May 2018 Volume 11 No. 2

face of the

The year we marked our 10th.

Editor’s Note

A Marginalized Choice

The Red Chronicles has been delivering stories for 10 years now. These are stories of struggles, defeats, and triumphs.

We are honored to have had prominent personalities grace our cover such as former President Fidel Ramos, former Chief Justice Renato Corona, Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, former Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Pia Cayetano, and DOJ Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, to name a few. Our pages have also been dedicated to tackling relevant sociopolitical issues both here and abroad. Our previous volumes on environmental awareness, international law, local governments, the youth, and the criminal justice system are testament to such commitment.

In this volume, we continue the tradition of sparking consciousness as we draw attention to the marginalized.

Despite being overly used by politicians in their platforms and campaigns, the term is bereft of clarity. In fact, determining who are the marginalized proved to be a crucial impasse faced by the COMELEC for the general elections in 2013. It made apparent how our laws fail to encompass what they seek to address. No wonder development for marginalized sectors had been excruciatingly stagnant. But this is not to deprive credit off the progress made in recent years.

Our cover story, for instance, features Vice President Leonor “Leni” Robredo, a woman whose prior work fo-

cused on alternative lawyering. Her “Iaangat ang nasa laylayan ng lipunan” campaign earned her the second highest position in the country; if anything, it shows wider acceptance of the advocacy by the populace. In parallel, the election of the first openly transgender member of the House of Representatives depicts the waning of gender biases (see Congresswoman Geraldine Roman – Breaking the Chains).

Though there have been improvements, our marginalized countrymen remain distraught by uncomfortable circumstances. This is the resentful truth we discovered in Dengvaxia: Cure or Curse, Solo Flight (which examines the plight of solo parents), Tribulations of the OFW, Why me, too? (an exposition on the failed #MeToo movement in Philippine landscape), and Urban Wanderers: Mendicants and Vagrants.

What is more upsetting is that the setback is not due to lack of legislation, but the inefficacy of the implementation.

This volume, admittedly, is not comprehensive of all realities confronted by marginalized sectors in our society today. And its contents are futile unless acted upon. But to write is already to choose, as the mantra of CEGP echoes.

By telling their stories, we hope to empower them and inspire you to act for them.

We made our choice. The decision is now in your court.

Maris Gabornes Editor-in-Chief

The Red Chronicles The official student publication of San Beda College Alabang - School of Law 63A, St. Maur Building, San Beda College Alabang - School of Law 8 Don Manolo Blvd., Alabang Hills Village, Muntinlupa City, Philippines

Maris Gabornes | Editor-in-Chief Ace Amulong | Associate Editor Katrina Belarmino | Managing Editor Leiron Martija | Features Editor Jenica Ti | Associate Features Editor Kaiza Abaincia | News Editor Dana Lopez | Literary Editor

Aylwyn Valenciano | Senior Photographer Ceasar Entila | Senior Layout Artist Marz Ragpala | Social Media Officer Meg Ariola | Circulations Manager

Reena Theresa Marquez, Nikki Tuble Layout Artists

Mika Arevalo, Robert Jian Melchor, Tina Miranda, Leandro Nadal, Alvin Patrick Relox, Kaitlin Keith Sierra News Writers

EJ Clemeña

Paul Nikko Degollado, Catarina Fernando Melissa Manansala Photographers

Edrese Aguirre, Karl Carvajal, Mark Chan, Eufranio Eriguel, Jr., Gabriel Lacson Literary Writers

Cartoonist

Atty. Rafael Angelo Padilla Faculty Adviser

Grean Añonuevo, Nino Arevalo, Chezka Celis, Kara Lim, Dick Martinez, Valentin Prieto III, Trisha Yaokasin Features Writers

Hayde Talorong | Editor-in-Chief Emeritus Jea Diato | Managing Editor Emeritus Pauline Ubaldo | News Editor Emeritus Stephanie Gener| Senior Layout Artist Emeritus

The Red Chronicles accepts original articles from students and faculty members. We also solicit comments regarding the articles featured in our issues.

Cover Story: Leni of the Marginalized The Status of the Presidential Commission on Good Goverment A Decade of Service After-School Buffets: Southern Style

9 19 20 25

30 38 50 58

Felicem Natelem Christi: A Christmas Carol Concert SLG Report Card First Alumni Homecoming Editorial: Bench Politicking

Erratum In our Vol. 11 Issue No. 1. the photo in the news article SBCA to Open First Smart Building must be credited to Aylwyn Valenciano.

NEWS

VP Leni dubs art as ‘the highest form of hope’

By KAIZA JAY ABAINCIA Photo by AYLWYN VALENCIANO

Her Excellency Vice President Leonor “Leni” Robredo addressed artists in the country as she graced two events in San Beda College Alabang last February 7.

VP Leni opened the first National Visual Artist Conference in the country participated by students and local artists that aims to provide an avenue to discuss art—its legalities, regulations, conservation, and restoration. She also led the ribbon cutting of the MAGAYON Bikol Art and Culture Exhibit.

The exhibit featured visual art forms from artists all over the Bicol region, depicting the province’s history, culinary, sculptures, paintings, and people—featuring Bikolano celebrities and prominent figures. The exhibit also showcased memorabilia of the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo. The museum allotted an area exclusive to the late DILG Secretary’s personal items, awards, and letters from his museum in Naga.

6 | The Red Chronicles

VP Leni said, “It’s about time that our people know about our roots. It is only by understanding our roots and understanding others that we are able to become a unifying force for good.” She added, “This exhibit brings people together despite their differences. Something that we truly need in these extraordinary times. As artists you have the ability to be stories of hope. Arts is the highest form of hope.”

Dr. Joseph Richard Renta III, museum administrator, relayed that every year the San Beda Alabang museum features a specific province in the Philippines to provide avenue for artists to showcase and share their art, participate in fora, and discuss their concerns as a sector. He said the San Beda Alabang is becoming known in organizing artists, and it is the goal of the school to be the center of art in the South.

Dr. Renta III said, “Art, per se, launches the soul. It is a breath of

fresh air making a person whole.”

He pointed out that the school values art as shown in a number of artworks, inside the school, which are made by renowned artists.

Among these masterpieces are Eduardo Castrillo’s Batang Rizal and The Holy Cross at the school’s Gate 4 and at the St. Benedict Chapel respectively; Ramon Orlina’s stained glass art Station of the Cross in the same chapel, and Virginia Ty-Navarro’s St. Benedict Statue found in the San Beda College Alabang Museum. Castrillo is a Filipino sculptor and a Republic Cultural Heritage awardee, while Orlina is a multi-awarded glass sculptor famed in the country and overseas, and Ty-Navarro is the famous sculptor of Our Lady of EDSA Shrine that is located in Ortigas.

These artworks and architecture are summarized in the new book of Dr. Renta III, entitled Inside and Art set to be released on April 25.

NEWS

TRC Celebrates 10 years; launches sinilangan

By KAIZA JAY ABAINCIA Photo by AYLWYN VALENCIANO

A breather after the midterm exams, The Red Chronicles (TRC) celebrated 10 years of campus journalism in a night of music, poetry, and memoirs over refreshments and chitchats last March 6 at TAS Roofdeck, BF Homes Parañaque.

The Red Chronicles, the official student publication of the San Beda College Alabang School of Law, was established during the academic year 2007-2008. The school publication marks a decade of “delivering news that matters, as it happens.” Yearly, it publishes two regular issues and four special issues namely Pluma, back-to-school, bar, and graduation issues. As an organization, its ideals are excellence, service, and freedom of expression.

Editor-in-Chief (EIC) Maris Cay Gabornes shared her insights on TRC beyond ten years. “A defining character of the publication is continuity. Despite the yearly change in the editorial board composition, the goal to deliver relevant information to the Bedan community remains. Moving forward, we want to sustain the commitment of our members and further engage the interest of our readers. We want TRC to be a credible voice of the students, a dependable repository of information in the SOL, and most importantly, a forum for discussion of relevant issues and events.”

Hayde Talorong, EIC for two years, recounted her learning in the publication, “The need to be in the

know, whilst being critical of the news I come across, is what I developed because of TRC. I learned to become responsible of the news I disseminate; I learned that there are two sides to the truth and by seeking both, it’s easy to filter out articles which are biased and misleading, at a time where every disagreeing article is considered as fake.” #TRCX, the official anniversary hashtag, also marked the launching of Pluma: Sinilangan, this year’s literary folio. Dana Beatrice Lopez, literary editor, said that the objective of the folio is to foster love for country and pride in culture by showcasing the colorful and multi-faceted Filipino culture through student-contributed poems, proses, photographs, and paintings.

School of Law students joined TRC alumni, editorial board, and staff in marking the publication’s milestone. The event was filled with laughters, greetings, and stories of years back. Indeed, it was not only a celebration of service and commitment, but also of friendships.

Talorong expressed, “Attending a Pluma launch is always a coming home of sorts because you get to reunite and meet with like-minded people who share the same passion in writing and other creative pursuits.

They always bring you that refreshing break from law school.”

The Red Chronicles | 7

NEWS

School WiFi speeds up to 20 mbps

SLG spearheads activities in December

By ALVIN PATRICK RELOX

The San Beda College Alabang School of Law (SBCA-SOL) ended 2017 with a line-up of community projects spearheaded by the School of Law Government (SLG) in partnership with other organizations.

The SLG commenced the annual Lex Celebracionis on December 11. It featured sports such as basketball, volleyball, E-sports, futsal, badminton, and the most anticipated amazing race exclusive to SBCA, the Race Judicata.

SBCA-SOL faculty also joined the students in a basketball exhibition match. Vice Dean Marciano Delson, Prefect Carlo Busmente, Atty. Jonas Cabochan, Atty. Jesus Vicente Capellan, Leo “Kuya Leo” Acuyan, and Michael John “Kuya MJ” Autentico showed their aptitude on the hardcourt last December 13. It was followed by the awarding and recognition of outstanding student-athletes.

Meanwhile, SLG commenced the season of gift-giving on December 14 with a Christmas party open to all SOL students in Hillsborough Village. They also initiated a community activity of extending a helping hand to the less fortunate children through a feeding program at the CAA Compound,

8 | The Red Chronicles

Las Piñas City, in cooperation with the family of Las Piñas City Mayor Imelda “Nene” Aguilar, last December 18.

“I did not expect the SBCA-SOL students to help during that time because it was already holiday season. I genuinely felt the generosity flowing from their hearts the entire time,” says Veronica Aguilar, a member of the Aguilar family and also from SOL. It was the first time for the SBCA-SOL to help in the annual feeding program. Around 25 law students came to assist.

Dean Ulpiano Sarmiento III expressed his joy and gratitude for the activity and volunteers. “More than topping the Bar examinations, this is one achievement I will forever be mighty proud and immensely grateful of to the wonderful students of the School of Law,” he said.

SLG President Lauren Mendoza said that there is more to come in 2018. “Besides the usual projects that we traditionally have, 2017 was a year of many firsts for the SLG. It was the year that we had new milestones. So, I can say that 2017 was a good year for us, and I believe in progression so we have more in store for 2018.”

By LEANDRO NADAL

San Beda just got a whole lot faster. When it comes to internet connectivity, that is.

Dennis Garpida, network administrator of San Beda College Alabang’s Information and Communication Technology Services, reported that students can now use the Internet with speeds up to 20 megabits per second (mbps).

“Prior to this upgrade, students were limited to just 1 mbps,” Garpida recounted. “When Rev. Fr. Aelred U. Nilo, OSB, (school director of finance) realized the situation when it came to their internet use here in San Beda, he told us that the students deserve better and that an upgrade of our systems should be top priority.”

Garpida noted that aside from the speed, the first phase of the upgrade removed website restrictions that the old system had. While speed connectivity was increased, Mr. Garpida quickly clarified that each student is limited to 80 gigabytes of data usage for each semester. He reminded that students should then take care of their passwords upon issuance.

With this recent upgrade, students can now connect to the school WiFi in areas previously inaccessible such as the CAS Building, St. Maur’s Building, and the new Our Lady of Montserrat Building.

Among other items that will be included in the second phase of upgrade is speed connectivity of up to 100 mbps. Garpida proudly claims, “Our end goal is a better end user experience for the students.”

Law students may connect to the Internet using the WiFi names: “San Beda” and “San Beda X” networks. Once connected, an access portal will pop up on their screen.

Students then need only to input their student number and their chosen password after registering the same with the Information and Communication Technology Services.

NEWS

SOL gives back through

world-class concert

In celebration of the Christmas season, the School of Law (SOL), headed by Dean Ulpiano Sarmiento III and assisted by the School of Law Government (SLG), held a Christmas fundraising concert entitled, Felicem Natalem Christi, last December 10, 2017 at the St. Benedict Chapel.

The fundraising concert was organized for the benefit of women and children of Marawi, who suffered from the five-month long armed conflict last year. The SLG confirmed that the SOL was able to send P200,000 worth of school supplies.

The concert showcased the performances of the Hail Mary the Queen Children’s Choir, a worldclass concert chorale under the tutelage of Prof. Ma. Theresa Vizconde-Roldan and Jude Roldan. In

2004, the chorale became the first Filipino champion of the Choir Olympics in Bremen, Germany. It is also the first Asian choir to be invited at the Pacific International Choral Festivals in Eugene, Oregon, USA in 2015.

The program started with a prayer led by Rector President Dom Clement Ma. H. Roque and a welcome message by Dean Sarmiento.

Afterward, Allen Immanuel Ryce G. Salazar delivered a spoken word piece.

The chorale was joined in performances by Bedans from the School of Law. Imelda Aparente, Laira Manankil, Nichole Ang-Angco, Ariel Mark Reyes Pilotin, Aleli Gimena, and Janina Gonzales serenaded the Bedan community with yuletide hymns and carols. There were also invited performers,

By MIKA AREVALO Photo by AYLWYN VALENCIANO

namely, Elena Selina Z. Sarmiento and Francisco De Guzman, who were former members of Hail Mary the Queen Children’s choir.

Students of ACTS Manila, a faith-based company and an affiliate school system, also graced the crowd with a couple of dance numbers. Their performances of Vaganova-based and modern ballet aimed to carry messages of hope and good news.

To end the concert, the performers sang God Bless Us, Everyone in unison.

Dean Sarmiento was vocal in his gratitude to everyone who gave effort, time, and service to support the concert. He capped off the event by reminding everyone that, “No act is too small nor too insignificant for the least, last, and lost among us.”

The Red Chronicles | 9

NEWS

By TINA MIRANDA Photo By MELISSA MANANSALA

SOL excels in 28th Conflicts of Law

By TINA MIRANDA Photo by MELISSA MANANSALA

The San Beda College Alabang-School of Law (SBCA-SOL), along with the University of Makati, hosted the 28th Conflicts of Law last February 11 to March 4.

The Conflicts of Law is an annual sports and academic competition organized by the Association of Law Students of the Philippines in the National Capital Region (ALSP-NCR) and is participated by different teams from law schools around the region.

SBCA-SOL teams exhibited remarkable effort earning them their highest rank at second place in the women’s volleyball category against fellow red lions from the San Beda University, while the men’s volleyball ranked fourth place.

Both men and women’s basketball landed at third place for their respective categories. The futsal, swimming, and Defense of the Ancients 2 (DOTA

10 | The Red Chronicles

2) teams also bagged fourth place. The SOL debate team placed fifth following after the teams of the University of the Philippines, De La Salle University, and San Beda University.

Aside from the games abovementioned, the occasion also included badminton, table tennis, chess, billiards, darts, beer pong, and the Mr. and Ms. Conflicts of Law pageant.

SLG President Lauren Mendoza expressed, “It was an honor for our school to be hosting with University of Makati this year since we have been working hard for two years to bring the Conflicts of Laws here at San Beda Alabang.

We would also like to thank all the law schools that participated during the event. I would like to congratulate our SLG EVP and ALSP Vice Chair Laira Manankil for working hard to make all of this possible.”

NEWS

SOL Hosts sto. niNo festivities

By ROBERT JIAN MELCHOR Photos by AYLWYN VALENCIANO and PAUL NIKKO DEGOLLADO

Last January 18 to 20, the School of Law (SOL) hosted the celebration for the Feast of the Sto. Niño with the theme, Santo Niño Gabay sa Bedistang Landas ng Pagbabago. This is the third time that the SOL has hosted the event; having previously headed it in 2010 and 2014.

The Sto. Niño Festival is a significant and much anticipated event in the academic calendar as it is one of the Bedan Community’s valued traditions. For Atty.

Jun Cadugo, SOL senior administrator and the acting head for the festivities, “(The Sto. Niño) embodies the Bedan spirit as well as our Catholic customs and traditions. For many years now, we have been celebrating one of the most recognizable religious images in the Philippines. It is a momentous way of commemorating and honoring the image of the Sto. Niño by undertaking exciting and entertaining activities catering to all the members of the Bedan institution.”

The SOL administration led by Dean Ulpiano “Ulan” Sarmiento III and the School of Law Government led by President Lauren Mendoza, along with other law student volunteers and with the assistance of the heads of colleges and departments, pulled all the stops to properly execute their vision and make the event a success.

Atty. Cadugo stressed that they tried to make the event different from preceding iterations by asking the students what they wanted to experience and see in this year’s activity. “We challenged the different heads of

the colleges to come up with a fresh set of games and activities. For the School of Law, we held a Christmas concert, Felicem Natalem Christi, for the benefit of our brothers and sisters in Marawi in lieu of the traditional fun run, a talent show titled “Bedan Petmalu Lodi” and an alumni homecoming, to mark our 10th year anniversary.”

The activities kicked off in the morning of January 18 where dancers and performers from all academic departments held the opening ceremony at the SBCA football field, with the opening remarks delivered by Dean Ulan, the hermano for this academic year. That same afternoon, the whole community was entertained in a showcase of amazing talents in the Bedan Petmalu Lodi show.

The next day, the SOL basketball team and the faculty of both SBCA-SOL and San Beda University (SBU) pitted their skills on the hardcourt in basketball exhibition games, won in both instances by the SBU team. Later that evening, a gathering was held for SOL alumni on the occasion of their 10th year anniversary.

On January 20, a procession was held in honor of the Sto. Niño, which was followed by a mass, closing remarks, and a grand fireworks display, all held at the SBCA Football Field.

All in all, the festival was a success; a manifestation of how the Bedan Community, especially the School of Law, honors its traditions and values.

The Red Chronicles | 11

NEWS

Bedan wins speech contest at Harvard

By ALVIN PATRICK RELOX Photo courtesy of KAITLIN KEITH SIERRA

The San Beda College Alabang - School of Law (SBCA-SOL) rests it laurels yet again as one of its students competed and won against delegates from around the globe at Harvard University, Massachusetts, USA in a four-day conference, February 16-19.

SBCA-SOL student Kaitlin Keith Sierra, with her teammates Rex Chan (Hong Kong), Yen Jun Wong (Malaysia), Patricia Torres (Philippines), and Haseeb Akhund (India), emerged as champion in the Impact Challenge, a public speaking contest at the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR) Conference 2018 ﹘ Harvard University’s largest annual student conference in the Asia-Pacific region. HPAIR is a student-run organization of the Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences that seeks to create a rigorous forum for dialogue and exchange.

With Innovate as this year’s theme, the 300 delegates were grouped into five and six members to deliberate and propose a startup policy. They chose from four startup options and were made to discuss how their choice can reach and help the Asia Pacific.

Sierra’s team focused on Luminopia, a startup founded in January 2016 by three Harvard college freshmen. Luminopia uses virtual reality technology to treat amblyopia (more commonly called “lazy eye”), the single biggest cause of visual disorders among children. After the seven hours of policymaking, speech, and defense, their team bagged the Best Impact Award.

The conference allowed the delegates to come face-to-face with leaders in the business, government, 12 | The Red Chronicles

and academe. Long-lasting relationships with talented, like-minded individuals from around the world were forged during the conference. This year’s conference featured six panel tracks, interactive panel discussions, Harvard tours, impact challenge competition, cultural events, and socials that provided delegates networking opportunities to broaden interdisciplinary knowledge. The activities served as a platform for students to exchange ideas geared towards enacting real social change.

Harvard chose the delegates from among prospective undergraduate and graduate students and young leaders from academic institutions all over the world. They were joined by business professionals and political leaders from 40 participating countries to discuss global issues such as diplomacy, health, and governance among others. Applicants to the conference submitted essays and went through a series of interviews.

Sierra encourages fellow Bedans to join international conferences. She remarks “Harvard University is a place where no idea is wasted and it is an honor to represent San Beda College Alabang and the Philippines. It’s a great opportunity to lobby for the causes and advocacies you believe in which are usually neglected or least addressed in our home country.”

HPAIR offers two annual conferences and one is held in any major Asian metropolis. The 2018 HPAIR Asia Conference will be held in Kuala Lumpur on August 16 to 20.

NEWS

ILDS thrives in

national debate competitions

By TINA MIRANDA Photo courtesy of ILDS

Representatives from the San Beda Alabang International Law Debate Society (ILDS) succeeded as top contenders in debate competitions inside and outside of campus.

The ILDS core composed of Kaiza Jay Abaincia, Isabella Bobadilla, and Tamsin Prado won against the Adamson University representatives during the new season of the ANC’s Square Off in its episode last February 25.

The teams tackled the controversy pinning the Aquino administration on the Dengvaxia program where SBCA argued for the affirmative.

Tamsin Prado, awarded as the best speaker in both Square Off and Conflicts of Law 2018, shared how they prepared for the inter-school debates. “We really sacrificed a lot of time to research, case build, and train as a team. We were able to hit two birds with one stone: ANC Squareoff & Conflicts. By God’s

grace, worth it naman lahat ng puyat,” Prado said.

Square Off is a debate program televised on ANC where law students from universities nationwide debate on important sociopolitical issues dominating the Philippine landscape. Conflicts of Law, on the other hand, is an annual sports and academic tournament organized by the Association of Law Students of the Philippines - National Capital Region (ALSP-NCR) that includes an interschool debate face-off, among other competitions.

During the Conflicts 2018, the SBCA team exhibited their prowess by placing fifth in the final ranking.

Tamsin Prado and Franchezka Mae Celis won and received individual awards as Top 9 Speaker and Top Adjudicator, respectively.

The University of the Philippines won first place followed

by De La Salle University, and San Beda University.

Some law schools that joined

were Arellano University, Manila Law College, Far Eastern University, University of Santo Tomas, University of the East, Adamson University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of Makati, University of Perpetual Help System-Dalta, Centro Escolar University, Lyceum of the Philippines University, University of Manila, and Philippine Christian University.

Kim Apple Sevilla, president of the ILDS, shared that their victory made them more driven to compete in the coming national debate. “We just won in the recent ANC Square Off and that did not make them complacent but rather more competitive. All in all, I think our team was the best because of our unique Bedan faith,” she revealed.

The ILDS will be advancing at both Square Off quarterfinals on April 29 and Conflicts of Law regional level.

The Red Chronicles | 13

NEWS

SOL profs launch own books Atty. Maria Zarah Villanueva-Castro and Atty. Nicasio Cabaneiro, esteemed professors of the School of Law, authored their own books in Commercial Law and Taxation Law respectively.

Atty. Maria Zarah Villanueva-Castro is a Commercial Law Review professor at the School of Law. She released her second book entitled Commercial Law Recap at the start of the second semester of academic year 2017-2018. The book contains all the subjects included in Commercial Law. She said that the latest book is different in format from her first, entitled Take Note: Commercial Law Series.

Published in two volumes, the newly released book is discussion in flow in contrast with the question and answer style of her previous book.

The first volume was released last year and includes transportation law, insurance law and banking law, while the second volume was released in March and includes corporation law, negotiable instruments law, Financial Rehabilitation Insolvency Act, and law on intellectual property, with discussions of the Securities Regulation Code and letters of credit.

The outline of Commercial Law Recap is patterned after the syllabus of the 2017 Bar Exams. Atty. Villanueva-Castro shared that the book includes new landmark cases which are illustrative of their respective topics.

Atty. Villanueva-Castro said, “I want to help my students have a different perspective and easier overall understanding of Commercial Law, aligned with the Supreme Court outline. Basically, I want to share my notes with them, so I felt that it’s time that I make my own. This is my legacy to the legal community.”

14 | The Red Chronicles

By MIKA AREVALO Photo by AYLWYN VALENCIANO

Atty. Villanueva-Castro started writing her first book in 2015 with her compiled notes as her reference. She tried to simplify the approach by giving tips on the topics that require more attention. She likewise included questions repeatedly asked in the bar exams and those which involve difficult areas in the field of commercial law.

Meanwhile, Atty. Nicasio Cabaneiro, professor of Banking, Taxation 1, and Tax Review classes in SBCA-SOL, released his first book, From Living to Leaving: Basics of Financial, Estate & Tax Planning, last February. His new book is mainly about estate planning, and is designed to be a simplified and easy to understand guide for everyone. Dubbed by Dean Virgilio Jara as “the book of an expert estate and tax planner,” it holds practical and comprehensive information on estate planning from a compilation of Atty. Cabaneiro’s notes, spanning decades of practice and teaching, that were arranged by his daughter.

The book already contains the changes brought by the newly enacted Tax Reformation for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law. Atty. Cabaneiro shared that its original release was set last November 2017, but was postponed until February 2018 to wait for the implementation of the TRAIN Law. Atty. Cabaneiro is an esteemed figure in Taxation Law as he is the pioneer Tax professor in SBCA-SOL and a retained speaker of International Association of Registered Financial Consultants, which holds seminars on estate planning almost every month. He is also a lead partner in Centre for Global Practices regarding tax matters.

Both Atty. Villanueva-Castro and Atty. Cabaneiro’s new books were published by Central Books.

NEWS

Accomplished attorneys join SOL faculty

By ROBERT JIAN MELCHOR Photo by AYLWYN VALENCIANO

Dean Eduardo Juan Faustino Abella, the newest faculty member of the School of Law, is a retired dean of the College of Law of Jose Rizal University, a school that he also calls his alma mater. He is a passer of the 1972 Bar Exams. He straightforwardly shared that he teaches Commercial Law Review simply because it was the subject assigned to him and he is willing to teach it. Dean Abella is one of the most sought after bar review lecturers in Mercantile Law. He has a manner of teaching that makes even complicated topics in Mercantile Law unintimidating and understandable. Hailing from the mean streets of Manila, he advises law students to study very seriously as there are no secrets to success in the world of legal practice but diligence and perseverance.

DEan EDUARDO JUAN FAUSTINO ABELLA Returning this year to teach both Commercial Law Review and Taxation Law Review, Court of Appeals Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao was mandatorily absent last year as he served as the Civil Law examiner for the 2016 Bar Exams. He is the youngest Court of Appeals magistrate to have been appointed at the age of 40. He hails from Marawi City, he earned his degrees in BS Accountancy and Bachelor of Laws from the University of the East. He also teaches review subjects in Civil Law, Commercial Law, and Taxation Law at the University of Santo Tomas and University of the East. At the same time, he lectures the same subjects in bar review centers across the country.

He is also an award winning magistrate and an accomplished author of three Taxation books. He shared that he is interested in the inherent connection between Civil Law, Commercial Law, and Taxation Law, leading him to teach those three subjects. He advises students to be proficient in their command of the English language, aside from being proficient in law, as it is one of the things bar examiners look for. “Extra credit is given to examinees who can convey their answers properly in English,” Justice Dimaampao shares.

justice japar dimaampao The Red Chronicles | 15

NEWS

ELS holds wetland symposium

By KAITLIN KEITH SIERRA Photo by AYLWYN VALENCIANO

A symposium about Philippine wetlands was conducted by the Environmental Law Society (ELS) with the theme Revolution Against the Ignorance Toward our Environment at the Fr. Roberto De Jesus Auditorium last March 6.

The speakers were Ramsar Convention Executive Director Amy Morado Lecciones, Joy Navarro from the Biodiversity Management Bureau, and Ray Thomas Kabigting from the Forest Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. They talked about the state of wetlands in the Philippines, initiatives to conserve wetlands, and forestry and watershed, respectively. These subtopics were particularly preferred because the ELS aims to help preserve the natural resources in the country.

Among the wetlands highlighted were the Las PiñasParañaque Critical Habitat Ecotourism Area, Negros Occidental coastal wetland, and the Tubbataha reefs.

Micah Alvin S. Gimelo, project head and ELS internal vice president, said that wetlands was chosen as the primary topic to inform the School of Law community, who are expected to be future lawmakers and legislators, on the importance of the remaining wetlands in the country in filtering water and effectively preventing floods.

Gimelo stressed, “Because the number one ene-

16 | The Red Chronicles

my of the society is ignorance, revolution is needed to be able to fight for the environment. This time, however, it would not involve force but wits and tongues as our weapons.”

Mark Ellison S. Alarilla, third year law student, an attendee, described the symposium as very informative since it shed light on the environmental difficulties that most people are not truly aware of. He hopes for the enactment of specific laws for the maintenance of wetlands and other water reservoirs.

Environmental law pioneer, Ambassador Amado Tolentino Jr., the adviser of the ELS, emphasized the importance of wetlands or lupaing tubig and encouraged everyone to volunteer for the environment. Ambassador Tolentino is presently the executive governor for developing countries of the International Council of Environmental Law. Gimelo finally added that the ELS would strive harder to work on its vision in making San Beda an environmental hub in the Philippines, advocating for sustainable development. The organization also hopes to establish an association among law schools in the Philippines that will cater for the protection of the environment and the strengthening of environmental laws.

NEWS

Guidance Center and SOLID team up for Career Week

By LEANDRO NADAL Photo by ALVIN PATRICK RELOX

The School of Law (SOL) Guidance Center, in partnership with the School of Law Internship and Development (SOLID) organization, holds the second annual School of Law Career Week, March 23 and April 2.

With the theme, Discovering Career Passion: Road to Opportunities & Success, the SOL Guidance Center and SOLID began by featuring experienced lawyers who shared their insights on their fields of expertise to freshmen and sophomore students.

Atty. Joevanni A. Villanueva, a court attorney and a judicial supervisor with the Office of the Court Administrator; Atty. Saul Hofilena, Jr., historian, writer, and poet; Atty. Althea E. Acas, a

tax and custom lecturer; and Atty.

Karla Denise Frias, a litigator and a subject matter expert of fiscal revenue legal framework for the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office of the Office of the President, shared the opportunities and challenges of the legal practice.

Atty. Villanueva encouraged students to consider working for the government, noting that the recent years has seen the public sector become even more competitive as opposed to the private sector. Atty. Hofilena Jr., on the other hand, underscored the importance of reading—as widely or specialized as the case may be—in the legal profession.

SOLID President Mark Bernardo shared, “We formulat-

ed this event because we noticed that students, during their stay in Law School, focus only in preparing and passing the bar. Not a lot of time is given to answering the question what comes next after the bar.”

The second talk entitled Beyond the Bar was given by Dean Rico Paolo R. Quicho the University of Makati-School of Law, on April 2 at the Fr. Roberto de Jesus Auditorium, addressing the junior and senior law students on their career options and possible career paths. Dean Quicho encouraged students to be vigilant and aware of new fields and emerging industries for it will give them an edge in their career options.

The Red Chronicles | 17

NEWS SOL student: SLG needs to Consult us

By Alvin Patrick Relox Photos by PAUL NIKKO DEGOLLADO and MEG ARIOLA

The San Beda College Alabang-School of Law (SBCA-SOL) students assessed the performance of the incumbent Student Law Government (SLG) officers in the annual survey conducted by The Red Chronicles.

The officers were assessed using the criteria for good governance based on the United Nations Development Programme’s policy paper entitled Governance for Sustainable Human Development (1997) where good governance is described as participatory, transparent, accountable, effective, equitable, responsive, consensus-oriented, compliant to rules and exhibits a strategic vision.

In the overall results, all officers received satisfactory ratings save for Valerio Tio, second year batch representative, who got a very satisfactory mark. Tio earned very satisfactory remarks in all categories except in strategic vision. President Lauren “Laurs” Mendoza earned very satisfactory remarks in the compliance and responsiveness categories while scored lowest in consensus-oriented.

Laira Manankil, vice president for external affairs, posted responsiveness as her strongest category while consensus-oriented as her weakest. Meanwhile, Ann Balingao, vice president for internal affairs, scored highest in compliance and responsiveness but lowest in transparency. Treasurer Megan Mateo and Auditor Ram Billedo both obtained compliance as their highest and transparency as their lowest.

Secretary Jerome Gonzales and Third Year Batch Representative Christian Magsino scored high in compliance but both low in the consensus-oriented I can’t feel the SLG. I don’t think that they work for the benefit of the students. They don’t even stand for the most pressing issues we have right now. They also don’t consult the students regarding their issues like unnecessary school fees etc.

- IO I do not often see the President, VPs, Auditor, and Treasurer but I know they are doing their best for us students.

- 2017-40***8 Keep up the good work! Especially more midterm and finals food choices! :) Happy student = Happy life! Great Job =) - 2016-40***1

LEGEND|

18 | The Red Chronicles

category. First Year Representative Japhet Esguerra, on the other hand, earned his highest in compliance and lowest in responsiveness.

During last year’s miting de avance, Tio and Esguerra promised the SBCA-SOL community that they will jointly establish a batch hotline and launch SLG merchandise, as well as their respective solo projects such as Tio's Integration of Transfer Students project and Esguerra's Supreme Court Tour project.

Among the projects Mendoza emphasized as a new elect president last year were the robing ceremony, Midterms Kapihan, Novembar, and a more flexible library schedule. The SBCA-SOL through its SLG also witnessed the hosting of the Conflicts of Laws with the University of Makati and community outreaches e.g. feeding program in Las Pinas City and charity concert for the women and children victims of the Marawi siege (with full stories featured in this issue).

Some of the wishlists by the members of the council of organizations at the start of the semester were own offices for student organizations as relayed by International Law Debate Society (ILDS) president Kim Apple Carvajal; projects that can benefit the working students especially on the availability of a working-students-friendly schedule for eligible members as said by Dulce Bustamante, president of the Law School Association of Working Students (LAWS), and support to the Environmental Law Society in promoting environmental awareness and in creating eco-friendly projects as expressed by its President Mykee Medina.

They are good at organizing events, but I don’t feel that they serve as our representatives before the school administration when it comes to controversial issues.

They should also ask about what the students want.

- 2017-40***5 The School of Law Government is doing a great job in providing excellent service towards the School of Law student body. However, their service would be better if they would directly ask the opinion of the student body as to what are the needs that they need to address with urgency.

- 2015-40***3 Kindly improve the announcement system.

- 2017-40***2

CTR - Compliance to Rule R/A - Responsiveness/Approachability T - Transparency CO - Consensus Oriented EE - Effectiveness and Efficiency EI - Equity and Inclusivenes

A - Accountability P - Participation SV - Strategic Vision

NEWS

SLG REPORT CARD PRESIDENT LAURS MENDOZA

EVP LAIRA MANANKIL

IVP ANN BALINGAO

TREASURER MEGAN MATEO

AUDITOR RAM BILLEDO

S E C R E TA RY JEROME GONZALES

3RD yr. BATCH REP. CHRISTIAN MAGSINO

2ND yr. BATCH REP. VALERIE TIO

1ST yr. BATCH REP. JAPETH ESGUERRA

over all rating

CTR

T

R/A

CO

EI

EE

A

P

SV

3.86

4.04

3.84 CTR

4.08

3.72

3.75

3.91

3.79

3.86

3.76

3.72

3.87

3.70 CTR

3.88

3.55

3.60

3.82

3.66

3.83

3.62

3.55

3.70

3.46 CTR

3.70

3.49

3.48

3.54

3.50

3.64

3.48

3.50

3.70

3.37 CTR

3.58

3.39

3.48

3.48

3.50

3.53

3.47

3.41

3.59

3.30 CTR

3.53

3.38

3.35

3.40

3.41

3.44

3.31

3.60

3.82

3.47 CTR

3.68

3.43

3.55

3.64

3.63

3.65

3.51

3.81

3.96

3.79 CTR

3.89

3.71

3.75

3.82

3.86

3.75

3.75

4.05

4.22

4.26 CTR

4.30

4.07

4.00

4.00

4.00

4.15

3.41

3.98

4.25

4.17 CTR

3.67

3.92

4.08

4.00

4.00

3.92

3.83

The Red Chronicles | 19

NEWS

bedans’ first alumni homecoming

By KAITLIN KEITH SIERRA Photo by CEASAR ENTILA

The first alumni homecoming of San Beda College Alabang – School of Law (SBCA-SOL), with the theme, Celebrating 10 Years of Excellence, in honor of the institution which has produced 652 law graduates since 2009, was held last January 19 at the Fr. Roberto De Jesus Auditorium.

Atty. John Jacome, overall chairperson for the occasion, remarked that the event paved the way for the alumni, faculty, administrators, and the Benedictine monks to share memories and relive the good things of the past.

A pleasing number of around 150 guests were in attendance and among them was SBCA RectorPresident Rev. Dom Clement Ma. H. Roque, OSB. The celebration had also been an opportunity to award distinguished personalities and members of the faculty who helped in strengthening the institution since it became independent back in 2005, from the now San Beda University.

Among the awardees were Judge Thea Gicela Nueve-Zamora of Batch 2009 who is the first alumna of SBCA-SOL to become a member of the bench, and Atty. Rodolfo Aquino of Batch 2011 who was honored for being SOL’s first bar topnotcher who placed 10th in the 2011 Bar Examinations.

20 | The Red Chronicles

The evening did not forget to pay tribute to two late law professors who are considered hallmarks in legal education. Posthumous awards were given to Atty.

Maximo P. Amurao, Jr. and Atty. Romeo Batino. Family members of the said professors were present during the celebration to receive the recognition on their behalf.

Atty. Rodolfo Aquino shares that he was indeed very proud of the organizers of this homecoming.

He further mentioned that an event like this is important because it forms a stronger bond and network with fellow Bedans which shall last a lifetime.

The night was filled with many performances from SOL students and alumni including a band performance where Atty. Jacome played bass guitar as a surprise number. The celebration ended joyfully as Dean Ulpiano “Ulan” Sarmiento III gave his closing remarks highlighting the joy of being able to welcome back his beloved students saying, “You are always welcome here for as long as this institution is around.”

The homecoming will not be complete without the singing of the Bedan Hymn led by Dean Ulan, the dean of the SOL since its establishment. n

Opinion

gender bias in divorce

The human body has nine holes. All of which play an essential role in the body’s proper functioning and detoxification. It’s 2018 and Philippine society is realizing that it needs a new hole--- a new outlet. Presently, the Philippines is the only UN-member state without a divorce law. Together with the Vatican City, it remains to be one of the three remaining states in the world without a divorce law.

Early this year, the House of Representatives approved a divorce bill on its third and final reading. History is brewing.

Even before it had a name, humans have been utilizing the concept of divorce as early as 1760 BC during the reign of King Hammurabi of Babylon. Under King Hammurabi’s laws, a husband could easily divorce his wife by simply saying “You are not my wife,” returning the wife’s dowry, and paying a fine. If it’s the wife who wants a divorce, filing a complaint is necessary. It’s similar to pre-colonial Philippines where the husband can initiate divorce by returning the dowry he received--- no words required.

If initiated by the wife, she gets nothing.

The pervading sense of women being of less value and of some sort of commodity have since then been the case. It’s a simple man’s arithmetic. Given that it’s the man who hunts and provides, pre-colonial Philippines allowed husbands to have multiple wives as long as he could maintain all households properly. But wives were not allowed multiple husbands so much so that pre-colonial Philippines has laws that deals with adulterous wives. A man could leave his wife if found guilty of adultery and henceforth be free of the obligation to provide for her.

Granted that the wife does not provide and earn for the family, is it enough justification for the extramarital rights? Why can’t wives have multiple husbands? Is it simply because of the fact that they don’t provide hence they get lesser rights? Is this the very seed that planted the objectification of women in the collective schema?

Weighing is necessary. A country’s culture and essence can be revealed through its curse words. The Spaniards have curse words such as “I shit in the whore that gave birth to you!” and “I shit in the communion host of your whore of a mother!” In China, ancestors are involved as they curse saying, “Fuck your ancestors to the eighteenth generation!” or simply by, “Fuck your mother.” Locally, we have the crunchy Tagalog curse, “Puta ang ina mo!” involving the purity of our mothers. Resounding is the essence that you can cut through a person’s core by involving their mothers. It offers the most sting. But for such a tenderly powerful exalted and sacred position, women are still seen 22 | The Red Chronicles

Little Poem Ace Amulong as the fragile and lesser gender.

Donald Winnicott perfectly encapsulated it when he said that every man or woman who is sane, every man or woman who has the feeling of being a person in the world, and for whom the world means something, every happy person, is in infinite debt to a woman. How did women reach such an elevated yet restricted and discriminated state? You’re pure, holy, sweet, and divine but everything that you will say, do, and become, will be used against you -- so much so that one of the twisted arguments against divorce in the Philippines is that it is deemed to be anti-women.

The argument exposes the ever-pervading discriminating societal perspective on the role of women and femininity. Divorce can only ever be anti-women if we were in pre-colonial Philippines where men solely provide. But such is not the case. It’s the new millennium. Both men and women can equally be professionals. Both can equally build and destroy worlds. Most households still have wives entirely dependent on their husbands, but using it as an argument against divorce is lopsided as it belittles a woman’s ability to rise and stand for herself and the ones she love.

Man have been to the moon and back but women are still viewed as the lesser sex. Women are soft not because they are weak but because they nourish. The use of discriminatory stereotypes foretells of a brain that failed to transcend cultural biases and effectively evolve.

Divorce knows no gender. It’s wrong to say that a country’s failure to provide for legal provisions on divorce is anti-women. To a stretch it is, for its absence fails to give abused women the right to a new life free of pain and suffering, but such equally applies to men. The generalization that the male gender still has monopoly over the infliction of pain is ancient. Women commit mistakes too. No one wins at divorce. It’s the peaceful plateau of a legal mistake that climaxes every single day until a couple separate ways.

Having divorce as part of a state’s legal arsenal is a sign of development. Laws are organic and are meant to empower every individual, man or woman, to reach his or her full joy and potential. Divorce is a law that humbly and bravely deals with the aftermath of mistakes. It involves two people who in good faith entered into the contract of marriage only to find out that the union is detrimental, sometimes even lethal, to one’s living of a full life. It is an intelligent law for it deals with the universal fact that people commit mistakes and they should be allowed to admit it and recover from it. Mistakes deserve a proper space. It’s time to cleanse.

Opinion

the plastic solution

During Holy Week, some families opt to stay home, some fly out of the country, some practice visita iglesia, and some enjoy the beach. Our family opted to stay home. I went over social networking sites and saw several posts regarding the current state of beaches and churches. The amount of garbage was overwhelming and disheartening.

Every day, we produce enormous amounts of garbage. It’s part of our daily lives. In a 2017 study, the Asian Development Bank reported that the Philippines generates about 35,000 tons of garbage daily and more than 8,600 tons per day in Metro Manila alone. Without a doubt, solid waste management remains a major challenge in the Philippines especially in urban areas like Metro Manila. The dominant concerns in solid waste management are the lack of disposal facilities, improper wastes disposal, and inefficient wastes collection. The waste generated not just affect the environment but also lead to health hazards due to water contamination, flooding, air pollution, and spread of diseases.

Nowadays, it’s impossible to consume something without producing any kind of garbage. From the moment we eat our food, to taking a bath, and up until we sleep, we have something to throw out may it be excess food, candy wrappers, used tissue, or sachets. We are exposed to things that are expected to be thrown out. The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 or RA 9003, provides the legal framework to address the growing problem on solid wastes in the country. Since the law’s effectivity however, its enforcement and compliance remains a daunting task due to technical, political, and financial limitations of concerned agencies and LGUs.

An area of plastic waste four times the size of the Philippines exists in the Pacific Ocean today, known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Over half of all plastic entering the ocean comes from just five countries, and the Philippines is one of them.

Marine animals can easily mistake plastic or any solid waste as food and die as a result. Can you imagine how the cycle goes? As soon as marine animals consume the plastic, it enters the food chain and eventually goes back to humans as we eat – making us eat our own plastic waste.

Efforts on saving the environment should not come from the government alone. It’s time to go green. Going green starts at home. Filipinos should not only reuse, reduce, and recycle but also think of the consequences of buying, using, or discarding particular items. Let’s be part of the solution and not the pollution.

We can begin with plastic. Plastic items can take up to 1,000 years to decompose, while plastic bottles can take up to 450 years or more. We should reduce the consumption of products that generate waste materials that take up such a long time to completely decompose.

In the Philippines, it is rare to see households that religiously separate their biodegradables and non-biodegradables; usually trash goes directly to a common trash bin. I have seen malls that have three different trash bins segregated to paper, plastic, and wet items. While in hospitals, waste is segregated according to its hazard levels. In educational institutions, there are usually two bins. From where I finished high school, we maintain a plastic bottle drive where a separate bin is solely dedicated for plastic bottles because it is the most bought item in the school canteen.

We can start by separating our garbage and lessening the use of plastic. We can stuff paper or plastic waste in empty plastic water bottles. Similar to the #stuffitchallenge, which was launched as an environmental movement that aims to provide a lasting solution to plastic pollution. These stuffed bottles will be used as an eco-brick. An eco-brick is a plastic bottle stuffed solid with non-biological waste to create a reusable building block. Last summer, I had a chance to stay at the Circle Hostel which supports this advocacy. They aim to use ecobricks in building the hostel and homes for their community partners.

There are several ways on how to live plastic-free: always bringing a water tumbler is a good start; replace plastic bags with eco-bags; bring reusable utensils; bring reusable containers for your take-outs. Making our environment pollution-free is a matter of initiative and consistency. It’s time to be mindful of our garbage. Let’s turn plastic pollution to plastic solution.

The Red Chronicles | 23

Opinion

of borrowed dreams Is there a place for idealism in the legal profession? Or is every idealist who studies law bound to be disillusioned? These were questions I asked myself one morning as I walked to the labor office in Quezon City. I drew the short straw and had to tell a client’s former employee that it’s not offering any settlement. The cryptic message was: we’ll pay our lawyer to ensure you get not a single centavo.

The flock of laborers at the lobby and hallways only made me feel worse. The struggle in law school is bearable as it presents a chance to assist others and be part of something greater than one’s existence. But there I was wearing the enemy’s clothing head-to-head with the workers I wanted to serve. Some sacrificed the day’s lunch or loaned money from a neighbor to cover the transportation expenses. Many of them lost a day’s salary to attend the proceedings. All those troubles because they suffered enough which motivated them to take things into their hands. The effort, though admirable, will most likely be in vain as companies have infinite resources, influential networks, and retained lawyers who will advocate for them even if it means perverting the law.

While not every employer is guilty of depriving their workers’ rights, the fact remains that employers have leverage in labor cases. The workers’ struggle for justice is one among other stories of inequality. It depicts the wide gap in the affluent and the poor’s access to justice, which is primarily due to the disparity in their financial capabilities. According to ADB’s data, 21.6 percent of Filipinos lives below the national poverty line.

It’s not surprising though as 46 percent or 10 million Filipino families rated themselves poor in a 2017 SWS survey. As disadvantaged Filipinos can barely sustain their daily needs, they view hiring a competent lawyer as a burden way beyond their means.

The indigent’s disinclination in litigation is aggravated by the lack of inexpensive legal services. A University of Wisconsin study reported that over half of incoming law students express interest in pursuing public interest law. However, after graduating law school, only 13 percent actually proceed to practice as a public defender or in NGOs to advance social justice and law reform. Interestingly, the trend finds duplication in the Philippines. The Supreme Court’s recent Community Legal Aid Service Rule, which mandates new lawyers to render 120 hours pro bono services to poor litigants, indicates that indeed our disadvantaged brethren have limited access to legal services.

One cannot help but wonder about the freshman idealism. Is it akin to water that evaporates after reaching 24 | The Red Chronicles

a certain temperature? Is law school that harsh of an environment that it cannot nurture such ideals? Or is it reasonable given the economic toil of pursuing law?

The loss of idealism is not attributable to the legal training, says Monroe H. Freedman, dean of School of Law at the Hofstra University. He opines that the career choices of lawyers depend mainly on the individual’s predispositions even before going to law school. If Dean Freedman is correct, then it is worthwhile to examine who we were before law school – our motivations, inspirations, and values. How did the dream develop? To whom do we owe it to?

Mine was a borrowed dream. It began in fifth grade when my HEKASI teacher remarked that he sees a potential lawyer in me after a class debate on the adequacy and efficacy of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. Having the highest regard for him, I abandoned my childhood dream of becoming a teacher. My parents were immediately on board my newfound dream. It didn’t take long before the goal became theirs. By the time I finished high school, the lawyer path was cemented for me to tread as more people—relatives, family friends, neighbors, mentors, acquaintances—were expecting me to do so.

But it was through my law-related work when the dream acquired depth. I discovered there are plenty of opportunities to help. In the vicinity of the labor office alone, workers do not shy away to ask questions when they perceive you as a lawyer. Those interactions made me realize how disadvantaged they were that a law student’s advice seems so valuable to them. Shrouded beneath the tragedy is an opportunity -- if our limited knowledge can have an impact now, imagine the immensity of what we can do with more experience and exposure. I learned that we hold the power to empower others. I’ve witnessed it. Knowledge sparks hope and concern lends confidence.

A deliberate choice is required though. While our dreams have different origin stories, we have a shared responsibility. In a 2017 De La Salle College of Law study, 40 percent of the respondents perceive that there is corruption among lawyers in the country. We can change that. Our career decisions will shape the quality of justice and kind of judicial system our society will have.

Orbaz budi. Be thou an example, beckons our institution’s distinguished award to its topnotch alumni. Aside from pursuing our personal ambitions, may we find the heart to borrow the dreams of our disadvantaged countrymen and be stalwarts of justice for San Beda, our country, and God.

EDITORIAL NEWS

rtc marquez’18

BENCH POLITICKING

Throughout the course of our Supreme Court’s embittered internal struggles today, much of the criticism has been directed towards the deplorable politicking among the associate justices. Both online and in the real world, Filipinos are quick to point out against this behavior, calling out our justices for this exercise of pettiness and lassitude. This sentiment is not entirely misplaced, only partly so. At the very least, it reveals in each and every one of us an innate and fundamental understanding as to what the judiciary is tasked to do in our society – its role in fact is to interpret the law, to say what the law is, with the cold and impartial neutrality of a learned judge.

But these recent criticisms against the politics of our Supreme Court point out to both a legal and institutional flaw: it holds too much power.

Section 1 of Article VIII of our 1987 Constitution provides: judicial The power judicialshall power shall beinvested in one Supreme The be vested one Supreme Court and in Courtcourts and in courts as may such lower assuch maylower be established by be law.established by law.

Judicialincludes power includes the courts of jus-to settle Judicial power the dutytheofduty theofcourts of justice tice to settle actual controversies rights whichdemandable are legally and actual controversies involving rightsinvolving which are legally demandable enforceable, and toordetermine or nota grave enforceable, and toand determine whether not therewhether has been has been amounting a grave abusetooflack discretion amounting to lack oron the abuse ofthere discretion or excess of jurisdiction of jurisdiction on the part of ofanythebranch or instrumenpart of excess any branch or instrumentality Government.

(Emphatality of the Government. (Emphasis supplied.) sis supplied.)

It is often pointed out in Constitutional Law classes that the crafting of Sec. 1 Art. VIII was made with a deeply paranoid awareness of Marcosian politics. Part of the post-EDSA agenda was democratic statecraft, but at the same time the Constitutional Commission had granted the judiciary with unbridled power in our political processes.

Worse, it had cloaked this power behind a four-letter word: “duty.” This not only meant that the Supreme Court might intercede in democratic political processes, but that it must.

While it may seem like the provision qualifies such power to be limited only to certain instances, the Court also has the power to determine, for itself, “whether or not there

has been a grave abuse of discretion.” In other words, it can decide for itself if it is needed for certain cases.

This one constitutional provision did more than grant our Court awesome power; it made the judiciary a necessary part of the democratic political process. Particularly in political law, from election cases to administrative proceedings, both the executive and legislature either have the duty or the deference to seek the Court for judicial relief. Since the Constitution’s ratification, it has not only shaped our Supreme Court’s involvement with our politics, it has also shaped politics itself: from validating unconstitutional arrests of individuals, to striking down impeachment proceedings against the president, our Court has ineluctably become a political institution with real political power. There lies the problem: politics has gatecrashed the rule of law.

Today, reflecting on the sorry turn of events – from five justices testifying in the House panel against the Chief Justice, to the recently concluded oral arguments for a quo warranto proceeding against the same – should give us pause, and to reflect on the legal and institutional impacts of our leaders’ decisions. Our Supreme Court does not have a political problem – it has several.

What’s next? Will impeachment, a process meant to be exclusive and exceptional in democracy, become par for the course for each successive administration? Will the next chief justices become co-terminus with the next president like every other government appointee, while her fellow justices enjoy political security for kowtowing to Malacañang? Will the first two years of every administration from this day forward be spent strong-arming democratic institutions to submission? The Constitution grants our Supreme Court immense political power, but if its magistrates squabble among themselves then they have brought the law down to the skullduggery of politics.

And God help us all if that is our fate.

The Red Chronicles | 25

the duterte brand of

press freedom

By LEIRON MARTIJA

Mr. Duterte’s government has a familiar policy for the critical free press, a policy which is unfortunately prevalent in our turbulent history: censorship, harassment, and exclusion.

From his abrasive flinching after critical coverage from The Philippine Daily Inquirer, to the countless off-handed remarks that the President himself has made against female journalists, Mr. Duterte’s government has clearly instigated a political agenda aimed at browbeating the press to submission.

However, it was apparently not enough for these institutional attacks on press freedom: Mr. Duterte himself has resorted to outright prohibiting certain journalists from entering and covering the executive branch of government. Last February, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque attempted an explanation about 26 | The Red Chronicles

Malacañang’s new policy on banning Pia Ranada and other reporters from Rappler. Speaking at a press conference, the Spokesperson made the following allegory: “Sarili ‘nyong tahanan, babastusin kayo ng bisita, masisisi ‘nyo ba kung palalabasin sa tahanan ‘nyo ‘yung nambabastos? Ganoon din po ang Presidente...

Ang nangyari rito, pinapasok ang Rappler, si Pia, sa tahanan ng Presidente, dahil ang Malacañang naman po ay tahanan ng Presidente. Eh nabastos po ang Presidente,” (If your guest is rude to you in your own home, can you blame it if the rude visitor is told to leave? It’s the same with the President... What happened here is, Rappler, Pia, was allowed into the home of the President because Malacañang is the home of the President. Then the President got offended.)

In the cacophony of official statements, some coming from Roque himself who flip-flopped on the policy, it was a relief to finally receive clarity: Rappler and its reporters will not be allowed to cover the President. The relief, however, ends there.

Otherwise, it was a disappointing and immature move on the part of the President to bar these reporters entry. Equally disappointing was the ground raised by the Spokesperson, who parroted only what the leadership proclaims: “fake news.” The term is problematic, for it borrows legitimacy from the second word, and fuses it with the political and self-serving character of the first. “Fake news” is of course, an oxymoron: by definition news can’t be fake, and false information can never be news.

It is, regrettably, not a uniquely Philippine problem; “fake news” is still being used today by authoritarian regimes, and by President Trump, to refer to news coverage they dislike.

Needless to say, the Spokesperson’s statement is grounded on similarly false premises, and stylistically reeks of that parochial tone often employed for political campaigning. Whether or not we will see Mr. Roque run for higher office, however, is a completely different matter. What is on topic, however, is this: Roque’s explanation makes sense only to the readers who are willing to ignore the institutional impact of Malacañang’s pettiness and lassitude towards Rappler. The Palace was crystal clear when it affirmed the ban as a punitive measure. It is censorship, it has created a chilling effect, and further divides the free press from the public it seeks to serve and inform.

The metaphor is not misplaced, and is in fact typical of the government’s flair for reductionism: by simplifying the issue to that of a visitor who owes his host common graces, the President comes out of the issue as in the right. As if to say, “yes, how dare they disrespect me in this manner, after I let them in and break bread with these visitors.”

But there was no bread to be broken, neither were they visitors to some aristocratic soiree. These are reporters who need to do their jobs, just as the Spokesperson and the office he represents must do theirs. A press conference is precisely just that - a conference with the press, and it is an event which not only runs part of the media’s daily dealings with the government, but is also the official channel for journalists to engage with public officials. If something as rote as a press conference is so hostile to Mr. Duterte’s government, then no good things can

be said of his views on press freedom.

“Rappler pa lang, press freedom na agad?” But of course. Much to the chagrin of a Communications Undersecretary who made that remark, an attack on one media outlet is representative of the government’s view of a free press. From this one official act of Mr Duterte’s office, he has shown himself to be the kind of politician who flinches against public accountability. News which is disagreeable to one’s political leanings does not cease to be news when it’s name-called as “fake,” much less untrue.

Our current attitudes towards the Fourth Estate belies two things: one, we view the press the same way we seem to view restaurants in that we expect the facts they report to adjust to our palate, and two, that we are more than willing to overlook legal and political irregularities to the benefit of our politicians. The worst that the Filipino public could possibly do is to follow the pied pipers who work for Mr. Duterte, and to relegate our social responsibility to this unlikely coven, this mixed bag of celebrities and opportunists.

An attack on one media outlet, on one reporter, on one political fact repressed or silenced

by Mr. Duterte’s regime is not strongman politics - just the opposite, it is a repulsive weakness before institutional accountability. Public officials as onion-skinned as Mr. Duterte and his administration have no business in the operation of a fair and democratic way of politics. It is the duty of the media to report to the public what the government conveys. It is also the ineluctable province of the media to inform the public - to qualify and criticize and to inquire the state of our nation on a daily basis. When our reporters, our journalists, and our broadcasters kowtow to the asinine expectations of Malacañang’s carnival of distractions, they fail in their duty. And they fail to our detriment.

Our country today does not have a press freedom problem; it has several. From our common misapprehension towards the right to free speech as an entitlement to either blissful ignorance or quixotic ignominy online, to our wasted fastidiousness in punishing the media for reporting news we don’t like, the way forward lies in rebuilding institutional trusts and relationships. To achieve that, our people need to be better informed by being better consumers of news and information. Hopefully then we can break away from the persnickety trappings of social media and the misinformation blitzkrieg of Mr. Duterte’s government.

The Red Chronicles | 27

DENGVAXIA: CURE OR CURSE?

By VALENTIN PRIETO III

A vaccine said to prevent dengue from infecting children has gone awry and caused a national nightmare. Introduced to the Philippines by Sanofi Pasteur in 2014, Dengvaxia vaccine was poised to address the high mortality rate of dengue cases in the Philippines.

A year after passing clinical studies and tests for approval by the Department of Health (DOH), the Philippines became the first country in Asia to be licensed to prevent the outbreak of dengue.

For its pilot implementation, the DOH launched Dengvaxia immunization program in the National Capital Region, Regions III and IV-A in 2016. It was set to be utilized nationwide afterwards. As of press time, the vaccine is commercially available in eleven countries -- the Philippines, Mexico, Indonesia, Brazil, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Guatemala, Peru, Thailand, and Singapore -- as part of their national immunization programs.

Despite the initial success from the launch and its current global availability, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning that Dengvaxia may be ineffective. WHO issued another study in July 2016 stating that Dengvaxia “may be ineffective or may theoretically even increase the future risk of hospitalized or severe dengue illness in those who are seronegative at the time of first vaccination regardless of age.” That same month, former DOH Secretary Paulyn Ubial

28 | The Red Chronicles

suspended the dengue vaccination until September of the same year, coinciding with reports and advice from other parts of the world hinting that the improper use of the vaccine and its ill effects towards persons who have never been infected with dengue have sprung up.

Based on the House of Representatives’ draft report, there had been 30 serious cases between March to August 2017 that needed hospitalization allegedly arising from the administration of Dengvaxia. The Senate started its own probe, which recommended the suspension of the distribution of the vaccine and called for Sanofi Pasteur to testify before it.

In response to reports that children were suffering from Dengvaxia’s side effects, Sanofi Pasteur refunded the amount of P1.16 billion worth of unused vaccines. The DOH had spent P3.5 billion on the immunization program. Incumbent DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III stated that despite the refund given, Sanofi Pasteur is still not off the hook. Duque stated that Dengvaxia was released without waiting for the results of the official clinical trials conducted by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine to know its risks before launching the nationwide immunization program. The DOH also requested for Sanofi Pasteur to financially support hospitalized vaccinated children.

But the pharmaceutical giant refused, saying that such would be tantamount to admitting the vaccine does

not work -- a fact that Sanofi denies.

When the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) presented its evidence during one of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings, the office correlated the side effects of Dengvaxia to 22 children’s deaths with massive brain hemorrhage, as well as enlargement of internal organs. Dr. Erwin Erfe of the PAO stated that out of the 22 dead children, eight of them completed the three doses and four of them died due to dengue.

DOH officials, however, countered that the autopsy findings were inconclusive and only added gas to the fire of parents’ hysteria over vaccinating their children.

A civil case has since been filed by PAO against former DOH secretary Dr. Janette Garin and former undersecretary Kenneth Uy, among other defendants, for implementing the program.

PAO’s findings contrasted with the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital’s (UPPGH) findings of the controverted deaths as the latter’s showed no direct link between the vaccine and dengue.

The UP-PGH’s Dengue Investigative Task Force reported that three out of 14 autopsies they conducted died of what is called dengue shock syndrome after receiving the vaccine, and two out of those three could be linked to Dengvaxia. However, the panel members suggested to have more tissue analyses on the bodies to come up with conclusive findings. They also called on parents of dengue victims to have the remains of their children be examined only by legitimate forensic pathologists.

Opposed to the alleged unsubstantiated claims that Dengvaxia is harmful were 58 doctors, led by Dr. Esperanza Cabral. Dr. Cabral and proponents believe that the DOH’s fiery statements against Dengvaxia have precluded parents from having their children vaccinated over questionable claims on the inefficacy of the vaccine. They said that if the trend of reluctance continues, it could cause outbreaks of debilitating and life-threatening diseases that have been controlled in the past through the government’s vaccination programs.

A fundamentally negative part of this controversy is the failure of the DOH to inform the parents of the children of the vaccine’s possible side effects and to take precaution for such, said Dr. May Montillano who was one of the advisers of the immunization program to then DOH Secretary Dr. Janette Garin. According to her, the third phase of the clinical trial showed that the vaccine was safe and that it has its efficacy and immunogenicity, convincing them to approve it for licen-

sure. Montillano said that aside from recommending that parents be informed of the effects of the vaccine, she also advised that students be critically selected before the administration of the vaccine. She noted that the consent forms used in the implementation of the program were lacking as they failed to inform the parents of possible adverse reactions to the vaccine.

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chair Richard Gordon, meanwhile, continued to blame the government for its lack of transparency on the use of the Dengvaxia vaccine. He maintained that the DOH should be held accountable for the dengue vaccine mess. In his view, both the Aquino and Duterte administrations are liable for the fiasco as they had continued with the implementation of the vaccine, despite reports that it was not yet approved by the WHO, and patients were not informed of its possible side effects.

The complaint that was brought to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee was filed by the Volunteers against Crime and Corruption. Its witness, Dr. Francis Cruz, alleged that former President Benigno Aquino III, Garin, and former Budget Secretary Florencio Abad violated the Omnibus Election Code and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act by causing the release of public funds for the Dengvaxia immunization program. Among other allegations, the group claimed that the release was made during the 45-day election ban to boost the Liberal Party’s candidates for the 2016 elections.

In his defense, former President Aquino denied being guilty of electioneering, citing that the case falls under the exemptions provided under the Omnibus Election Code as the contract work for the vaccine was awarded on 21 January 2016, prior to the election ban that began on 25 March 2016. “The job of protecting the people’s health cannot be held in abeyance by elections,” Aquino reasoned.

From the standpoints and issues under contention, two dimensions arise: the health of the people and the uncovering of any corruption scandal committed by the prior regime just a few months before the May 2016 presidential elections. A question worthy to be asked from this case: Was the Philippines made to be a guinea pig to test a vaccine that was then not yet approved by the WHO as to efficacy and freedom from fatal side effects? If so, the Congress can and must stop the use of the vaccine permanently and have the affected children and families compensated.

The Red Chronicles | 29

By LEIRON MARTIJA

Photo courtesy of THE OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT - MEDIA AFFAIRS

“I do not want

to be remembered merely as a powerful individual, rather as someone who used her power to empower her fellow Filipinos, especially the marginalized.”

30 | The Red Chronicles

Politics, as Tony Blair once remarked, is often reviled as the realm of skullduggery. In today’s polarizing political climate, it’s easy to forget the second part of that quote, as the former British Prime Minister also conceded that politics also means the pursuit of noble causes. A truism that is often neglected in public service is that it is, plainly speaking, service to the public.

While the power struggles depicted by the daily blitz of media coverage tend to sometimes inflect, oftentimes denigrate our perceptions of politics, we sometimes get a rare glimpse of certain characters who stand out - often for worse than better. Still, politics is not without its gems. Competency, often touted as the golden standard in political life, really ought to be the bare minimum. But once in a while we chance upon a rare kind of politician - competent, grounded, and spurred to action by experiences both real and inspiring. A kind of leader who knows the pains of her followers, who has suffered with them, worked with them, and has never let high office get in the way of continuing to join them. Such a person is very much needed in government. Such a person like Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo, Vice President of the Philippines.

Before her political career both with the Vice Presidency and Congress, Robredo was a lawyer of a different kind, catering to communities with much needed legal representation. She is an advocate, mother, and a lawyer all put together, and these experiences have informed not only her views on public service, but the countless advocacies she pushes for today. The Red Chronicles takes notes from Vice President Leni G. Robredo, as she shares with us her insights and experiences in alternative lawyering.

Building Up Women Empowerment Robredo’s well-considered views on the legal profession begin with her own insights on being a woman in law. “In the Philippines, we have witnessed how women are working against gender stereotypes and are excelling in their own chosen fields. We also have female judges and lawyers arguing in courts. Even outside the legal profession women are flourishing as we have women CEOs leading corporations, while other women are building a name for themselves, and so on and so forth.” Asked on who best exemplify women empowerment in government, she had two names in mind. “Our very own Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales are only some of the many Filipinas who are holding high government positions to uphold the Constitution.”

Much work, however, admittedly needs to be done in the realm of gender equality. Robredo admits this and bemoans our society’s common perceptions about the practice of law. “There are still areas in the legal profession where women struggle to prove that they have a right to be in a certain position as much as men. A lot of people still perceive the practice of law as a man’s profession.

Unfortunately, the “boys’ club” mentality still exists despite the efforts of women.

We have to work harder than men to get ahead in the game. While we have more women now in the field, the workplace environment is still tainted with this men-

The Red Chronicles | 31

tality.”

This does not mean, however, that men have no place in the struggle for gender equality. Robredo comments, “Although there are many male role models and mentors in the legal profession who champion women, if more men will be active in this, this mentality will be erased. I believe that this practice should start in the workplace to directly provide an equal playing field for everyone. The work of ensuring equality of opportunity, pay, and leadership does not rest solely on women’s shoulders.”

The Road Less Travelled We ask her about her career trajectory, how she otherwise started as a lawyer. “I first joined the Public Attorney’s Office, representing indigent clients who needed legal assistance. And then, I joined an NGO called SALIGAN, where the main thrust was to render legal assistance to marginalized sectors from the poorest communities in the Bicol Region.”

Robredo points out some cultural misconceptions about legal practice, if only to highlight the need for alternative lawyering. “Lawyers are known to give off a powerful and intimidating impression on regular people. They are often perceived to wear suits, high heels, and briefcases. However, in my experience of being a human rights lawyer with SALIGAN, I aspired to be different. For days and weeks, we would travel to very remote communities, clad in jeans, t-shirt, and slippers. I think that by presenting myself as this kind of lawyer, it reassured our clients that we understand them and are sincere in helping them out in their situation. I have always believed that being a lawyer is a gift and a privilege. And because of this privilege, it is our duty to give back. The goal of the legal profession should be to serve those in need and to give voice to the voiceless.”

Robredo’s devotion to these little details reflect her organizational roots.

Since its founding, SALIGAN has since been involved in a plethora of advocacies, ranging from promoting and developing legal literacy to representing marginalized sectors of society in court proceedings. This fastidiousness, coupled with an exposure unique to alternative lawyering, shaped the woman we would elect to the Vice Presidency today.

“I always tell people I know that it was in that work where I found myself.

That was when I realized that it was not enough as a lawyer that I knew the law. I needed to put myself in another person’s shoes, listen with empathy, and act with urgency,” Robredo shares.

Applying One’s Self: On Alternative Lawyering To Robredo, the people who desperately need representation have always been real individuals and communities she’s had the opportunity of meeting, befriending, and defending. “The marginalized sectors are the farmers, fisherfolks, indigenous peoples, urban poor, rural women, etc. These are the people I met in my practice as a SALIGAN lawyer. They were affected by our laws that have be-

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come instruments of injustice. In other words, the marginalized are those who are left out with no defenses, which is why we have alternative lawyering to aid them in their circumstances.”

Her work did not only cater to legal representation, it also came hand in hand with community organizing and advocacy building. “In our case in SALIGAN, one of the things we did was to encourage them to actively work for the amendment of these laws, or repeal of them, or to advocate for the passage of new ones.”

Asked on what part of her work with SALIGAN made her the most proud, “It would be the basic things we used to do in SALIGAN like translating laws in Bikolano to be easily understood by the locals we were trying to help. We believed that if people understood their rights under the law, they will be in a better position to fight for their rights. At bare minimum, every citizen deserves to know his/her rights. The kind of work we did in SALIGAN entailed building relationships with the people we are trying to help to be able to empathize in their situation. This is also the kind of attitude I chose to carry with me until now.”

It was also during this stint with SALIGAN that Robredo would discover the dire need for women’s empowerment in Philippine society. “Seeing the struggles of women who fall prey to abusive relationships opened my eyes to the bigger picture. More than an issue of gender and equal opportunities for all, the root of the problem is really economic. To address gender inequality and women empowerment, we have to search for means where they can provide for their own. That is why one of the pillars of the Office of the Vice President’s anti-poverty flagship program is women empowerment. If only women are presented with more opportunities, they will not only flourish in their own homes but also as individuals.

Furthermore, we also reach out to other sectors of society to uplift the lives of those who are in the laylayan.”

Catapulted to Power We ask Robredo about her transition towards public office, as she was elected to the Vice Presidency. “As I transitioned from an alternative lawyer to being the Vice President of the Philippines, my reach as a public servant did not only expand, it also deepened. I met more people who needed help, but I also met numerous groups and organizations who were willing to provide aid to our people.”

Robredo maintains her candid disposition, as if explaining to us the link between her organizational roots and her policy work go hand in hand. “I used to provide legal help in SALIGAN, which transitioned to crafting laws and passing them as a Congresswoman. And now, as the Vice President, my office has crafted a program that serves as a convergence platform. Although there have been various changes in ways that I served the people, one thing remained consistent as a public servant and that is to empathize with people wherever they may be to accurately respond to their needs.”

“I have always been a staunch advocate of women’s rights, which is why I was active in handling cases of abused women. Collectively, I consider such cases

The Red Chronicles | 33

as my milestone. We learned that these women were unable to fight for themselves because of their lack of livelihood. By giving them a voice through Naga’s People’s Council and provided them with livelihood, they were able to have a sense of independence and learned that they are capable of protecting themselves. Even as the Vice President, I carried this advocacy of mine in my office’s Angat Buhay program and had women empowerment as one of its pillars.”

Laying Down the Groundwork And the Office of the Vice President has been at work since then. Angat Buhay is a program of the OVP geared towards raising the quality of life of every Filipino family. There are six key advocacy areas that the program focuses on: hunger and food security, universal healthcare, public education, rural development, women empowerment, and housing. It has helped 83,707 Filipino families (as of October 2017) since its launch in October 2016. To date, the OVP is continually reaching out to more communities both in the rural and urban areas to uplift more lives. This advocacy work also culminated in the building of the Angat Buhay Village, which serves as a transitional village for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of the recent Marawi siege.

But more than the infrastructure, it is in the quality of life sought to be improved where Robredo’s office works keenly on. Part of the project is the construction of toy libraries in the area. In partnership with Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan and Latter Day Saints, livelihood opportunities will also be available through capacity building and provision of farm inputs and seeds. On the other hand, electricity, water, and road will be provided. A line from Lanao del Sur Electric Cooperative will be connected to the village. Solar panels will also be provided to families in the village if necessary.

Robredo elucidates on her office’s efforts to address the needs of citizens in the Marawi conflict, and her partnerships with the private sector, “Two days after the siege started, our office partnered with Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan and initiated the Stand with Marawi Relief and Early Recovery Operations.” This provided immediate assistance to displaced families in Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro, and Iligan City. As of April 2, 2018, it has served 34,938 families. “Aside from that, the OVP also helped in the construction of community kitchens in different evacuation sites in Iligan City, Saguiran, Balo-I, and Marawi City in partnership with Operation Compassion.”

Further, she discussed her office’s efforts in addressing the community’s health needs, “At the same time, the area of health was also addressed by providing water filters from Physicians for Peace and University of the Philippines-Manila.

Medicines, hygiene kits, and slippers were also donated by the OVP and various Angat Buhay partners.”

For community building, the OVP has also since provided livelihood programs and education assistance to selected IDPs in Saguiaran and in Brgy. Bito Buadi Itowa in Marawi City: “Various Angat Buhay partners also helped in the

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provision of sewing machines and farm inputs to home-based IDPs and to those staying in evacuation centers. Finally, in the area of education, school bags and supplies were provided with the help of Children’s Hour. Meanwhile, school chairs were provided by Uratex and more school supplies were donated by various Angat Buhay partners.”

Wealth in Experiences: Looking Back We asked the Vice President for some insight in the study of law, and some of the challenges she may have faced back in her days as a law student. “The journey was far from easy. I was balancing many things that all mattered to me. I was teaching full time during the day and was going to law school at night. At first it was easy, because it was only me and my husband. But when we started having children, it was very difficult to balance things, especially because I had to work during the day, go to law school at night, and take care of the baby when I go home.”

Robredo recalls her experience taking the bar exam, “The biggest challenge I experienced in the bar exams was failing it the first time. While I was studying for the exam, my eldest daughter, Aika, became very sick and so I had to go back home to attend to her. Nonetheless, I refused to let this experience dampen my spirits of becoming a lawyer. I took my second bar exam, which I passed. From this experience, we can learn that we should never let failure stop us from achieving our goals.

As long as we couple hope with hard work, we will always rise from our failures.”

We asked her what might be some of the most pressing issues faced by our society today. “It’s still getting the services and support to the people in need. Inflation, for example, has been spiking the past few months this means that a family’s income that used to be enough for one day will only get them so far in our present situation. We have also seen a startling rise in prices of rice, a staple food in the country. Therefore, more people cannot afford food and more people go hungry.

At the end of the day, this is the issue that truly concerns me. And we hope that those who need the government the most, will feel the government’s presence and support.”

Robredo is many things ﹘ a lawyer, a mother, an advocate, a public servant, and a Filipino. As Vice President, she has carried to her office the countless values and experiences that have molded a world view: the task set upon those in the legal profession lies in improving lives, bridging gaps, and fighting for a more equal society.

For parting words, we asked her about the kind of legacy she would like to leave behind. Her answer must give us pause and consider what it means to put political power to real political work. “I do not want to be remembered merely as a powerful individual, rather as someone who used her power to empower her fellow Filipinos, especially the marginalized. It is a privilege to get to know the Filipino people better by visiting their communities and having dialogues with them.”

The Red Chronicles | 35

TRAIN to better days or harder times?

By DICK MARTINEZ

The Philippines welcomed this year with the signing of Republic Act No. 10963 or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law, otherwise known as the TRAIN Law. Since its implementation, it has received mixed feedbacks.

The TRAIN Law claims to aim for a simpler, fairer, and more efficient taxing system. In line with this, it introduced a new matrix for individual income tax. Minimum wage earners, those whose annual income does not exceed P250,000.00, enjoy a zero-based tax rate as opposed to the previous law wherein those earning an income exceeding P10,000.00 were taxed at a rate of 5%. The threshold for the highest rate of income tax has now been raised to 35% for those earning above P8,000,000.00 annually, while in the previous law the threshold was 32% for those earning above P500,000.00.

The new matrix depicts a scenario where those who earn less are taxed less and those who earn more are taxed more, providing better benefits and services for the needy. Although this may be true, the government itself, in numerous statements and studies, has shown that due to the new TRAIN Law the prices of goods will go up and the rate of inflation will continue to skyrocket. This means that even though the less fortunate are taxed less and more of their hard-earned money will go to their pockets instead of the government, they’ll need to spend more money in order to afford basic necessities. Since 36 | The Red Chronicles

many of our fellow Filipinos live paycheck to paycheck, does this mean they’ll be facing harder times in the future? Does the TRAIN Law actually hurt rather than help those who earn less? Admittedly, this is a policy question better left to pundits, but with the current situation, we can only hope for the best.

On top of the rise of the inflation rate for everyday commodities, the TRAIN Law will also gradually impose higher tax rates on certain products like fuel, tobacco, and sweetened beverages. The imposition of these new tax rates would prove more difficult for the average citizen to avail of these products. To be more specific, the greatest hurdle will be the purchase of fuel for various purposes, the most basic of which would be for everyday transportation. The increase will not only affect those who own their own automobiles, it will surely provide for a reason to increase fare prices for commuters as well. This is but one of the major drawbacks. It will curtail their capacity to save more and may even add a conflict on their daily work logistics –- do they bring their own car or just

commute? Many believe that an answer to this would be the creation of a new train system, something which the Filipino people have advocated for years. Though many believe this new train system is long overdue, given the history of infrastructural development in the Philippines, especially when it comes to the transportation system, it can easily be gleaned that such is a long way from becoming a reality.

On the other hand, the increase in tax rates for tobacco and sweetened beverages could prove beneficial to the overall health of the Filipino people. With the implementation of the Sin Tax Reform Law, studies have shown that there’s a correlation between the increase in tobacco product prices in the past years and the decrease of the country’s tobacco product consumption. This means that there are now fewer smokers in the country and the law is slowly fulfilling its goal. Aside from the decrease in tobacco product consumption there has also been an increase in the budget for the government’s healthcare plans and programs, since most of the tax imposed is being funneled to the Department of Health.

Because of the increase in the budget, the government has been able to provide for better services for the country in terms of health. More Filipinos are given access to the benefits they need. In line with the plight to lower tobacco product consumption in the Philippines, the increase of tobacco product tax rates is coupled with the new law against smoking in public places. Such law provides for more rigid requirements in the acquisition of public smoking areas and higher penalties for smokers who are caught not violating the law.

This has proven to be more effective in lessening tobacco product consumption in the country than any other method imposed by the government. Though this may cause a decrease in the budget received by the Department of Health through tax on tobacco products, the end goal is still to lower consumption of tobacco products, the monetary gains being merely incidental.

Another change introduced by the new law is the deletion of personal exemptions. Under the previous law all individual citizen taxpayers engaged in trade or business, practice of profession, or earning compensation are allowed a mandatory deduction of P50,000.00 and an additional mandatory personal deduction of P25,000.00 for each qualified dependent child up to a maximum of P100,000.00. These mandatory deductions are no longer available under the TRAIN Law. Perhaps the new graduated rates, as well as recalibrated minimum and maximum thresholds, for individual income tax poses to offset this change. This may be one of the more controversial changes, as many who enjoyed such exemptions under the previous law would find a harder time to wrap their minds around the idea that by losing their personal exemptions they’d be earning more money. It is said that such removal of the exemptions would be more beneficial to those who were not enjoying the deductions before the new law.

The truth is, only time will tell if the TRAIN Law will be beneficial or detrimental to the country’s economic growth. One thing’s for sure, when change comes there will always be an adjustment period, and it is now.

We’ll have to wait and see if the benefits will outweigh the costs of the TRAIN Law.

The Red Chronicles | 37

TRC Exclusive

Status of the Presidential Commission on Good Government

By ACE AMULONG Photo By REENA THERESA MARQUEZ 38 | The Red Chronicles

“Thou shall not steal.”

- Exodus 20:15

Filipinos are forgetful. The return of the Marcoses to power is the quintessence of this fact. The second quarter of 2018 ushered the beginning of the vice presidency ballot recount by the Supreme Court acting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal. Still vying for the second highest position in the land is former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., son of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.—the same president who declared martial law 45 years ago and amassed ill-gotten wealth amounting to 10 billion dollars. It took only a generation for Filipinos to effectively forget the corruption, horror, and terror of it all.

With this, the resounding whisper in the wind is that the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) ceased to be relevant. Is it a vanguard or an institutional memorabilia? Does it still deserve a place in the Philippine political landscape?

In an exclusive interview with The Red Chronicles, PCGG Commissioner Rey Bulay threshed on the matter.

The Backdrop Considered as one of the most corrupt world leaders in recent history, and even referred to by Forbes Magazine as a kleptocrat, former President Marcos lived a life that changed the course of Philippine history.

Without a doubt, he did great things — terrible, yes, but great. He institutionalized corruption on such a scale that an agency had to be formed to solely go after all that he has amassed. One government agency after one surname --- Marcos.

According to the World Bank, the bulk of this wealth was accumulated through six key channels: takeover of large private enterprises; creation of state-owned monopolies in key sectors of the economy; awarding of government loans to private individuals acting as fronts for Marcos or his associates; directly raiding the country’s treasury and other government financial institutions; kickbacks and commissions from firms working in the Philippines; and skimming off foreign aid and other forms of international assistance. The proceeds were laundered through shell corporations, then invested in real estate within the United States; or deposited into various domestic and offshore banking institutions, using a mixture of pseudonyms, numbered accounts and code names. Seated on the highest position in the land, Marcos Sr. elegantly architectured government corrup-

tion par excellence.

Protected by democracy and cuddled in likes, memes, and selfies, Filipinos seem to have forgotten it all. Such is evident in the voluntary blessing of the former dictator’s son with enough votes for a chance at the vice presidency --- the same son who also happens to be a former senator, with a sister who’s currently the governor of Ilocos Norte, and a mother who represents Ilocos Norte in Congress.

The Tool Born of the fiery rebirth of democracy, the PCGG still stands. In her first executive order, President Corazon Aquino, the first female president in the Philippines and Asia, created the PCGG as a quasi-judicial agency geared towards recovering all amassed ill-gotten wealth during the Marcos regime. Today, the PCGG is facing a pivotal crossroad 32 years after it was established as House Bill Nos. 1409, 1604, 1613, and 1626 proposed to have it abolished and its functions be transferred to the Office of the Solicitor General.

The Crusader PCGG Commissioner Rey Bulay heads the agency’s legal department. With the calm resolute and conviction of a dignified, confident, and seasoned lawyer, Bulay answered the question of relevance with, “If you talk about relevance, as Commissioner for Legal of the PCGG, I can tell you point blank that we still have recoveries-- this consists of cases, arbitration, settlements, everything whathave-you, sum total of PHP 102 billion more to recover and we project 20 years for that.

So, when you ask me if PCGG is still relevant, yes of course, the country needs the money.

And they need good lawyers to do that, good people to do that.”

As head of PCGG’s legal department, Bulay frontlines the long crusade of recovering Filipino taxpayers’ money from the Marcoses. Appointed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte last November 16, 2016, he has since then been leaving no stones unturned which resulted to the agency exceeding its 336 million peso target for 2017 by remitting 357 million pesos to the Bureau of Treasury or an output of 106% five months before the year ended. With recoveries as far as Switzerland, Bulay does not intend to be bothered by the possibility of having PCGG abolished or absorbed by the OSG as work for him continues with 32 banner cases active varyingly ongoing trial, arbitration, and settlement.

The Commissioner is a graduate of The Red Chronicles | 39

Bachelor of Science in Statistics from the University of the Philippines at Los Baños. The press dubs him as one of the President’s Bedan appointees. He finished his Law degree in San Beda, Manila and passed the bar the same year he graduated while being a City Councilor in Muntinlupa City. No stranger to politics, he was the youngest to become member of Muntinlupa’s council and served four terms. As city councilor, he authored the conversion of Muntinlupa to a highly urbanized city. He is the founding father of the Philippine Councilor’s League and is considered as one of Muntinlupa’s pride. A true blue Muntinlupa native, he took his auxiliary oath of office as PCGG commissioner before Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi, declaring to all that he will bring pride to the city by sharing Muntinlupa’s practices on good governance to the national government.

Bulay is in high spirits that much can still be recovered by the Republic.

The Loot The PCGG works in silence. In its more than three decades of existence, it has recovered PHP 170 billion. Considering all the recoveries that have yet to be enforced, the agency’s mark for the next 20 years is to recover PHP 102 billion more. The recovery is higher than what was initially expected due to appreciation, “1965? Marami na bang ganoong pera? I’ve gone through the cases. You know it’s good to read the cases, you see all the big names there. They’re all involved, all the names that you grow accustomed to, like the Cojuangcos, the Romualdezes, the Tantocos --- they’re all in there. He had good guys handling documentation and all. But he, himself, is a very good trader. Marcos is a very good trader. He’s really good. Ang galing talaga. And he traded abroad.

He used his office to trade abroad. Hindi lahat stolen. Ang problema niya is where to put the moneys that he made. ‘Yun ang problema. That’s why he created foundations in Switzerland at sobra pa din ‘yun so ‘yung mga kronis niya had to hold the moneys for him. So, much of the cases na hinahabol namin, nasa kronis ngayon. ‘Yun ‘yung mga 32 banner cases of the PCGG.” Retreat or Surrender?

Bulay’s loyalty to the President is remarkable. Inquired on the future fate of the PCGG and the President’s changing position towards the agency’s destiny, “We are loyal soldiers -foot soldiers of President Duterte. We dare not. We did not go against the move to abolish us. But when push came to shove, I told my two Commissioner friends that it won’t hurt if we made press releases on how much we expect to 40 | The Red Chronicles

recover. If it’s streamlining, we’ll not go against it. Because we’re with the President. He wants it streamlined, he’ll have no problems; I will resign, no problem.”

Only he wants to ensure that the pending recoveries “go to the government and not to just pockets of anybody.” Aware of the current desire of the President to expand the OSG’s functions that in turn might lead to PCGG’s abolishment, the Commissioner admitted that he is afraid of the settlement aspect.

“I cannot say categorically but there’s a reason why the President last year stated that he already has a working agreement for a Compromise Agreement with the Marcoses. Only, to make a contra announcement early this year that he’s washing his hands, like Pontius Pilate.

He washed his hands off this settlement agreement with the Marcoses and gives it to Camara.

There must be a reason for that.”

PCGG’s fate is now in the hands of the Senate. “We already lost in the House. It’s already a commitment by the Justice Committee to SolGen Calida. Specially the Speaker, and you know, all the members, especially Fariñas and everybody there,” shared the commissioner.

When asked if it’s as good as done, he responded, “In the House, yes I think so. And I think it will happen also in the Senate. I just don’t know if it’s absorption or abolition. But I think the senators from the other side of the camp will fight tooth and nail because they do not trust the people that will handle the negotiations with the Marcoses.”

If Bulay had a choice, he still wants PCGG to be independent. “Frankly, we would like to finish this job. Because right now we have the independence to do what we want. Siguro that’s what makes this job faster and quicker with regards to recovery because there’s not much red tape.”

He further explains, “Now, if let’s say, the OSG would absorb us, you know our budget?

Our year-long budget is about PHP 114 million. OSG is asking for PHP 700 million to absorb us. I don’t know where the economics is in there. They’re asking for PHP 700-PHP 800 million just to absorb us. So I don’t know why you’d spend more. Considering we’re pretty much functioning with only PHP 114 million pesos.”

Bulay reason, “The PCGG is designed to be independent --- directly reporting to the Office of the President because it must pass through a lot of bureaucracies to be able to recover ill-gotten wealth. Precisely those are the stumbling blocks. The bureaucracies themselves. So, when you put it back there, you’re immersing it

“...the Philippines will not be getting the shorter end of the stick. They will get their fair share.”

again to the bureaucracies. We have the best legal minds in the Senate. I hope they do decide for what’s best. I’m not saying that what I’m saying is the best solution. It’s only my two-cents worth. But perhaps they have better things in mind, which I defer to, specially when it’s President Digong who wants it.”

Swan song?

Bulay recounted, “The Legal Department is the most important department in PCGG. Since I had it, I had more foresight over these things. I had more vision. I see more. I see it on the macro-level. So, basically, if you really want all those recoveries to be turned over to the Republic so that people will have use for it, especially Marawi and all those developments, you should have a very responsible agency to turn

PCGG over to. So, if and when, this agency will be turned over to any agency, we better put safeguards there.”

If there’s one thing that Bulay wants Filipinos to know, “I hope I can speak for all the rest but I think, sabi nga nila, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I can only speak for the PCGG now; there’s only three of us appointed by the Office of the President. The Filipino people can trust us when we say that we will take care of what was given to us to take care of--- properties in custodia legis. Because these are properties that are to be preserved in relation or consonant with our powers of preservation as bequeath upon us by EO 1 and 2. The Filipino people can take it to the bank when we say that we will preserve these properties, so that when these things are set for privatization and to be sold, the Philippines will not be getting the shorter end of the stick. They will get their fair share.”

The agency’s fate is yet to be decided.

The outcome will determine the story of the Filipino people and the government that they deserve. The PCGG is the only government agency with the word good in it. It serves as a spell. A binding word to seal the energy of the Filipinos who survived Martial Law and dreams of a bright democratic and humane future. Its creators intended for the Filipino people to never forget. Rightly so, the Presidential Commission on Good Government will be relevant for as long as the word good stands for what it means and for as long as the word good retains the same meaning.

The Red Chronicles | 41

Time magazine’s “person of the year” for 2017 wasn’t a single person, but a multitude of women. The Silence Breakers, as they were collectively described, were chosen by the magazine for sparking cultural change last year by speaking up and inspiring a movement against sexual harassment. The cover photo showed women in black labeled as the voices that launched a movement.

Ripples of the movement transpire daily --- 2017 had barely started and yet top-rated Fox host Bill O’ Reilly had already lost a whopping $32 million in settlement money for sexual harassment, which was shortly followed by the “reallocating of responsibilities” of Uber CEO Travis Kalanick after a downpour of allegations from its former engineer Susan Fowler. Fowler claimed that she was discriminated based on her gender and that her sexual harassment complaints were maliciously ignored by the company. She used her blog and Twitter account to air her sentiments. Dozens of people were stirred. The exposé prompted the departure of the top executives of the company and the dismissal of at least 20 employees over different charges on sexual harassment. New York Times reported that Fowler was even thanked by the HR head for “kicking off the changes” inside Uber.

Usually private, popstar Taylor Swift also testified in court for sexual

Why me, too?

By KAIZA JAY ABAINCIA

42 | The Red Chronicles

assault charges against former radio DJ David Mueller for reaching under her skirt and groping her behind in a photo op together.

Mueller got fired after the accusation so he filed a million-dollar lawsuit, while Swift counter-sued for a meager $1. It turned into a symbolic $1 win in favor of Swift which she said stood for the justice sought by women and other young artists “who feels silenced by a sexual assault.”

The surge in women standing up did not stop there, but climaxed in October when actress Ashley Judd went on the record against film magnate Harvey Weinstein who was kicked out of his own company and expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences after her allegations. Over 80 women in the film industry followed and filed similar charges against Weinstein.

Actress Alyssa Milano expressed her support by asking her Twitter followers to reply “me too” if they have experienced sexual assaults and harassment like her friends. Fans all over the world echoed the cause as #metoo reached 30,000 tags in a single night.

With the celebrities as their inspiration of courage and the Internet as their medium, millions of women answered with their own voice and found a new reason to crash self-doubt that urges them to think their voices do not matter. Finally, a conversation so often swept under the rug was surfacing in the West: that women have had enough, that a culture of sexual abuse exists, and that things must change.

Sexual abuse is not a new issue in the Philippine entertainment business. In fact, one notable rape case has passed time as legend, which many believe as the subject of a song by the band Eraserheads. However, the case met an unfortunate fate when Pepsi Paloma took her life three years after the incident while her alleged molesters still run the longest-running noontime show the business has seen. The people knew, and then forgot.

In November 2016, Rhian Ramos vented her hatred in an Instagram post against a married man who maliciously touched her in a party. The man was confronted and when summoned to apologize did not say sorry, but did it again the same night and ran away. She said that she posted the experience to shine light on victim-blaming and encourage women to stand up against sexual and street harassment. Her post reached 6,850 likes but she decided to not name the guy in the post “for the sake of the man’s daughters.”

In 2013, actress Maureen Mauricio shared in an interview with Philippine Daily Inquirer how she moved

on from her traumatic experience of child abuse from her ex-manager when she was 12 and a young dreamer of stardom. She said she decided to cut ties after only seven months and the manager just let her go and vice versa. In the same newspaper, actress Kat Alano opened up about her experience as a 19 year old newcomer to show business and to the Philippines when a dancer-comedian drugged her drink and took advantage of her in her own apartment. She confessed to experiencing depression after coming out about the issue in 2014 as she was bashed and blacklisted.

Alano pointed out in her experience that rape requires addressing both the legal and cultural complications. She said that the movement in the US “definitely made survivors want to speak up more. But until we start to teach people correct information about rape, many will still be hesitant.

Education needs to come hand in hand with this movement.”

A law protecting women against sexual predators as outlined in Republic Act No. 8353, or the Anti-Rape Law of 1997, now defines rape as a “crime against persons” and no longer a “crime against chastity.” In Quezon City, street lamps flash a different light as tarps adjoining it carry photos and warnings on catcalling, wolf-whistling, and other forms of sexual harassment in public places in the execution of its Anti-Catcalling Ordinance. GMA Public Affairs launched #BabaeKasi, featuring women struggles and successes at their workplaces, homes, and communities aiming to encourage women to excel and take courage.

There are men who think they are superior over women. Some are even convinced that their strength is a license to take advantage. Filipinas have been violated, too. But what have we been doing about it?

In terms of strength, we have the muscles. The country has its history of effecting change. The People Power Revolution, for instance, inspired neighboring countries as it successfully ousted a 20 year-dictatorship with the people holding rosaries and flowers in front of military tanks. In addition, all nations ranked behind when the Philippines topped social media us-

age. Interestingly though, Rappler’s ranking of Philippines’ top 10 Twitter hashtags shows a glimpse of what’s in to Pinoys. These are #Walangpasok, #MissUniverse2015, #PapalVisitPH, #Haiyan, #LawinPH, #EpilogueinManila, #KathNiel, #OTWOL, #AlDub, and #PHElections. The US movement should find home in the Philippines, but will it? It depends.

The significance of the women’s triumph in the US does not directly impose on Filipinos to follow suit and dominate social media with allegations on sexual harassments or file multimillion-peso lawsuits against offenders. But with a movement so culturally uplifting taking place, we have to ask ourselves: Why not though? The significance is rather on the fact that women have broken their silence and were heard in that side of the globe. Also, they were supported by other women when they did. Actresses like Judd used their fame to reach out to women haunted by trauma and gave them an outlet to confront that dark experience, once and for all.

In this battle of abuse, the struggle can be endless especially in a culture of patriarchs, where there’s stigma that women are the weaker sex and rape taints a family reputation off perfection, if such even exists.

But as in the US and South Korea, it is only until women decide to confront their fears and face their perpetrators that they will be able to directly address the issue and create a louder voice. Victory, after all, derives meaning from the struggle that preceded it.

Judd named her perpetrator; the world listened and the mogul Weinstein got what he deserves. Alano spoke about her perpetrator; some said she deserved it while the perpetrator remained influential. Ramos decided to have her abuser anonymous for his children; he is now absolved and carefree. Mauricio forgave the child molester; no one went to jail for the crime.

These are real stories of women who have been violated. The list even compounds with other victims who chose silence and repression as means of coping.

In the midst of all these, where do you stand?

“Finally, a conversation so often swept under the rug was surfacing in the West: that women have had enough, that a culture of sexual abuse exists, and that things must change.”

The Red Chronicles | 43

breaking the chains

By JENICA TI Photo courtesy of BJ PASCUAL

The Great Escape The historically backward rationale as to gender is slowly, yet surely, a chapter of this country’s past. Society determined that humans are subdivided into two factions, coined as genders or social roles, which are male and female; dominant and submissive; alpha and beta. However, humans, as science and faith have revealed are spectacular beings who are not meant to be merely boxed up in stereotypical concepts. With the emergence of human rights, people learned about the need to arise from ignorance, and escape the “boxes” society has claimed, branded, and rigidly dictated for us.

At present, social roles recognizes a spectrum of identities known today as Male/Female/Lesbian/Gay/ Bisexual/Transgender/Queer (M/F-LGBTQ). Inside the workspace, there are more female CEOs than their male counterparts; an exit from the macho-ran enterprise, and showcasing that expertise is not judged by a person’s gender or social roles, but through their potential as individuals. Not a surprising fact, in the Philippines, a transgender

44 | The Red Chronicles

woman won a seat in Congress following the 2016 Elec- is compromise. As much as I would want to follow my tions; becoming the first openly transgender woman to be conscience to vote against the death penalty, I have the inelected as a politician in the Philippines. terest of the constituents, of my constituents in Bataan in In the 2016 National Elections, Congresswoman mind.” Accordingly, there was a whopping 85 per centum Geraldine Roman caught the attention of the Filipino of her constituents who were in favor of such bill. Howpeople when she ran for the position of First District ever, this sparked a decline in her followers, who felt that Representative for Bataan and won with more than 62% Roman was merely siding with the majority of the House. of votes against her sole competitor Danilo Malana. Com- To cause further doubt, she jumped ship from Libing from a family of politicians and solons, Roman never eral Party to PDP-Laban in hopes of enabling herself to initially intended to be a politician, more so, a legislator. show support and camaraderie to the President, who is But after returning to the Philippines in 2012, she left her also a member thereof. She reasoned that politics and the career in Spain, and entered the political arena. welfare of her constituents stood as a major consideration Born to parents, Antonio Pascual Roman, Jr. and for her to take the move.

Herminia B. Roman, Roman has a privileged head start than most political newbies. Her father, Antonio, was a Earlier this year, Roman had another groundbreakformer Representative of the First District of Bating decision – voting affirmatively for the Divorce aan and the Presidential Legislative Liaison Bill. For her, the privilege of Congress is Office Secretary under PNoy’s Adminto legislate not only for their respective istration; while her mother, Herminconstituents, but for every Juan[a]. ia, preceded Roman as former “We should not play blind but “I am part Representative of the same disinstead we should see if there of the world of politics. trict. Notably, from 1998 until are sectors that need protecpresent, the Roman family tion. As legislators, we need And politics is has continuously representto stand up for them. In this compromise. As much as ed the First District of Batcase, divorce is the way out I would want to follow my aan. for those who are trapped in their marriages. We have conscience to vote against Road to Politics to look out for them and the death penalty, I have Roman was one of the allow them a second chance the interest of the constitnew faces during the 2016 at happiness,” she explained. uents, of my constituents Elections. Despite this, she For her critics, her decaptured the Filipino’s attencisions were a bold stance that in Bataan in mind.” tion in a heartbeat. Aside from may collapse, as it suppose of her her family background, she was to be wishy-washy on her subjective able to garner and persuade her congoals and conscience. However, in a stituents to place their trust in her. While distinctive frame of reference, it appears some opined that it was due to the fact that she is that she had never lost touch of her persona. a trans-woman, Roman has proven that her wit and qualifications are more than meets the eye.

Unfinished Business Steadfast and loyal, Roman made it clear that in the With her personal advocacy to fight for the rights of event that there would be a conflict of interest between the Filipino people, Roman had penned several bills that her personal convictions and her constituents, the latter are lined up for approval in the House. A perusal of her takes the cake; after all, these people voted for her to rep- bills clearly shows that her heart is for the people, to which resent them and their affairs. In March 2017, Roman was includes the SOGIE Bill, Cancer Treatment Center Bill, one of the few legislators who approved the restoration Provincial ICUs, Protection and Welfare of Caregivers, of the death penalty bill on final reading. And while it was Senior Veterans Pension, IP Representation in SBMA, and known that she personally opposed the bill, she claimed Welfare of Children, among many others. In only a year that the business of politics is to know and understand and with little experience, Roman proved many wrong in when to set aside one’s self for the benefit of others. She judging her purported unfitness as a solon. Truly, Roman explains, “I am part of the world of politics. And politics is a testament of a healthier social and legal equality.

Billones, T. (2016). “Geraldine Roman, transgender and breaking barriers.” ABS-CBN News. Retrieved on March 26, 2018. Retrieved from http://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/07/06/16/geraldine-roman-transgender-and-breaking-barriers Cayabyab, M. (2017). “Transgender solon Roman on death penalty vote: Politics is compromise.” Inquirer.Net. Retrieved on April 14, 2018. Retreived from http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/878802/transgender-solon-roman-on-death-penalty-vote-politics-is-compromise Cayabyab, M. (2017). “10 lawmakers, 5 of them from LP, joins PDP-Laban.” Inquirer.Net. Retrieved on April 15, 2018. Retrieved from http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/895786/10-lawmakers-5-of-them-from-lp-join-pdp-laban Republic of the Philippines, House of Representatives (2018). “House Bills and Resolutions – 17th Congress.” Congress. Retrieved on April 15, 2018. Retreived from http://www.congress.gov.ph/legisdocs/?v=bills

The Red Chronicles | 45

: s r e r e d s n t a w dican s n t e n m gra a v &

By MARZ RAGPALA

It is not an uncommon sight for one to see a person knocking on the window of a car, or children alighting jeepneys with a song to perform and white envelopes to distribute, asking for alms. While millions of Filipinos remain mired in poverty, it is more than a recurring social phenomenon, and has shown today a resilience like no other.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in its 2015 report, pinpointed the areas identified as having high concentrations of street children.1 These areas are Roxas Boulevard in Manila; Kalayaan Road, Barangay E. Rodriguez, and Quezon Avenue in Quezon City; Balintawak in Caloocan City; Greenhills and Ortigas in San Juan City; Kapasigan in Pasig City; Madrigal Avenue in Muntinlupa City; and along NAIA Road in Parañaque City.

For years, we have been faced with the number of people living and begging in the streets, and for 46 | The Red Chronicles

years Congress has attempted to solve to this problem through various laws and regulations.

Presidential Decree No. 1563, also known as the Mendicancy Law of 1978, enacted on June 11, 1978, was created due to the notion that mendicancy “breeds crime, creates traffic hazards, endangers health, and exposes mendicants to indignities and degradation.”

A mendicant, according to the aforementioned law, refers to “any person, who has no visible and legal means of support, or lawful employment and who is physically able to work but neglects to apply himself to some lawful calling and instead uses begging as a means of living.” A habitual mendicant, on the other hand, refers to one who has been convicted of mendicancy under the said decree, two or more times.

A mendicant is different from a vagrant. According to Article 202 of the Revised Penal Code, vagrants are defined as “any person having no apparent means

of subsistence, who has the physical ability to work and who neglects to apply himself or herself to some lawful calling; any person found loitering about public or semi-public buildings or places or tramping or wandering about the country or the streets without visible means of support; any idle or dissolute person who lodges in houses of ill fame; ruffians or pimps and those who habitually associate with prostitutes; and any person who, not being included in the provisions of other articles of this Code, shall be found loitering in any inhabited or uninhabited place belonging to another without any lawful or justifiable purpose.”

This law punishes mendicants, as well as parents of exploited infants or minors found begging, or those who are utilized by a mendicant for purposes of begging.

Recent legislation, however, has decriminalized vagrancy. Republic Act No. 10158, promulgated on March 27, 2012, amended Article 202 of the Revised Penal Code, and deleted vagrancy from the provision.

Curiously, the chapter in the Penal Code remains; only now the provision refers to prostitution and its corresponding criminal liability.

In the explanatory notes of Senate Bill No. 15, Senator Jose Pimentel Ejercito Jr. elucidated his purpose for authoring the bill: “There are numerous reports of arbitrary arrests by the police as a result of the wide discretion afforded to law enforcement by the vagrancy law. Police have rounded up the poor, accusing them of vagrancy and holding them on prison cells.

Numerous cases of street children arbitrarily arrested by the police have likewise been documented."

The admirable efforts to decriminalize vagrancy by our national legislature notwithstanding, it is in local governments we see the continued implementation of prevalent attitudes against the less fortunate. While vagrancy has in fact been decriminalized, persons who fall within the definition continue to be seen as mendicants and are treated just as such.

To keep in line with national policies, local government units have enacted their own ordinances. An example of which is Section 31 of The Market Code of Muntinlupa City, which prohibits persons without any lawful business in public markets from sitting, walking, or lying idly in the premises. It likewise bans begging

or soliciting for alms and other kinds of contributions in the public markets.

In relation to the welfare of street children, the Muntinlupa City Welfare Code for Children provides that the city government undertakes to conduct rescue operations to take street children away from the streets in order to protect their rights and dignity. The primary objective of such rescue operations is to help the children change through transformation, reformation, and rehabilitation processes that will equip them with the proper values, skills, training or education in order to become productive and responsible citizens. The program includes effort in reconciling street children who have been separated from their families, unless it will run counter to the best interest of the child concerned.

The DSWD has reiterated that it will implement a modified Conditional Cash Transfer Program to reduce the number of homeless families, as well as housing or rental assistance, and cash grants for education, health, and nutrition. Regardless, mendicancy as a problem remains prevalent.

In Manila, for example, the help of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to drive away vagrants, mendicants, and illegal vendors was sought out. Last year, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada stated that a number of vagrants along the Baywalk and the local public parks increased due to the holiday season, with reported incidents of foreigners and tourists being harassed by beggars and street children asking for money.2 In our current roster of national laws and city ordinances, there seems to exist a recurring quandary between understanding the plight of the poor members of our society and wanting to purge them for the dangers they could cause to the rest of the community.

Such is shown by the recent decriminalization of vagrancy vis-à-vis the constant efforts of local government units and organizations to curb the widespread social malady that is mendicancy. In the government’s apparent internal cyclical debate whether to shelter or penalize, at the end of the day, a firm stand must be chosen. We cannot flip flop from one train of thought to another. This is so we all know on how we should act upon the problem, moving forward.

1. Ronda, Rainier Allan. ”DWSD identifies 10 areas with the most street children”. The Philippine Star. 10 Jan. 2015. https://www. philstar.com/metro/2015/01/10/1411303/dswd-identifies-10-areas-most-street-kids. Web. 18 Mar. 2018.

2. Aberia, Jaimie Rose. “Manila seeks reduction of vagrants, beggars”. Manila Bulletin. 20 Nov. 2017. https://news.mb.com. ph/2017/11/20/manila-seeks-reduction-of-vagrants-beggars/. Web. 18 Mar. 2018.

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Human Rights Violation under the Duterte Administration

By NINO AREVALO

“Change is coming,” those were the words uttered by President Rodrigo Duterte during his campaign for the 2016 presidential elections. And indeed, change came when he won the elections.

The promise of the Duterte Administration was to eradicate criminality and corruption in our country in just six months. He stressed that crimes were due to the influence of drugs on people. In order to eradicate crimes, he proposed starting by cleaning the streets of illegal drugs - from pushers to users and those involved in the nefarious trade.

President Duterte declared war on drugs and with this, several steps were taken to ensure its success, one of which was Oplan Tokhang.

Tokhang came from two Bisaya words toktok and hangyo. Toktok means to knock at the door while hangyo means to ask. Literally translated, Oplan Tokhang, is the process whereby a law enforcer knocks on the door of a suspected drug trafficker or drug user’s home to persuade them to surrender and stop their illegal activities. Six months after the implementation of Oplan Tokhang, the Philippine National Police (PNP) claims to have knocked on the doors of more than six million houses, and convinced more than one million drug users and pushers to surrender.

Of parties involved, 4,049 suspected drug personalities were victims of vigilante-style killings. This is the most controversial feature of the anti-drug campaign, which is described by human rights groups as a clear case of unabated extrajudicial killings involving state forces. The police, however, blamed the surge of violence on the purging activities of rival drug cartels.

The PNP also records reports of extrajudicial, vigilan-

48 | The Red Chronicles

te-style, or unexplained killings. As of January 9, 2017, there were 4,146 murder cases recorded that were outside police operations; 3,271 incidents of deaths under investigation, and 875 cases marked as investigation closed. Of the 875 cases, 543 cases are with suspects arrested, while 332 cases are with suspects at large.

With the increase of unexplained deaths, human rights groups have since been alarmed. The steps in eradicating crime have made some groups question the actions taken by the government in implementing their policies and following what the President wanted.

Human rights in the Philippines is so vast that the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines is sometimes referred to as a “Human Rights Constitution” because of its many human rights related provisions.

Our fundamental law defines in deft strokes and broad lines the basic human rights of our people and it falls on the government to implement these rights.

Definitely, the President’s sentiments on eradicating crimes are good and for the benefit of the people, but the means in implementing these sentiments are being muddled into the mix of President Duterte’s war on drugs. Is it any wonder that the vast majority of families who have suffered casualties come from the poorest enclaves of our society?

We’ve yet to see gated subdivisions raided by armed policemen, and we’re certainly not about to hear the ring of gunshots in our business districts. If the President has indeed waged war on drugs, it appears that the government seems solely preoccupied with waging war on the poor Filipino. Violence, and at what cost? The abandonment of our government’s commitment to upholding the fundamental law of the land, the sanctity of life, and the rule of law.

By VALENTIN PRIETO III

In 2016, an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) named Joanna Demafelis was killed and buried in a freezer by her employer in Kuwait. Two years later, her corpse was repatriated to the Philippines, much to the grief of her bereaved family and the rest of the country. Deaths related to overseas work are not especially new to Filipinos who are always outraged to hear such harrowing stories when they are reported in the news or shared via social media.

The perils of working abroad as an OFW, terrible as they are, involve labor and human rights that need to be proactively observed and enforced. Recent numbers show a disheartening rise of such violations.

According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), their records show 1,447 cases of maltreatment, 227 sexual abuses, and 63 cases of rape of Filipinos reported just last 2016.

With the appalling work circumstances faced by OFWs in the Middle East, tales of abuse and questions of policy are placed in the foray of public conversation. Oftentimes, the OFW is deprived of basic rights like full pay, decent living, and privacy. In many instances, families of OFWs rarely get contact with their overseas relatives. Perhaps the worst experiences come from our countrymen working as domestic helpers, who get killed or raped by their employers, or are at the very least callously neglected in sickness or when facing a crime. Such is the weak enforcement of such rights in Kuwait, for example, where laws penalizing violence against foreign household workers have been ineffective. This is, in part, not only to their laws, but also to Kuwaiti culture which considers problems of

spousal abuse as internal family matters. It could be further posited that this reclusive attitude extends as well to how one treats one’s workers and household helpers. Thus, our countrymen suffer in silence.

Because of the horrible death of Demafilis, compounded by stories of countless other labor horrors, Congress is now debating whether or not to continue with overseas deployment of workers to the Middle East. Senator Emmanuel Pacquiao proposed in Senate Resolution 626 a re-examination of the government’s labor and foreign policies in the wake of continued abuses of OFWs. Senator Nancy Binay likewise proposed in Senate Resolution 627 that a total ban on deployment of OFWs to the Middle East, with Kuwait in particular, should be considered.

Resorting to overseas work is considered as one of the best means to earn money for Filipinos. These emigrations, when taken together, contribute to the larger diaspora of Filipino workers. To complicate matters, leaving the Philippines comes with the risk of subjecting oneself into another State’s jurisdiction.

The POEA advised prospective OFWs to verify the credibility of the recruiting agency, double check job orders placed by the recruitment firms, keep contact with the recruiting firm and their families, know the placement fee rules, maintain contact with the Philippine Embassy or Consulate in the country of deployment, and report to the local authorities any criminal behavior of their employers. While the POEA’s advice and directive to OFWs gives them a chance to assert themselves abroad, much more can be done by the Philippine government.

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atty. jun cadugo

“The beauty of this job is that I get to meet new people from all walks of life with the chance to interact and know their fair share of stories".

A decade of service

By Grean AĂąonuevo and Dick Martinez Photos by AYLWYN VALENCIANO

The Red Chronicles had the privilege of featuring esteemed professors of the School of Law in our first 10th anniversary issue. In this installment, it is only fitting to recognize individuals whom we interact with every day, whose quiet services, in one way or another, have helped our study of law in San Beda.

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ate vi She has all the reasons to be cranky as she mans the main window and receives all the queries and requests of students -from the silliest to the gravest -- but she remains sweet and considerate.

ATE JI

“It’s a fulfillment when you go home knowing you had a productive day at work,”

Kuya Leo

Kuya Leo goes above and beyond his responsibilities because he knows the daily struggles we encounter in our study of the law.

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KUYA LEO You probably see him walking the halls of San Beda sporting a friendly smile. But who is this guy who never fails to utter words of encouragement whenever we need it?

Mr. Leo Acuyan or Kuya Leo, as generations of law students refer to him, is more than the guy who cleans our halls and classrooms, or gives us a heads up about the mood of our professors for that day. Kuya Leo goes above and beyond his responsibilities because he knows the daily struggles we encounter in our study of the law. He makes sure to do what he can to make our lives better, and somewhat lighten our load. One of the small things he does is to constantly remind the high school students to surrender to the lost and found anything law students may have left in the classrooms because he knows how important our materials are to us. There’s a lot we don’t know about him though.

Kuya Leo has a wife and four daughters who reside in Romblon. Because of the distance, he only sees them for a few weeks a year. Kuya Leo lives in Biñan, Laguna and takes care of his father who suffered from a stroke. Nevertheless, he is always the first one in and the last one out of the school no matter the demands of the commute and his responsibilities in taking care of his father. Playing basketball is one of his passions in life. When the students saw him play ball in school, they gave him the nickname “Kobe of SBCA.” Kuya Leo started working at San Beda in 2009.

Since then he’s worked for the high school, college, and School of Law departments. He can also be considered an aid to the SOL dean’s office, much like an additional staff because he makes sure that every faculty members’ demands or needs are catered to. He cites that one of his favorite things about his job is having seen his alagas grow up and go on to become professionals in their chosen fields. He sincerely cares about every student, so much so that he considers proctoring examinations as the most difficult part

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of his job. He shares that there’s always a struggle to uphold his conscience and righteousness. But at the end of the day, he says that, “He’s just doing his job and there should be no personal attachments.”

Kuya Leo treats every SOL student as his own brother, sister or even a close friend, which, for him, is the most enjoyable aspect of his job. He adds that he never felt any form of discrimination during his years of being employed in the institution. He explained that a good balance of trust, hard work, respect, and patience is the most important key in being a good employee and serving his Bedan family.

ATTY. JUN CADUGO The Bedan community will not be the same without a “Kuya” Jun in it. He started working as a staff in San Beda Manila in September 2001. In 2004, when he heard that there are plans to put up a school of law in Alabang, he asked Vice Dean Delson if he could be a staff in its dean’s office. By June 2005, he started working and reporting full-time in SBCA-SOL and recalled that at that time, there were only 112 students enrolled for the first semester.

He has been with the SBC community for the past 17 years. He expresses that the beauty of this job is that he gets to meet new people from all walks of life with the chance to interact and know their fair share of stories. The most challenging part though is trying to please everybody. He knows that it’s impossible so his recourse is to just always pray and hope that he can aid in solving everyone’s concerns at the very least.

His insight about work ethics is admirable. He shares, “A good employer – employee relationship must not be one-sided. Both parties should have an opinion on a given matter and the employer must be open to suggestions and in return, the employee must listen and obey. Obedience is one of the best traits an employee could have.”

As a former working student, he too values the weight of discipline and wise time management.

From doing loads of clerical work at the dean’s office, (most especially during enrollment period, encoding of grades, and evaluation of subject deficiencies of students) to proctoring quizzes and exams, he is proud to say that, aside from pursuing his legal profession, he now also teaches at SBCA College of Arts and Sciences. He treats this an honor and privilege as he gets to impart the knowledge, values, and faith passed unto him by his mentors.

Atty. Cadugo further expressed his unending gratitude to: San Beda for molding the person and

lawyer that he is today; to Dean Ulan and Vice Dean Delson who were not only his bosses, but also served as his mentors and friends in this institution; lastly, to the Bedan community especially its students who showed him the essence of camaraderie and hard work.

ATE JI The SOL community is witness to how Ms. Janice Jihan G. Eson works hard to serve the student body with her cheerful, bright, and gentle personality.

Fondly referred to by students as Ate Ji, Jihan is one of this institution’s most trustworthy staff. Ate Ji was present even before SBCA-SOL reached its peak of success in establishing an arena of learning in the south of Manila.

We often see her accommodating students queries and making sure that their concerns are attended to promptly. When moods are all over the place, from students and professors alike, she manages to keep her composure and get down to business, either through “Ga, may pasok.” or “Ga, walang class.” She’s our messenger to the gods as she makes it easy for students to request for grace and clemency from the almighty untouchable and unreachable faculty members. From simple requests to procedural academic queries, all is catered to and assisted by her. Ate Ji is our great shock absorber.

She loves working in the School of Law because work keeps her going. “It’s a fulfillment when you go home knowing you had a productive day at work,” she shares. She understands how tough it is for law students as she’s a lawyer in-the-making as well, so she recommends for students to make friends and still find a way to relax and have fun. Ate Ji’s way of having fun is through singing karaoke hits with her friends. Unknown to the students, Ate Ji has an angelic voice. She also enjoys eating and has a special weakness for sweets, but doesn’t eat pork.

Just like the other dean’s office staff, Ate Ji also proctors quizzes and exams.

to tend to them. The school cafeteria used to be right in front of the dean’s office; that made it easy for her to care for stray cats around the campus who picked on morsels and leftovers. But ever since food stalls were transferred to different areas in the campus, it’s been hard for her to cater to them. She feels for them so much that she even adopted some. Every now and then students would see her carrying boxes on her way home. Such boxes don’t contain student papers, but cat food. Her love for cats knows no bounds.

When she sees a sick street cat, she doesn’t hesitate to bring and have it checked at a veterinary clinic.

She shared that she loves working in the School of Law for she gets to learn many things. Aside from doing desk duties from morning to evening, she also serves as proctor during exams and quizzes, while making sure that all regularities and policies of the institution are being held up. Don’t be fooled by her kindly demeanor though because she knows where the anchor drops. She never thinks twice when it comes to reporting and confronting students who commit misdemeanors during exams and quizzes.

This is not an exhaustive list, but without a doubt the four of them characterize the value of service that other school personnel also deliver. The School of Law will cease to feel like home without these special and endearing personalities. We thank them every time they help us and intercede for us, but we are a thousand and they barely reach five, so a grand gesture of gratitude is in order. To our Atty.

Jun, our Ate Ji, our Ate Vi, and our Kuya Leo --- the entire School of Law community is indebted; maraming, maraming, maraming salamat po.

ATE VI Who in the School of Law is not familiar with Ate Vi’s contagious smile? A mainstay at the Dean’s Office is our beloved Vivian Grace “Ate Vi” G. Villafuerte. She has all the reasons to be cranky as she mans the main window and receives all the queries and requests of students --- from the silliest to the gravest --- but she remains sweet and considerate.

Our sweet Ate Vi is a cat person. She has a soft spot for stray cats and finds time in her busy schedule

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Plunging into the world of swipes and matches—the Tinder Universe offers anyone an extension of their reality and the chance to talk and meet with people outside one’s social sphere. As with all forms of realities, this digital world has some governing laws.

The main rule is to swipe right if you like someone’s profile or swipe left if you don’t. If both people swiped right, then it’s a match! It’s that simple.

One could also super like—the digital equivalent of knocking on someone’s doorstep, wearing your chicest attire and posing like a celebrity wanting attention. This function increases the likelihood of having a match. It may seem a little pushy, but the strategy works for others. Because many people want to try the benefits that Tinder offers, its population is pegged at 50 million users with 10 million daily active users; 79% of which are millennials. There are 20 billion matches, with 26 million daily matches and 1.6 billion daily swipes.

“Like” or “right swipes” and “super likes” are the currencies in this world. The number of likes and matches determine one’s social wealth. Given this, wealth is not distributed equally as it would depend on a person’s physical attributes and the information shared on the profile. A catchy caption or a flashy photo could help in gaining more wealth. The more swipes and matches, the more chances of success. In contrast, more left 54 | The Red Chronicles

swipes and less matches may lead to feelings of rejection and lost of confidence. Tinder got this covered as it has options on how users can project themselves. They can be creative in their bio and be meticulous in selecting photos they want to flaunt.

And the usual trick of creating an alter ego with fake hobbies, work, education, and interests curiously finds application in this social world.

Tinder serves as a distraction from boredom or hurt. Entering this digital world may also be a fishing expedition to look for “the one.” In fact, there have been success stories where people met through Tinder and lived happily ever after. It could also be a venue for finding friends or random strangers to talk with, and share one’s heartaches and desires. But Tinder has a reputation for nurturing no-strings-attached relationships.

Truth be told, Tinder can be a blessing or a curse.

While some users find benefits from the app, uncareful ones may pay with a deadly price as it is akin to an ecosystem of online predators, cyber flirts, impostors, and false information. It is notorious for the hookup culture it helps propagate; reason for some to regard it as a meat market responsible for the rise in STDs.

Tinder and its Dangers

By CHEZKA CELIS

Recently, HIV-related cases have been on the rise. The DOH reported that the Philippines has the fastest growing HIV epidemic in Asia Pacific. In 2017, the number of Filipinos with HIV has a total of 11,103 documented cases. Since 1984, the DOH has documented a total of 50,725 cases, 84% of which was reported from January 2012 to December 2017.

The age group with the highest number of HIV positive individuals remains to be 25-34 (51.3%), but the HIV-positive cases in the 15-24 age bracket increased from 25% in 2006-2010 to 29% in 2011-2017.

Evidently, the millennials are in the midst of rising HIV infections. It is no wonder as the generation has at its disposal technology that makes finding sexual partners alarmingly as easy as a swipe to the right.

Research suggests that there is a correlation—not a causation—between online dating and STDs. Dating apps like Tinder facilitate connections that encourage high-risk sexual interactions. As a result, app users tend to have more sexual partners than non-app users.

These apps make casual and often anonymous sexual encounters a norm among young people. Dr. Peter Greenhouse, from the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, opines that dating apps allow young people to change sex partners more quickly, which increases their risk of getting infected.

Since the symptoms are not apparent, an infected

person may go on his usual business untreated. This obliviousness only speeds up the spreading of the virus as one continues with his active sexual lifestyle, making it even harder to track the person who possibly infected another. Some even deny being infected.

What’s worse is testing for HIV is still regarded as a taboo, hence, many don’t get themselves tested. More often, a person is diagnosed when it’s already too late.

Lack of sex education is also an obstacle in the prevention and treatment of HIV. For instance, there are curious yet uninformed individuals who engage in unprotected sex.

Nevertheless, dating apps cannot be solely blamed for the HIV epidemic in the country. Various factors are in play, such as lack of education, stigmatization, changes in behavior and social trends, and the liberalization of attitude towards sex, marriage, and relationships.

Whether or not Tinder’s popularity sparked the rise of HIV or it only signified a shift to a more liberal viewpoint are best left for debates. It’d be more productive if we focus on addressing the issue. The more crucial question is not what’s causing the spread, but why basic services like awareness programs and testing centers remain inadequate and accessible to many.

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By KARA LIM

It supposedly takes a village to raise a child. But what if that village consists of just one parent?

Official statistics from the Department of Health tell us that there were 14 million solo parents in 2007. Nowadays, the estimate is closer to 20 million who are raising children independently, bearing the sole burden of seeing to the child’s proper upbringing (Federation of Solo Parents, 2017).

More commonly portrayed in media are scenarios of solo parenthood where parents have separated. However, it is important to note that diverse family structures of today arise from all kinds of scenarios. The mass diaspora of overseas Filipino workers often sees a child’s aunt, uncle, or grandparent becoming solely responsible for at least an aspect of the child’s development. In cases where the overseas parents do not return home for decades, these pseudo-parental arrangements begin to take on a more permanent character. Moreover, domestic migration also mimics similar patterns seeing young children left behind as their parents seek employment in urban centers.

Congress passed the Solo Parents Act in 2000, recognizing the challenges solo parents face and attempts to ease the burden and demands of child-rearing by providing the following benefits: 1) A one-week leave, on top of existing leave granted by law in favor of all solo parents, regardless of income; 2) A right against discrimination in the workplace on account of the solo parent status; and 3) A flexi-time work schedule, although subject to exceptions, as the case may be.

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For solo parents whose income fall below the poverty threshold, additional benefits include seminars on livelihood skills, parenting, counseling services, parent effectiveness services, behavior management, health care, critical incidence stress debriefing, and special projects for individuals in need of protection, such as temporary shelter.

This poses as a welcome triumph for solo parents across the country, which, for the first time, were recognized and given special concessions.

But the world is ever changing and we need to consider how responsive the Solo Parents Act is to the true needs of the many different circumstances of solo parents in and out of the country.

For starters, the benefits are largely geared toward solo parents employed in the formal sector, such as someone who clocks in and out; and works a 9-5 shift. Surely, this can address the challenges of single-handedly juggling domestic responsibilities with work. The one-week leave per year to attend to their children’s needs really works to their advantage too.

On the other hand, those employed in the informal sector, self-employed, or unemployed, the benefits are all but lost.

The implementation of the existing law also runs into challenges both on the part of the government in providing for such benefits, and on the part of the solo parent, who may be hard-pressed to take time off work, find someone to care for their child, and travel, in order to attend trainings, seminars or counseling.

So how do we ensure that the law is practically re-

sponsive to the needs of all solo parents, and will truly help them raise productive and well-adjusted children?

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has lobbied for public support urging Congress to fast-track amendments to the Solo Parents Act. Among the proposed amendments are discounts for baby’s milk and food supplements until three years of age, medicine purchases for minor children, hospital bills, and matriculation expenses. Accordingly, former DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo expressed the need to establish day care and child minding centers at the barangay level.

But while education and health care expenses are the main priorities of legislation, these are neither the most cited in surveys nor unique challenges faced by solo parents, and in particular single mothers. Bearing the emotional burden and staying resilient is actually pointed to in a number of surveys that ask solo parents what the hardest part is. Yet counseling services specifically related to solo parenthood are available only to those solo parents who qualify as low-income.

We marked the first National Solo Parents Day celebration in 2017 where more than 500 solo parents and their children had the opportunity to interface with counselors and psychology students for free counseling services and testing. The event brought together various govern-

ment agencies and highlighted the importance of mental health and wellness particularly for solo parents. Apart from activities for children and free massage sessions for the adults, attendees heard from medical and academic professionals on topics such as Self-Care for Solo Parents and Understanding Depression.

The shift in the conversation is certainly a step in the right direction toward developing a societal understanding, and sensitivity to the unique plight of solo parents.

A recent milk advertisement used a separated couple as the backdrop for selling product. Such a mainstream nod to solo parenthood reflects an emerging acceptance of different family structures whilst also pushing boundaries. With more lobbying, solo parents will hopefully attain even more impactful benefits that will aid them in child-rearing.

As with any other social issue, we all stand to benefit from an open, honest, and respectful conversation so that we can continue breaking down the barriers that stand in the way of our appreciation of one another, no matter how different we may appear to be. Such a case would see no such discrimination against any marginalized group, whether it be for family structure, gender, age, race, employment, or virtually any other possible line.

COMICS

makipagsabayan

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i

After School Buffets: Southern Style

By TRISHA YAOKASIN Photos By THE RED CHRONICLES

Recent years saw the rise of restaurants that offer eat-all-you-can menus, much to the delight of foodies and our palates. However, we can’t say the same for our budgets. But eating at buffets, though more expensive, can arguably provide satisfaction that your usual restaurants just can’t. Not to mention that there are occasions that call for indulgence. Law school, for sure, has lots of reasons for you to treat yourself.

Lucky for us, our campus is situated at the very heart of the South’s food district where one can’t be lacking when it comes to variety of food choices. To cap off our 10th anniversary issue, we give you a list of recommended buffet places in the South to eat your worries away, the grand way!

TAJIMAYA Zomato Rating: 4.2/5 Opening Hours: 11AM-2PM,

5PM-9PM Location: Upper Ground Floor, Alabang Town Center (10 min. away from campus) Cuisine: Japanese Rates: P685.16/per head

Tajima

TEMPURA

ya

At Tajimaya, you can stuff yourself silly with beef, pork, chicken, squid, sausage, squid roll, shrimp, salad, sangyu kimuchi, namuru, rice, and bottomless iced tea at a reasonable price. Taking center stage in this restaurant is the availability of shabu-shabu style cooking, making sure every bite you have is smoky, flavorful, and piping hot. It is unique as it uses actual charcoal grills, contributing to the freshly grilled taste of the food, and allowing you to cook the food according to the degree of doneness that suits your preference.

Zomato Rating: 3/5 Opening Hours: 11AM-9PM (weekdays) 10AM-9PM (weekends) Location: Entertainment Complex, Alabang Town Center (10 min. away from campus) Cuisine: Japanese Rates: P499/per head Tempura not only offers the classic shrimp fried in batter – they serve many other dishes under their eat-allyou-can promo that aren’t available in other Japanese restaurants. You typically start the meal with one signature dish of your choice, which could be either one of the following: king-sized prawn tempura, ebi tempura, ebi bacon furai, black tempura, tonkotsu ramen, kaisen sizzler, tonkatsu, gyudon, katsudon, or chicken karaage.

You can also enjoy unlimited servings of: California maki, dynamite ebi roll, salmon roll, salmon sushi, tuna sushi, kani sushi, tamago sushi, chicken teriyaki, butashogayaki, kani salad, crispy crab flakes, gyoza, tofu steak, yasai itame, yakisoba, seafood kaisen raisu, yakitori, miso soup, Japanese fried rice, and plain rice. Tempura hasn’t lost its touch - their food is fresh, delectable, and familiar without losing its savory goodness. They charge P99 for an additional order of their signature dish.

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Tempura

CABALEN Zomato Rating: 3.1/5 Opening Hours: 11AM-9PM (weekdays) 10AM-9PM (weekends) Location: Entertainment Complex, Alabang Town Center (10 min. away from campus) Cuisine: Filipino, Asian Rates: P334, without drinks P404, with bottomless drinks Cabalen’s tagline, “Eat all u can, eat all u want” is as inviting as it is appropriate, and the fact that it has been around for over 25 years speaks volumes! The owners started small, by opening a Bahay Pasalubong Restaurant in San Fernando, Pampanga years back.

This eventually gave birth to an establishment called “Ituro Mo, Iluto Ko.” Today, it has multiple branches all over the Philippines. It is often overlooked in Southern gastronomy, but our recent visit revealed that it has much to offer the diner looking to eat in a pinch. Your tight budget will go miles in a place like Cabalen! Some all-time favorites that I would highly recommend include their famous kare-kare, crispy kang-kong, lechon, binagoongang baboy, and pinakbet.

Cabalen

SAMGYUPSALAMAT Zomato Rating: 4/5 Opening Hours: 11AM-2AM Location: C&C Business Center, 235 Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes Parañaque or Entertainment Complex, Alabang Town Center (10 min. away from campus) Cuisine: Korean BBQ Rates: 11AM-3PM: Pork (5 Kinds) – P399

Pork & Beef (9 Kinds) – P499

3PM-2AM: Pork (5 Kinds) – P449

Pork & Beef (9 Kinds) – P499

Samgyupsalamat

Your tummy will surely be saying salamat after a meal at this popular Korean BBQ restaurant that’s recently begun popping up all over the Metro. Unlike the usual Korean places, it boasts of an all-you-can-eat menu comprised of a variety of marinated meats to choose from, so you can get your money’s worth while enjoying the different flavors they have to offer. Don’t forget to imbibe copious amounts of Soju while eating here - to ensure not only a longer meal, but a heartier one too. But whichever way you swing, Samgyupsalamat offers bang for buck - either as a casual Korean buffet spot, or a drinking joint with delectable barbeque to boot.

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The Red Chronicles volume 11 issue no. 2

april 2018

face of the