grenade attack at the De La Salle University – Manila marred the end of the 2010 Bar Examinations. Close to 50 people were injured in the blast, many of whom were students of San Beda College of Law in Mendiola. Law students and faculty from all year levels took time out from their busy schedules and came together to attend the Mass and pray for the recovery of their wounded brethren. Attendees were requested to come in white as both a sign of sympathy for the victims and a cry for the justice due them. Strips of black ribbon were distributed before the Mass began, and worn as armbands to symbolize mourning for the senselessness and cruelty of the attack. Fr. Olegario Commeleran, OSB, presided over the Mass, with the assistance of Dom Clement Ma. Roque, OSB. Among those specially prayed for were Raissa Laurel, Jokat Ledda, SBCA – SOL’s own Diane Hazel Canita and Argel Cabatbat, who was injured in a separate incident. Fr. Oleg delivered a long and heartfelt homily on loving and forgiving one’s adversaries, and gently entreated his listeners against nursing hostility and bitterness. After the Mass, Dom Clement read to the assembly the school’s official statement “condemning the attack and calling for solidarity and support from the Bedan community.” In his short speech, a visibly somber and reserved Dean Ulpiano Sarmiento III conceded that “we who live in such difficult times may come to doubt in God’s love for us, and in what He has planned for us. However, he also assured the gathering that while the Lord does not answer the questions we have for Him, He certainly understands why we ask them”. Dean Sarmiento reminded his audience that “challenge is a way of life. Though the bombing undoubtedly changed many lives, as Bedans we must challenge this change rather than change the challenge.” He implored everyone “to remain willing to be vulnerable, even in times of suffering, and to keep a strong and unwavering faith in God. With such fervent trust and belief,” he said, “we could jump off a cliff with but a word from God, and either land in His loving arms as He catches us or take wing as He teaches us how to fly. Through our faith,” he asserted, “nothing can go wrong.” It was with that final note of hope and courage that the Mass ended, as quietly and solemnly as it began.
BAR OPS 2010: EXCLUSIVE LIONS ROAR TWENTY FOUR SALUBONG 2010 BLAST: WHEN THE LION BECAME PREY
SAN BEDA
COLLEGE ALABANG SCHOOL OF LAW STATEMENT ON THE SALUBONG OF 2010 The Administration, Faculty and Students of the School of Law join the Benedictine community in condemning in its strongest sense the demonic act that injured around fifty (50) students of the San Beda College of Law, Mendiola including one (1) student from our institution. The act of throwing a grenade on innocent and helpless law students is a cowardly, diabolical and barbaric deed that should not go unpunished. We implore the police authorities to swiftly conduct an investigation in order to identify the true perpetrators of this horrible crime. The institution for its part will take the necessary steps to aid the police authorities in their quest for the truth. The administrators of the School of Law have been vigilant in light of the tragedy. As early as Sunday evening, the Dean, Vice –Dean and Prefect of Student Affairs along with the officers of the School of Law Government have been doing the hospital rounds to determine the true extent of the damage. The Rector-President, Dom Roque Ma. Clement, OSB also visited the injured student, Dianne Hazel Canita in the Philippine General Hospital and extended to her the financial support to cover all her medical and rehabilitation expenses. We commiserate with our brother and sisters in Mendiola who have taken the brunt of the injuries. Our fervent hope and prayer is for all those injured to have a swift and meaningful recovery. This tragedy has taken a toll on the Bedan spirit. And this spirit shall only find its cure when justice is served and the real culprits of this satanic show of force are shown to the jail cells they richly deserve. We call on the Bedan community to unite and rally in light of this time of tribulation. We call on everyone to exercise restraint and circumspect and wait for the investigation to run its course. Lastly, we call on everyone to be true Bedans and extend their support to all those who need them. A lion, when injured, needs time to lick his wounds. But when the wounds have healed, the lion comes out stronger and braver. The event of September 26, 2010 has tested the Bedan fortitude. But it will only make us braver, better and stronger because we are BEDANS!
Message from the SLG President My fellow Bedans, The last Sunday of the 2010 Bar Exams was supposed to be an age-old tradition of welcoming with pride our very own barristers and celebrating with them. For the four weeks of September, the whole School of Law community united in work and celebration to support our twenty-four barristers, but as we reached the final day to celebrate our hard-earned efforts, tragedy suddenly struck. The incident last Sunday will forever be marred in our memories. And we, your School of Law Government, are one with the whole Bedan community as we condemn the senseless violence that occurred that fateful day. We are one with our brothers and sisters in Mendiola who have been greatly affected by the said incident—and together, we will not let the horrors of September 26 be forgotten. We will not stand back in passivity and silence; rather, we will stand guard and ensure that the wheels of justice serve its purpose and those responsible be held accountable. Angelo Martin “Mayo” B. Arellano President, SBCA-SOL School of Law Government 2010-2011
Poetry KUBLAI KHAN By Rose Ann Reyes
Ang sinag ng araw, muling bumubuhos, Sinasaklaw ang mundong sinalanta ng unos Tila nangungusap sa mga nilikha sa abo… “May pag- asa pa”, pakiwari nito. Ngunit, bakit, may nagkukubli sa dilim? Dama ang pait ng kapalarang sakim… Siya’y nagpupumiglas, nais kumawala... Ngunit saan siya tutungo? Doon ba sa mga tala? Tulala sa maghapon, walang imik sa magdamag. Walang buhay na umaagos, walang dangal at habag. Napag- iwanan ng panahon, hinuhubog ng sugat, Nangmamanhid ang damdaming sa pag- ibig ay salat. Ito ang kuwento ko, ito ang kuwento niyo… Marahil dinaranas din ng ibang tao. Ba’t pa kasi naniwala sa sambit ng araw Na may pag- asa pa akong matatanaw… Isang sulyap ang alay ko sa nakaraanTamis ng alaalang kay bilis lumisan. ‘Di na mahahagilap pa ang ngiting inaasam Sa gitna ng pasakit ko, sila’y walang nalalaman Nagkukubli, naghihintay, sa parisukat ako’y nakaratay Naiinip, nag- aabang, sa biyaya ng bagong buhay Pinipilit isaksak sa isip kong pagal na, Ang masaklap na katotohanang… ika’y lumisan na…
Hearsay
SYNCHRONIZED SURRENDER By Joan Palacio
We’ve been here before A year ago On this cold September floor One of us spoke too soon None of us ready for the moon. You found me lying on the dirty old scarlet carpet It was sordid Spilt coffee, the room was smoky The smell of nicotine and caffeine dreams We kept on talking without really saying anything Our words ricocheted, It dribbled back and forth, Like that round orange pig-skinned thing they Use for shooting, We shot aimlessly at that bleeding air I spent the afternoon toiling In the dreaded heat The truth resembled Tall blades of grass I wanted to pummel it down to nonexistence I unsheathed my machete And cut it with all my might I severed your words and your misgivings Only to find myself bloodied and you unscathed
Of this Synchronized surrender. Now I am turning away and never looking back. Maybe it’s not meant to be Maybe we weren’t meant to be I will crumple these feelings like worn-out paper I will save the heavy breathing for later You are the embryo of delusion The sleepwalking illusion I will call myself betrayed But I don’t wanna sound redundant We choose the paths we take We mandate the deceptions and let it mold Our being I am a fetus that needs to be incubated I am fragile I am circumspect I will cocoon Until I learn to fly again I hear myself shouting at the ocean Teach me to burn And then I’ll return Teach me to bleed Teach me everything I need Heal this decadent soul You are no longer embers to me but ashes. Ashes that I will scatter on the farthest end of the sea.
I am peeling scabs once more Why do I keep on re-visiting this place I’ve learned to ignore? No longer will I remain the custodian of your entangled musings
Because we need the breaking to make us whole
I used to sing with joyful melody, I want our tongues to unite As we celebrate The euphoria
All the way to the core
By J.B.Vitug
We need the sifting to make us pure
EDITORIAL BOARD Mary Sayeh Hassani Editor-in-Chief Melquisedic Maitim Associate Editor Aretha Eugenio Managing Editor Ma. Katerina Santiago News Editor Wilson De Jesus Asst. News Editor Argel Joseph Cabatbat Features Editor Laisa Mae Aguila Asst. Features Editor Joan Palacio Literary Editor
The Red Chronicles
Some say we are what our names mean. Perhaps this is a precept that official publications know quite well. For the love of truth and words, a school paper must know that there is power in a name. And so, in the same fashion as The Harvard Crimson and The Chicago Maroon, The Red Chronicles, the official campus newspaper of San Beda College-Alabang School of Law, has chosen its name to evoke the school identity – the Bedan identity. Red stirs a straightforward character, which is what The Red Chronicles, at its inception, envisioned itself to have. It is the school’s publication which chronicles events as it is; delivering news by staying true to its echoes, colors and moods. Established in 2008, The Red Chronicles is run by a pool of law student writers, editors, photographers and artists. It is moderated by Atty. Rita Linda Jimeno, a faculty member of SBCA-SOL and a columnist in The Manila Standards. We cover school news, Philippine current events, the Beda Alabang culture and other topics that affect the lives of the law students. The Red Chronicles publishes an issue every semester and a special graduation issue every year. Seeking to tap more on the creative subconscious, we are launching our very first Literary Folio this 2010. Atty. Rita Linda Jimeno
Legal Writing /Torts and Damages / The Red Chronicles Adviser Atty. Jimeno graduated within the top 10% of her class in UP Law. She specializes in family law and has kept up her quest for excellence by holding many titles in the domestic and international law profession. She is an accredited Mediator for Court of Appeals & the Regional Trial Courts, was the1st Filipino director of the Executive Council of the International Criminal Bar representing Asia, is a Member of the Technical Panel for Legal Education of CHED, an Arbitrator for the International Chamber of Commerce in International Court of Arbitration. She is also a Lecturer for the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education for Lawyers, a Co-Chair on the Committee on Judicial Reforms of the Constitutional Consultative Commission, a Co-Chair of the Membership Committee of ASEAN LAW Association, and a past President of the Philippine Bar Association of the Philippines (2004 to 2005). She teaches Tort Law and Legal Writing at the San Beda Alabang School of Law and is the beloved Faculty Adviser for The Red Chronicles, where she regularly contributes. She is currently a columnist for the Manila Standard Today and is the co-author of the book “Benchbook for Philippine Judges.”
Exequiel Valerio Senior Photographer Andrea Joson Associate Editor Emeritus John Joseph Sy Managing Editor Emeritus Atty. Rita Linda Jimeno Faculty Adviser Staff: Josefina Alfonso Carisa Barcena Dugie Dela Cruz Adrian Rex Dimalanta Rio Dizon General Du Ma. Anna Irene Guzman Laida May Isidro Raymond Santos-Estrella Vanessa Elaine Tianco Photographers: Maureen Betita Philip Cariaga Miguel Llave Jeamie Salvatierra Layout: Plivia Alaba Samantha Santos Carlo June Tibayan Cartoonists: Bradly Listones Jonathan Vitug Writers/Contributors: Cherryl Irene Banaria Pinky Belizario Theo Joseph Cabasa Ron Esquivel Genevieve Gutierrez Michael Lorico Jason Loyola Carlo Paniagua Rino Reyes The Barrister Mendiola: Marianne Aquino Queng Arroyo Jeane Manikis James Torrico Keith Briones