November 2017 Volume 11 No. 1

A tale of powering through adversity in law school

Editor’s Note A Relevance Story

When The Red Chronicles was established in 2008, our predecessors envisioned the publication to be a receptacle of information in the School of Law. The mission was to deliver news and preserve its echoes, colors, and moods. As we near our 10th anniversary, the publication was confronted by the need to look back to our roots and contemplate:

Have we fulfilled our mandate? Have we remained relevant? ­The answer we found was not reassuring. Yes, we have continuously published a minimum of five issues yearly. Yet, the readership has waned. Or it wasn’t exactly strong to begin with.

Trained to tackle the truth head-on, we put on our thinking caps and went to work with determination to turn things around. We began by revamping our ­­masthead and changing our publication size to strengthen our identity. We also improved our social media presence to engage the interest of our readers.

As we delved further into finding the cause of our dilemma, we realized the necessity to rediscover the basis of our existence – the law students. Hence, with much pride, we give you an issue focused on the narrative of a scholar of law. Our cover­story, Heritage of Excellence, portrays the different shades of success of two of our alumni, Atty. Rodolfo “Ding” Aquino and Atty. Julius Santos. We also present a compendium of the brilliant professors upon whose dedication the law students thrive. We take you to the history of legal education in The Study of Law in the Philippines: Then and Now. In A Marawi Siege Exposé, we give ­Maranao law students a venue to express their sentiments on the devastation that befell their hometown.

In this issue, we reaffirm our character as a straightforward voice of the students. We toil because we hold this fact to be true in our hearts – the millennial law student has something to say. And we, the student publication, will endeavor to chronicle it with unwavering tenacity and passion.

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 facebook.com/theredchronicles the_redchronicles@yahoo.com

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

Patricia Amores, Reena Theresa Marquez, Nikki Tuble Layout Artists

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

EJ Clemeña

Cartoonist

Atty. Rafael Angelo Padilla Faculty Adviser

Paolo Almera, Shauna Herrera, Melissa Manansala Photographers

Edrese Aguirre, Karl Carvajal, Mark Chan, Hershey Cruz, Eufranio Eriguel, Jr., Gabriel Lacson, Joliene Nicolas Literary Writers

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

Hayde Talorong | Editor-in-Chief Emeritus Mara J. Martinez | Associate Editor 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.

what’s inside

38 A HERITAGE OF EXCELLENCE 10 NEW SMART BUILDING 17 A DECADE OF EXCELLENCE 50 THE GAME CHANGERS: BEDAN ARTISTS 54 SEE-FOOD DIET

Vox Populi:

On Sticker and Parking Wars

What factors contribute to the worsening parking problems in school?

The admin does not regulate the amount of cars they give parking stickers to. The slots should be limited. Instead, they just give and give stickers and accept the payment without doing any improvements as to the parking.

- Claire Santos, 3rd Year

Prohibiting students from parking in the buses’ parking slots after they have left—not until it’s around 5PM already.

- Anonymous, 2nd Year

Pile of rubbish in the open parking area near the field, senior high school bringing their cars, and the school services. They are occupying parking spaces as early as morning, so no matter how early you come to school, [there’s] no parking space for you.

- Regis, 3rd Year

Poor parking skills. Some students clearly don’t know how to park properly.

- Anonymous, 3rd Year

Under the terms and conditions when availing of the sticker, it is stressed that the parking slots are on a “first come-first serve basis.” We understand that professors should be reserved parking slots. However, to reserve slots for school services for almost the whole day is quite questionable. This was not implemented before, and the parking and traffic situation in school was way better than it is now.

- Anonymous, 4th Year

What are your proposed solutions to alleviate—if not eradicate—such problem? es and the cars of parents/guardians parking fee on top of the entry sticker can conveniently park or wait there requirement as long as the fee is not without causing traffic buildup by the excessive. rotonda area.

- Ma Victoria Francisco, 3rd Year

- Anonymous, 3rd Year Number coding inside campus. Opting to build a building

School service vehicles exclusively for parking is a waste of should be allowed entry only when resources; more parking = more voldropping/picking up students. ume/cars.

- OJ23, 1st Year - Guce, 2nd Year

Give sanctions for parking Conduct a public hearing violations. Notify the students when If they’re going to be strict with student drivers (even the CAS), or at least a meeting with the repre- ever there are events where heavy they should also be strict with parents sentatives of different stakeholders traffic may be anticipated. Make an and the school buses because it seems before implementing or reforming official FB page for announcements that they show leniency towards current policies. The school should and live updates regarding camthem. also be leaning towards encouraging pus traffic. If we are told at 4PM

- Anonymous, 4th Year people not to bring in their own cars that there is severe traffic inside the by providing better ways of getting in school, and we have a 4:30 class, then

Free up the parallel parking and out of the campus through pub- we’ll think twice before we bring our cars. slots, as long as they are in no way lic transportation.

- Andrei, 4th Year - Ariel Mark Pilotin, 3rd Year obstructing the one-way traffic. The school has a two-lane road all around Consultation with industry In the application form for the campus, and we used to have two- way traffic too. It is a waste of space experts with regard to better traffic stickers, identify those who will be if we are not going to utilize them for management within the community. parking for long periods and those who will only be transients. Lower some useful purpose. If we cannot P2P service. Increase parking space.

- Laurs Mendoza, 4th Year the price of stickers for the transients. use them for traffic movement, let’s Do not overcrowd the parking areas use them as additional parking spaces.

SBCA management can just so you can collect more proceeds Perhaps, the administration could also look into the possibility of the Grade make a four-level parking building. It from parking fees. It’s that simple, School and High School students us- will not be able to accommodate the greed is what complicates things.

- JR, 2nd Year ing as exit points the gates at the back whole population but will at least give of the campus, the ones along the a few hundred parking slots available. football field. That way, school bus- I do not even mind if they charge

Mass transportation from other places where there’s more public parking available; shuttle service from places like ATC, SM Southmall, or other strategic points based on the residence data of students (i.e., many Cavite-based students) – a strategy that would eliminate the need for one student per car; or carpool initiative

by SLG, so there’s a system and verification.

- Kara Lim, 1st Year

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NEWS

CBO screens Bar Boys to raise funds

SOL welcomes new batch of freshies

By MIKA AREVALO

Photos by MEG ARIOLA

As a new chapter begins for the School of Law (SOL), the School of Law Government, in cooperation with the Council of Organizations (COO), organized the freshman orientation last July 15 at the Fr. Roberto De Jesus Auditorium. SOL has 151 freshmen enrolled this academic year.

Consistent with its title Plunge: Freshment Kickoff 2017, the event included activities aimed at easing the adjustment of freshmen as they start law school.

In the morning session, Vice Dean Melanie Trinidad discussed the school rules and regulations, covering the punishable offenses, dress code, and attendance, among others. She advised the freshmen to always go to class prepared and to make friends.

“If you look to your right, left, front, and back, these are the same people you will deal with once you become lawyers. The people you meet here will be your network

8 | The Red Chronicles

buddies when you practice law. So, enjoy law school and do your best,” Vice Dean emphasized.

Head Librarian Marilyn Yap introduced the services and facilities available at the SOL library.

Bhabes Bullas-Peña, representative of REX Book Store, also presented the legal materials offered by the publishing house. The youngest batch got to interact with one another through icebreaker games with legal materials from REX Book Store as prizes.

During the afternoon session, each section was assigned a classroom where COO volunteers briefed them and shared survival tips. The COO simulated the typical classroom scenario to give freshmen a practical idea of law school.

Upperclassmen, posing as professors, conducted ambush recitations to unsuspecting freshmen. That day, the new batch experienced firsthand the unpredictability of law school.

By Kaitlin Keith Sierra

The Centralized Bar Operations (CBO) held a block screening of Bar Boys on August 19 in a last full show at SM Southmall Cinema 5. The screening aimed to raise funds for the benefit of San Beda Alabang 2017 barristers. Successfully selling 280 movie tickets, CBO raised a total of PHP 140,000.00.

Mariane Hernandez, project head, expressed that organizing such event was nerve-wracking at first, but it was all worth it because it provided a learning process for the organization to work graciously as a team.

CBO Overall Chairperson Dawna Fya Bandiola explained that CBO opted to screen the film “because the movie shows both sides of law school – the good and bad.” Bandiola added, “it depicted the personal life of law students outside law school and it reminds us of the people who we treat as our inspiration.”

The film director, Kip Oebanda, also a Bedan (BS Economics, SBC Manila), was present during the event. In a press conference for the film earlier this year, Oebanda expressed, “we really dedicate it [the movie] not only to law students but to every student who has made a lot of sacrifices for success.”

Isagani Bucoy Jr., fourth year School of Law student reflected, “the movie teaches that we need a good support system in law school.”

He said that he sees himself in Carlo Aquino’s character, Erik, because he portrayed the real life of a law student – struggling but never quitting.

Bar Boys is a film about the journey of four young men who try their luck in law school. The film is one of the entries at the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP) 2017. PPP is a nationwide week-long celebration where movie theatres exclusively screen Filipino films in line with the month of August as Buwan ng Wika.

NEWS

The Baptism of Fire

By TINA MIRANDA and KAIZA ABAINCIA Photo by SHAUNA HERRERA

San Beda College Alabang sent off bar examinees, recognized academic achievers, and welcomed new Bedans at the St. Benedict Chapel last October 19. Fr. Aelred Nilo, OSB celebrated the mass and gave blessings pertaining to the three traditions in the School of Law.

The Send-off

“Peace be with you!” were the opening words of SBCA Rector-President Dom Clement Ma. H. Roque, OSB as he commenced the Send-off Ceremony for the 212 bar candidates of the School of Law to the 2017 Bar examinations.

“May the spirit of wisdom and understanding enlighten and guide you in your exams. Go then to the bar exams in peace and with our prayers. May God grant you the grace both to obtain a 100% passing percentage and to top the bar exams for San Beda, our country, and God!” says the Rector-President as the student body cheered.

Recognition: SOL’s Bests

Atty. Carlo D. Busmente, prefect of student affairs, presented the names of Dean’s Listers and Honor Roll Awardees for academic year 2016-2017. Dean Ulpiano Sarmiento III, Vice Dean Melanie Trinidad, and the Rector-President recognized the students on stage for their exemplary

academic performance.

In the SOL Student’s Handbook, Semestral and Annual Honor Roll awards are given to students who have obtained a general weighted average of at least 84.5%, and who carry an academic load of not less than that prescribed for their year and course.

The Semestral Honor Roll award is based on the weighted average of the final grades for all academic subjects while the Annual Honor Roll award is based on the weighted average of the final grades of the last two semesters.

Dean’s Listers and Semestral Honor Roll Awardees: First year: 1) Luigi Nico M. Reyes; 2) Venich Jammin Ramzel A. Pedron; 3) Ron Errick R. Loyola; 4) Danielle Christiana J. Verga; 5) William Kyle C. Santos; 6) Darlene B. Ganub; 7) Maria Carmela E. Sotelo; 8) Erica Mae I. Briones Second year: 1) Jerekko A. Cadorna; 2) Christian Adrianne M. Arbiol Third year: 1) Kevin Christian S. Matibag; 2) Janine Gabrielle A. Del Rosario; 3) Aldrin Jose M. Cana; 4) Luis Alfonso L. Cuadra Annual Honor Roll Awardees: Bettina P. Barrion (first year) and Dawna Fya O. Bandiola (third year) A Benedictine Fraternity

The ceremonial robing of

the freshmen and transferees serve as their official welcome to the Bedan community. The Rector-President said that the Robing Ceremony represents the Bedan values of academic excellence, prayer and work, integrity, passion and fortitude, justice, and peace.

Vice Dean Trinidad said, “A freshman does not enter San Beda School of Law after he has paid his tuition fees and other monetary obligations. He earns that right after he wears the robe.” She reported that in the Philippines, SOL is so far the only institution of higher learning that holds its annual robing ceremony.

Dean Sarmiento initiated the Robing Ceremony as a tradition in SOL. He reiterated, “As we wear the robe, we become just one community, one family for all, by the Benedictine fraternity. Your academic gown does not only signify your membership to your academic institution but of your humility to God as you study the law.”

The Dean ended the night with his annual pronouncement in welcoming the new Bedans in their red robes, “Welcome to Papa!”

After the ceremony, the freshmen and transferee students proceeded to the Fr. Roberto De Jesus Auditorium at the St. Maur Building for the Solidarity Night organized by the School of Law Government.

The Red Chronicles | 9

NEWS

SBCA to open

first smart building

By KAITLIN KEITH SIERRA

Photo courtesy of LAIRA MANANKIL

The Our Lady of Montserrat building, which is the newest and the first smart building in San Beda College Alabang (SBCA), is set to have its final blessing on December 8. Some of the facilities, including the libraries, will be opened to all the students beginning the last week of October.

Art Solomon, supervisor of the General Administrative Services explained that, “The structure is state-of-theart and is classified as a smart building for it uses automated processes to control its operation. This

10 | The Red Chronicles

includes the automatic air conditioning system, sensor-based lights, and the overall power network that can be turned off by using only a smart device like a cell phone.”

Engr.

Peter Data, the project engineer, detailed that the building features 20 senior high school classrooms, a 600-seat auditorium, three libraries, two cafeterias, and separate laboratories for science, computer, and robotics.

The cafeterias are designed to implement a cashless payment system through reloadable cards

to eliminate long queues of students waiting while ordering food and other items.

One of the libraries is intended to serve as extension of the School of Law library. It is furnished with an ultramodern studying area with smart fixtures and an indoor café. However, books and other resource materials will still be shelved at the main library.

Solomon added that, “Not only that it is the first automated school building in SBCA, but I believe, it is also the first

in the south.”

A smart building functions to reduce energy costs, increase the productivity of the facility staff, improve building operations, support sustainability efforts, and enhance decision-making across the organization.

The construction of the smart building began in May 2016 and was initially due to be completed in May 2017.

However, its completion date was moved to October of this year due to developments and changes in the architectural plans.

NEWS

ELECOM introduces automated voting system, Election a Walkover

By TINA MIRANDA

The School of Law Election Commission (ELECOM) took a step forward as it introduced the first automated general elections in the School of Law last August 31 at the St. Maur Building.

“The difference from the past general elections is really big since the canvassing would be faster,” ELECOM Chairperson Joliene Nicolas expressed.

Nicolas said that the new voting system was a dream come true for the organization whose aim was to make the elections fair and efficient. “I saw a lot of difficulties faced by the organization, so I thought, if ever I would be the chairperson, I’d like to make things more efficient,” she added.

The candidates this year were all unopposed. Nicolas opined that,

“students are uninterested in running for a position because being a law student in itself is already taxing.”

ELECOM updated its policy regarding the voting, counting, and canvassing of votes and proclamation of winners. Under the ELECOM rules, lone candidates must acquire a majority vote (50% + 1) of the actual votes cast to win for such position; otherwise, the position will be declared vacant.

The new method was expected to increase voter turnout. “We are not expecting all SBCA-SOL students to vote but at the very least, we hope that half of the population can participate,” Nicolas said. Out of 1,072 only 298 law students voted in this year’s elections, a turnout lower than the previous year.

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NEWS

CBO holds Bar Lecture Series

By Robert Jian Melchor

IBP-PPLM, SBCA team up for Continuous Trial in Criminal Cases seminar

By Philip De Ello

Photo by AYLWYN VALENCIANO

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines - Pasay, Paranaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa Chapter (IBPPPLM), in partnership with San Beda College Alabang - School of Law (SBCA-SOL) and the Legal Aid Center (LAC), held a symposium on the Revised Guidelines for Continuous Trial in Criminal Cases last August 26 at the Fr. Roberto De Jesus Auditorium. The seminar aimed to inform private legal practitioners and law students of the salient points of the Revised Guidelines, which became effective on September 1.

According to the Supreme Court’s Revised Guidelines, the Guidelines for Litigation in Quezon City Trial Courts and the Guidelines for Continuous Trial of Criminal Cases in Pilot Courts were consolidated and revised “to protect and advance the constitutional right of persons to a speedy disposition of their criminal cases, to reinforce and give teeth to the existing rules on criminal procedure and other special rules prescribing periods for court action and those which promote speedy disposition of said cases, and to introduce innovations and best practices for the benefit of the parties.”

Judge Elisa R. Sarmiento-Flores, the resource speaker, discussed the Guideline’s objectives and the resulting changes in criminal procedure. To illustrate her points, she used her past experiences as a public 12 | The Red Chronicles

attorney and public prosecutor, and shown video clips of court proceedings. She also gave tips regarding relevant concerns on motions for reconsideration and on archiving.

An open forum followed after the talk where a number of attendees took the opportunity to clarify the application of the Guidelines.

Attendees were IBP-PPLM members, including several SOL alumni, and fourth year SOL students.

LAC President Johnlery Pugao said that the SBCA-SOL, through the LAC, was in-charge of the facilitation of the venue. In exchange, SOL students were granted free admission. Pugao noted that the event was a good opportunity for the students to get acquainted with their future colleagues in the chapter.

At the end of the seminar, IBP-PPLM recognized SBCA-SOL’s contribution to the success of the event with a Gawad ng Katarungan, which was received by Atty. Roben Cadugo, Jr., SOL administrative officer, on behalf of Dean Ulpiano Sarmiento III.

Student attendees found the seminar informative. Karl Michael Carvajal, SOL fourth year student, expressed his gratitude to the organizers and remarked that the seminar was helpful for the attendees to keep abreast of legal developments.

The Central Bar Operations (CBO) of San Beda College Alabang - School of Law conducted the Red Lecture Series featuring esteemed legal lecturers and professionals to prepare the School of Law underbars for the coming bar exam.

According to Dawna Fya O. Bandiola, CBO overall chairperson, “The primary purpose of the lecture program is to give additional information in favor of the barristers to help them in preparing for the Bar exams.”

This year’s program was intended to be an improved version of its predecessors with more subjects and an array of new lecturers. Originally, the lecture series consists of seven bar subjects with two separate lectures for Taxation Law. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, only six lectures proceeded as planned.

The Red Lecture Series this year was conducted from August to September. It consisted of Labor Law with Atty. Joey Usita, Civil Law with Dean Ed Vincent Albano, Political Law with Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, Remedial Law with Dean Albano, Criminal Law with Judge Wilhelmina Jorge-Wagan, and Taxation Law with Justice Japar Dimaampao.

The lecture series was open to San Beda bar candidates from Alabang and Mendiola, undergraduate Bedan students, and outsiders. The CBO charged Php1,000 per subject for the former and Php1,200 per subject for the latter.

The 2017 Bar Exam will be taken in four Sundays of November and the coverage includes Political Law, Labor Law, Civil Law, Taxation law, Mercantile Law, Criminal Law, Remedial Law, and Legal and Judicial Ethics.

NEWS

SBCA-SOL elects new SLG officers, Expectations skyrockeT

By ALVIN PATRICK RELOX Photo by SHAUNA HERRERA

Hopes and expectations from the San Beda College Alabang - School of Law (SBCA-SOL) community skyrocket as the newly elected School of Law Government (SLG) officers took their oath of office before Dean Ulpiano Sarmiento III on September 7, 2017 at the St. Benedict Chapel.

Atty. Carlo Busmente, prefect of student affairs, congratulated and advised the SLG to be resolute and stalwart in their decision-making.

“You will definitely encounter various problems and issues, but what is important to me is that you base your decisions or resolutions on what is really to the best interest of the student body and of the school.

In no case should you make decisions on the basis of individual interest,” Busmente said.

Meanwhile, heads of other organizations expressed their hopes and expectations of the new SLG. The president of the SBCA-SOL International Law Debate Society, Kim Apple Carvajal, anticipates the assistance of the SLG by providing student organizations with their own offices.

Dulce Bustamante, president of the Law

School Association of Working Students, hopes that the new SLG officers can also provide “projects that can benefit the working students of SBCA-SOL especially with regards to the availability of a working students friendly schedule for our eligible members.”

Environmental Law Society President Mykee Medina counts on the new officers to help promote environmental awareness and create eco-friendly projects.

The newly-elected SLG President Lauren Antonnete “Laurs” Mendoza assures that the student government is preparing for the success of school events like the Robing Ceremony, Midterms Kapihan, Novembar, and a more flexible schedule for the SOL Library.

The SLG officers for academic year 20172018 are: Lauren Mendoza (President), Laira Manankil (External Vice President), Ann Balingao (Internal Vice President), Megan Mateo (Treasurer), Ram Billedo (Auditor), Jerome Gonzales (Secretary), Christian Magsino (3rd Year Batch Representative), Valerie Tio (2nd Year Batch Representative), and Japeth Esguerra (1st Year Batch Representative).

The Red Chronicles | 13

NEWS

SLG to REGULATE SOL ORGS

By KAIZA ABAINCIA

The School of Law Government (SLG) is set to implement regulation and extra measures to all School of Law (SOL) accredited organizations for ­academic year 2017-2018.

According to Ma. Glory Ann Balingao, SLG internal vice president, “Those orgs [sic] that are not performing any activities will be on probation. We will take extra measures [so] that they will have activities and do their responsibilities the following year, otherwise they will not be accredited.”

The evaluation of organizations follows a rubric for the defense of their activities, which will determine their re-accreditation. Organizations are to be evaluated via the relevance of the activities they conduct (40%) and the impact of these activities to the SOL community (20%). An oral defense (20%) will also be

14 | The Red Chronicles

required together with documentation (20%). An organization’s sustainability plan (10%) will also be considered.

“Evaluation is necessary for the accreditation of the organization and to ensure that they are performing their r­esponsibilities. It is also to track their activities and to make sure that their activities are in line with the Bedan principles,” remarked Balingao.

The SLG accreditation defense covers all activities and projects for the entire academic year and will be reviewed by an evaluation panel consisting of the SOL Prefect of Student Affairs Carlo Busmente, SLG President Lauren Antonette Mendoza, and the SLG Internal Vice President herself.

Balingao said, “We will continue with the system established from last year. To add, we

will make an org [sic] manual for standard and uniform processes and procedures. This will especially aid the orgs [sic] during ­evaluation, accreditation, and procurement of funds.”

The evaluation of organizations commenced last academic year and they were ranked and acknowledged in a recognition night, The Legacy, organized by the SLG at the end of the second semester.

In the said evaluation, International Law Debate Society recorded 94.84%, Human Rights Center received 94.67%, Law School Association of Working Students acquired 92.34%, Chorale got 90.50%, Student ­ Ministry had 89.84%, SOL In­ ternship and Development Group garnered 86.67%, and Environmental Law Society listed 83.84.%.

NEWS

Atty. Palabrica

Launches First LTD Book

By LEANDRO NADAL

Photo by AYLWYN VALENCIANO

Atty. Emmanuel Palabrica, School of Law (SOL) professor, launched his first book entitled Land Titles and Deeds (Based on Property Registration Decree and Related Laws): Cases and Commentaries last July 21 at the Fr. Roberto De Jesus Auditorium. Present during the launch was his co-author and wife, Atty.

Marujita. ­

In his speech, he shared his motivation and experience in writing the book. He recounted how in one graded recitation, he noticed that his student carried a compilation of transcripts of his lectures.

Seeing the same compilation year-after-year, Atty.

Palabrica decided it would be beneficial if he released a definitive version. With that in mind, Atty.

Palabrica, with the help of his wife, compiled all his transcripts and notes.

Atty. Palabrica highlighted that not only is the book a product of years of teaching the subject matter, but it is also the embodiment of numerous interactions inside the classroom with his students.

He enumerated the defining characteristics of their new textbook. First, each chapter begins with a syn-

opsis, enabling the reader to have a bird’s eye-view of the content. Second, the book has the digested versions of select cases that fully illustrate the finer nuances of the law. Finally, he said that the book presents a chronological and in-depth explanation of each step in judicial land registration.

A short book signing session was con­ ducted by Attys. Marujita and Emmanuel Palabrica for the benefit of the attendees who wished to have their copies signed by the authors.

The launch also saw students and alumni honoring Atty. Palabrica for his years of dedicated service to the SOL community. In a pre-recorded video message, Michelle Duguil, SOL Batch 2017 valedictorian, appreciated the efficacy of Atty. Palabrica’s method in teaching LTD and Transportation Law. Land Titles and Deeds (Based on Property Registration Decree and Related Laws): Cases and Commentaries

by Attys. Emmanuel and Marujita Palabrica may be purchased at any REX Book Store branches for Php 1,225.

The Red Chronicles | 15

NEWS New professors join SOL faculty

By MIKA AREVALO and ALVIN PATRICK RELOX

The first semester of A.Y. 2017-2018 saw the addition of an impressive line-up of professors to the School of Law (SOL) faculty.

Atty. althea acas Land Titles and Deeds

Atty. Acas is a product of the University of the Philippines College of Law. According to her, she was an anxious law student, who was nonetheless active in extracurricular activities.

Prior to passing the bar exam in 2009, she worked for Senator Edgardo Angara then moved to the Aurora Pacific Economic and Freeport Zone Authority, where her efforts resulted to the first solar service energy contract signed by the Department of Energy. After passing the bar, she worked as an associate under the mining department of Villaraza and Angangco Law. She managed to establish her own law firm a year after passing the bar, and considers this feat as her greatest achievement. Being able to provide mentorship and employment to numerous people and expanding the practice of law gives her purpose and fulfillment.

She previously taught Land Titles and Deeds (LTD) in a joint JD-MBA program of the Far Eastern University and Dela Salle University. As a professor, she is organized, structured, and relaxed. Her advice to law students is to always prepare for the worst while still keeping an ample amount of positivity. For her, being organized, punctual, and focused are essential, but she emphasized that students also need to relax, play, and have fun once in a while.

16 | The Red Chronicles

Atty. Christina Fernandez

Land Titles and Deeds

Another newcomer to the SOL faculty is Atty. Christina Fernandez.

She took up law in Ateneo and passed the bar in 2011.

As a student, she was always terrified of attending classes, even so, had enough courage and conviction never to cut even once.

After passing the bar, she worked at Poblador Bautista and Reyes Law Offices. She considers her works on pro bono cases as one of her greatest achievements in the legal profession.

Being a professor in SOL is her way of repaying her high school and grade school alma mater. Now that she is a professor, she understands better the struggles and sacrifices made by her previous professors and aims to be as inspiring as them.

Atty. Fernandez sees law school as a roller coaster ride of emotions; some days are bad while some are good. In coping, she advises students not to get discouraged or distracted by unpleasant experiences.

She said that to overcome feelings of defeat, students must always keep their eyes on the prize of becoming a good and honorable lawyer.

Atty. Adonis Gabriel

Atty. Joey Usita

Many consider Atty. Gabriel as legendary.

Not only did he rank eighth in the 2001 bar exam, he also obtained a perfect score in Political Law. It did not come as a surprise though for he was his batch’s valedictorian at San Beda College of Law, Manila.

Shortly after the release of the bar exam results in 2002, he was invited to teach in his alma mater and easily became a respected Political Law professor. A dedicated educator, he considers his former students turned colleagues as his greatest achievement. Outside the academe, he worked in prestigious law offices like the SyCip Salazar Hernandez and Gatmaitan Law Offices.

Preparation is Atty. Gabriel’s mantra. He recounted that when he was a law student, he spent a minimum of four hour preparation for each class. Now that he is a professor, he doubles his preparation for his classes and expects the same from his students. He expressed, “There is no easy way to achieving your dream. Study hard, persevere, and pray.”

In studying, he instructs students to “visualize the law so they cease to be just words, but living organisms which are easier to understand.”

Atty. Usita is the new Labor Law Review professor. He earned his Law degree in San Beda College of Law, Manila and was admitted to the bar in 1993. While waiting for the bar results, he started working in a private law firm and eventually stayed there for eight years. In 2006, he was invited by Atty. Marciano Delson to teach in his alma mater.

Seeing his students become full-fledged lawyers is one of his greatest achievements. He said that there is a sense of self-satisfaction and self-fulfillment in that. As a professor, he wants his students to always strive harder. His word of wisdom to law students: “Dare to fail. Students tend to be cautious and not take risks when you tell them to succeed. They tend to quit because of the fear that they will not succeed. While, when you dare to fail, you have the mindset of ‘who cares?’ and then you just keep on going until you get to your destination.”

Political Law Review

Labor Law Review

By THE RED CHRONICLES NEWS TEAM Photos by THE RED CHRONICLES PHOTOGRAPHY TEAM

Vigilando, agendo, bene consulendo, prospera omnia cedunt. There is nothing better than being taught by the bold and the brightest. This is exactly what the School of Law (SOL) has to offer as we simply have the best professors in every area of expertise in the legal profession.

The School of Law faculty is now composed of 55 brilliant professors and law practitioners. But they were once students too. To kick off The Red Chronicles’ 10th anniversary and encapsulate the raw glory of our academic echelon, we offer you this compendium. This provides a humbling view of what the future beholds for every SOL student. Here is an exclusive glimpse of how they were as a student, how they are as a professor, and their valuable tips on how to study and hurdle the mighty tempest that is law school.

*Based on Professor’s anecdotes in class or past interviews Dean Virgilo Jara’s photo courtesy of PAUL NIKKO DEGOLLADO The Red Chronicles | 17

DEAN ULPIANO P. SARMIENTO III, AB, LL.B., LL.M.

*WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I loved studying Civil Law. It’s common sense!

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I see the potential in every student. I believe that failure does not define a student, but it is the ability to rise above it.

STUDY HACK: Pray.

VICE DEAN MELANIE TRINIDAD, LL.B.

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I never talked to my seatmate during class. I had utmost respect for each professor and subject.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I’m always the one talking. I didn’t realize how tiring it could be.

STUDY HACK: Never leave a provision without understanding it.

PREFECT CARLO BUSMENTE, LL.B.

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I prayed hard.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I prayed even harder.

STUDY HACK: Ora et labora. Study hard but pray harder.

DEAN VIRGILIO JARA

*WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, my classmates and I were disciplined and focused in our studies as our professors were stern.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I stand by academic excellence without compromise and excuses.

STUDY HACK: Always look to the stars. For there it is written, you were born to be a Bedan lawyer even before you knew it.

ATTY. RISEL CASTILLO-TALEON

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I was a typical law student. I would prepare for the daily recitations and try to go through as much of the day’s assignments. But ultimately, I relied much on the grace of God to help me through. When law school gets in the way of life and “gimmicks”, I also skipped class and played hookie.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I am a motivator. Having gone through law school I know that sometimes it is hard to stay focused in the midst of all the distractions. I motivate my students to come to class prepared. I keep them on their toes, challenge them, and at the same time, assure them that they will either learn in my class or fail. Hopefully it’s the former.

STUDY HACK: There were no hacks when I was a student. I used to spread my absences to buffer the times when it was really impossible to cover the day’s demands but just made sure I was not on deck and there was no boycott. Don’t spread yourself too thin, prioritize, and pray. As a student I tried to live by these words: “Look up for inspiration, look down for concentration, but most of all look side to side for information” and “fall seven times, stand up eight.”

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JUDGE NERINA MENDINUETO

JUSTICE HILARION AQUINO

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I never missed a single class.

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I was always serious with my studies.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I reward students with perfect attendance.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I demand the same seriousness from students.

STUDY HACK: To find out whether you understand the rule or not, you must be able to illustrate the rule.

STUDY HACK: Ora et labora.

JUSTICE RODRIGO COSICO

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I studied hard.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I am considerate to working students.

STUDY HACK: Manage your time and be consistent in reading your lectures and cases.

JUDGE WILHELMINA WAGAN

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I am the type who attends class.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I am still the type who attends class.

STUDY HACK: Ora et labora.

FORMER SENATOR RENE SAGUISAG

JUDGE GINA PALAMOS

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I was happy.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I am happiest.

STUDY HACK: Just read, read, and pray.

AMB. ROLANDO GREGORIO

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I was involved with co-curricular activities, i.e. Editor-in-Chief, debater, bench-warmer, etc.

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I studied with passion and dedication.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I am now fighting the new dictator.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I feel like a student again.

STUDY HACK: Quoting Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., “as life is action and passion, it is required of a man that he should share the passion and action of his time at peril of being judged not to have lived.” In other words, “makialam.”

STUDY HACK: Read, re-read over and over again until comprehension sets in.

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COMM. RENE SARMIENTO, Ret. WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I was involved with extracurricular activities, i.e. law student government, school publication, etc.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR,

AMB. AMADO TOLENTINO JR. I am also into private law practice.

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I forgot sports.

STUDY HACK: Be diligent. Go beyond the text and make some extra readings.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, (at my age) there is reluctance to get me into games. They might be sued for physical injuries daw.

STUDY HACK: Study. Play. Volunteer for the environment. Organize team buildings for the environment.

PROSEC. VICTORIA GARCIA

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I was very studious.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I’m strict. I’m kind but strict. Strict in the sense that I want my students to have a good foundation because I want them to pass the bar ---- first take.

STUDY HACK: Persevere. Always study.

DEAN EULOGIA CUEVA

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I make sure to come to class prepared.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I do the same thing, I prepare for my lessons of the day.

STUDY HACK: You play while studying hard.

PROSEC. NOEMI MACABABBAD WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I embraced the virtues of diligence, humility, tolerance, and piousness.

ATTY. FLORESTO ARIZALA

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I was with the National Bureau of Investigation.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I am now retired from government service.

STUDY HACK: Since I am a medical doctor, I encourage students to memorize.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I realized that I have fallen deeply in love with the legal profession.

STUDY HACK: The best way to succeed in law school is to master the art of time and stress management through hard work and fervent prayers.

DEAN ED VINCENT ALBANO

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I devoted my time memorizing basic legal provisions and jurisprudence for future purposes.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I try to see to it that my students would be able to assimilate what I teach. I try to simplify the law and jurisprudential rules so the students can understand the principles.

STUDY HACK: In the study of law, preparation is the most important. Perseverance is likewise important.

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ATTY. BIENVENIDO BULATAO

*WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I always kept in mind that law school is a place to expect the unexpected.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I want my students to take my class seriously. I strongly encourage critical and logical thinking.

ATTY. MYRA ANGELI GALLARDO-BATUNGBAKAL

*WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I was

STUDY HACK: Preparation is the key in law school. Do not sit on your laurels. Always be prepared.

organized and focused. I took advantage of opportunities to gain exposure.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I try to make the lessons simple and practical so that my students can appreciate how the law works. In class, I promote coherence and grammar.

ATTY. NICASIO CABANEIRO

*WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I admit

I was not the brightest in class. It takes me three to four readings before I can fully understand the lessons while my other friends would only need to read them once. I did not feel bad about my study routine because the only advantage of my friends was that they can sleep and rest earlier.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I know taxation, corporation, and banking laws like the back of my hand.

STUDY HACK: Use mnemonics. Answer questions intelligibly by using FLAC.

ATTY. JESUS VICENTE CAPELLAN

STUDY HACK: Swim against the current. Pray as if everything depends on it because no force can strike a person whose knees are bent and hands are clasped in prayer.

*WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I was diligent, resourceful, and a firm believer of prayers.

ATTY. JONAS CABOCHAN

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I want my students to learn the value and meaning of the law. I try to be a father figure by giving advice on the study of law and life, in general.

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I was al- STUDY HACK: Spare time to read the ways absent. I do not attend classes. cases in full-length. Practice logical thinking.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I always attend classes. I am never absent.

STUDY HACK: You have to have the 5Ls. One, you have to know the LANGUAGE, which is English because the law is in English.

You have to know the LAW, because you’re studying the law. You have to have LOGIC. You have to write LEGIBLY. And the most important L, you always have to be thankful to the LORD.

ATTY. EFREN VINCENT DIZON WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I bullied my (college) students (my law professors were bullies; I “passed it forward”), was a heavy coffee and alcohol drinker (I liked having fun), was a small-time entrepreneur (I needed money), and rocker (music was my main stress outlet).

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I still bully my (law) students; still a heavy coffee and alcohol drinker; still a small-time entrepreneur; and still a rocker.

STUDY HACK: 1. Learn how to learn.

Develop your own style. 2. If you’re a genius, be consistent. 3. If you’re not a genius, be diligent. Sometimes diligence beats genius.

4. Enjoy law school. Otherwise, what’s the point?

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ATTY. RAY ANTHONY FAJARITO WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I used all my available time reading the assigned cases.

ATTY. EDWIN DIMATATAC

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I was like any law student and a regular/full time one at that. I was subject to the same pressure, stress, subject load, and time constraints of a law student while having to balance work and family life.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I want my students to read all the assigned cases.

STUDY HACK: Read and master the provisions of the law because you will have no sufficient time during your review classes.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, it’s payback time! And I am very proud to be a Bedan.

STUDY HACK: Repetition. I don’t memorize. I always read, then I read it again, then I read it some more. I make sure that I have read and re-read my assignments at least three to four times. Also, I enjoyed being a student and studying.

ATTY. MA. KARLA DENISE M. FRIAS

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I never studied during sembreaks or Christmas breaks but I double timed during school days.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I still study before every class.

STUDY HACK: Codal is buhay.

ATTY. RAFAEL PADILLA

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I memorized and read cases.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I remember only students who read cases.

STUDY HACK: Always imagine what you will accomplish when you become a lawyer.

That should inspire you to take things seriously.

ATTY. JOHN JACOME

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I spent all my time studying law.

ATTY. RANDOLPH PASCASIO

*WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I was

persevering and did not miss classes as much as possible.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I motivate my students to maximize true potentials.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I am diligent and dedicated to my profession. I have deep respect for the study of law.

STUDY HACK: Study at least 15 hours a day, Monday to Sunday.

STUDY HACK: Read the cases. The best time to study the jurisprudential doctrines is while in law school and prior to the review classes for the bar exams.

22 | The Red Chronicles

ATTY. JONALYN PORQUEZ

ATTY. EMMANUEL PALABRICA

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I was a fulltime student and I would say, I gave my full time to my studies. I felt though that in my studies, I was just touching the surface of the law as I have not employed enough critical thinking to extract the finer meaning of the laws.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I feel fulfilled and intellectually enriched. I am always conscious of the responsibility attached to being a professor - preparing students to become lawyers - so I make it a point to be always prepared every time I go to my class.

ATTY. IVY PATDU

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I always sat in front.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I try to give high grades.

STUDY HACK: No highlighters. I take notes.

STUDY HACK: Pray for guidance and study hard, develop a critical mind to fully understand the deeper meaning of the law, and understand the question very well before you answer. Address all the legal issues in the problem before you make a conclusion. Unlock your stored knowledge by relaxing your mind.

ATTY. NUMERIANO RODRIGUEZ

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I was fearful of coming to class unprepared that I would attempt to study the reading assignments at least twice.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I appreciate the dedication, time, effort, and patience that my professors put into teaching.

Teaching, like the practice of law, is a calling rather than a profession.

STUDY HACK: There is no shortcut through law school. As it is said, anything worth doing is worth doing well. It is not enough that you just read the assignments, it’s more important that you are able to comprehend the lesson. If you have a difficult time studying, try to read aloud and consider making notes since this will help you understand and retain what you have studied. It is also always better to read the texts in full because you will learn legal principles that may not be immediately applicable for the class recitation, but will surely be relevant in your future classes and in your legal practice.

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I was working during my third year. I was fortunate to have a boss who allows me to leave early for school.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I am also a private practicing lawyer. I do corporate work.

ATTY. MARITONI RESURRECCION

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I was really serious in studying.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I am doubly serious in practice.

STUDY HACK: “There are no shortcuts.

Make time and read even if you don’t understand the first and second readings.”

STUDY HACK: Read the full text of cases, because there will be no more time to read them later on.

ATTY. RICO PAULO QUICHO

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, my allowance was not enough to photocopy cases for me to read.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, students seldom photocopy and read cases.

Students browse!

STUDY HACK: READ the cases.

The Red Chronicles | 23

ATTY. MA. ISABEL ROMERO

ATTY. CHARLTON ROMERO

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I studied diligently and shared my notes with a beautiful and intelligent seatmate.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I just borrow lecture notes from my former seatmate who is also now my wife.

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I photocopied all the assigned cases.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I ACTUALLY read them.

STUDY HACK: The 3 C’s --- Concepts, Codals, and Cases

STUDY HACK: All things being equal, there is no substitute for preparation and prayer (not necessarily in that order).

ATTY. PATRICK SARMIENTO

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I made sure that I knew my priorities. Thus, before I have fun, I make sure I study!

After that, you can have fun guilt-free.

ATTY. RODERICK SALAZAR

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, at the UP College of Law long before there were Google, FB, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, I would spend long hours in the library, reading cases in the original SCRA texts, doing my own digests, and memorizing and understanding the codal provisions.

These helped me do well in class. But, somehow, my friends and I would always find time to have a drink or lots of drinks whenever our professors didn’t show up or on Fridays and this kept us sane. Of course, my girlfriend then, and now wife, Mades, was always a shoulder to lean on, when recitations went awry. Luckily, though, those frustrating recitations happened few and far between.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I Google cases to assign, read them in the original text online (and no longer in SCRA) and digest them for class before including them in the subject outlines I prepare. At this day and age of real time research ease, I just hope that Bedan law students find time and dedication to read, read again, and understand the cases and codal provisions assigned to them and come to class prepared at all times.

STUDY HACK: Study, study more, study always, relax, have fun, and study again.

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NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I realize that I still have a lot to learn. This goes to show that the study of law never stops even when you hurdled the bar. You guys are never alone in learning law since we continue to learn with you STUDY HACK: Study in advance when you have extra time. This will make it easier for you when the lessons are actually assigned.

ATTY. GALLANT SORIANO

*WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I knew cases by heart.

My secret to having perfect recitations was writing and reading my own digest of the cases three to five times.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I share my notes and own digested cases in class lectures. I give pieces of advice on how to ace exams, recitations, and truly appreciate the study of law.

STUDY HACK: Make your own digests. You can do better than rely on digests online.

ATTY. LAUREN ROSE TANYAG

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I played hard and studied harder. It was all about balance for me.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I put more importance to “studying/ working harder.” I make sure I leave no stone unturned; leave nothing to chance.

STUDY HACK: Know yourself. If you are a fast reader and can remember provisions / cases only after several readings, then read your assignments more than once. If you can explain a topic in your own words, it means you truly understand it. Never procrastinate.

ATTY. PAULINO UNGOS III

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I could say that I’ve had a very typical student experience during my stay in law school. I’ve had my share of long study hours, sleepless nights, fear from ‘terror’ professors, as well as joy in knowing that I’ve passed all the subjects for the semester. Looking back, I am thankful for my family, especially my father who has guided me through all the challenges and victories.

ATTY. PAULINO UNGOS

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, my first day was met with intimidating stories from upperclassmen, such as reading at least 30 pages per subject, daily recitation, and “terror” professors. Rather than be discouraged, I took this as a challenge. I did not only read the assigned topics – I did advanced reading, notwithstanding holidays and periodic suspension of classes. Just like any other ordinary student, there were times when I loosened my guard.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I see to it that my students are adequately prepared for the bar exams by being strict (but not necessarily a “terror”), rewarding or passing those who studied hard and flunking those who do not want to pass no matter how many times they repeat the subject.

STUDY HACK: Study of law is not just about memorization. More than memorization, it is about understanding, analyzing, and visualizing the legal principles. After all, legal practice is about analysis of problems, and problems cannot be solved without understanding the legal principles. It should always be borne in mind that studying law is not just for the purpose of passing the mid-terms and final exams of the school – the objective is to pass the bar, and passing the bar entails preparation starting from day one in law school.

Surely, no one takes up law just for the purpose of earning a bachelor’s degree.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I expect my students to be prepared, not only for their classes, but also for their bar exams. Although my style is not that of a ‘terror’ professor, I do give low scores to those who do not exert efforts in their studies, while giving premium to those who have studied their lessons.

ATTY. MA. ELIZA YAMAMOTO-SANTOS

STUDY HACK: Study always. Make it your objective to pass the bar, not merely earn a bachelor’s degree in law. This objective cannot be met if one does not study.

NOW THAT I AM A PROFESSOR, I have a newfound appreciation for my former professors.

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT, I never took my studies for granted and worked as hard as I could to reach my dreams.

STUDY HACK: Study even if you are not on deck so that you won’t have to cram a day in your student life.

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Opinion

Fake News Fiesta

Are you guilty of slanting? Slanting is a logical fallacy that gives rise to an error in communication where one gives particular bias or slant to a set of facts or reality because it is favorable to him. Slanting is the very sperm that impregnated the world with the digital Goliath that is fake news.

As itchy as the chicken-egg debate, the question as to who started it all is really puzzling --- who came first, fake news writers or fake news readers? Are there fake news writers because there are fake news readers or are there fake news readers because there are fake news writers? Are we human or are we dancers?

Referenced by The Killers in their song Human is Hunter S. Thompson’s commentary saying that America is raising a generation of dancers. And by dancers, he meant monotonous robots that operate to society’s liking and tradition bereft of human rawness and ingenuity that is wild, pure, creative, healing, and inherently good. Can we consider fake news as inevitable rust in the conked-out mental state of our limited and stagnant collective schema or is it part of humanity’s bold surrender to all that life has to offer? Gladly, it is neither.

The advent of fake news is a global phenomenon. In America, many attribute Donald Trump’s win in last year’s presidential election to fake news. In Europe, studies and investigations are ongoing on the effect of fake news in influencing regional elections where extreme right groups are beginning to gain sway. After more than half a century, the first far-right party with a nationalistic rhetoric similar to the Nazis have appeared in German Parliament garnering 13% of the people’s vote. In the Philippines, we have a fake news fiesta.

The advent of social media brought forth the digital availability of sari-sari store huntahans that are now at par and within equal terms to reliable and credible sources of information when it comes to reach and sustainability. If before, we can dismiss kanto chismis as unreliable for at about dinner time we can turn on the television and verify the news, now infinite correct and incorrect information on virtually anything and everything is available any time of the day and it’s always just a WiFi connection away.

For every right information, wrong information exists. The Internet is transforming the modalities of information --- so much so that it even blurs the sacred concept of privacy. Information about you can exist long after you’re gone bringing forth the advent of new rights like the right to be forgotten. It is the new frontier and every day is a new day when it comes 26 | The Red Chronicles

to discovering its infinite possibilities and vast effects.

Interactive permutations take place daily. There lies the disconnect. The collective human mind has yet to keep up with the dynamic and encompassing nature of internet democracy. Technology waits for no one and there is a lag. Connectivity is unstoppable and the human mind cannot seem to fathom it yet. At least for now.

News that is fake had existed as early as humans have delved into the potent art of propaganda.

Fake news is easily dismissed before for they were relatively fewer to begin with. Before, the logistics entailed in spreading news, fake or not, was not cheap. For starters, one needed a dedicated printer or a working radio transmitter--- at least. Now, all you need is an idea and a working keyboard. In the Philippines alone, there is a continuous flow of fake news in favor of and against the current administration. Both sides have exaggerated narratives that fascinatingly have eager daily audience --- from imagined bank account digits to Triad tattoos, choose your own adventure.

This is the collective human mind coping.

Fake news will never cease to exist but its readers will.

Thirteen million years of evolution will not fail us. It endowed us with sentience to recognize errors and transcend time through passing information from one generation to the next. Have faith for from single-celled species, we are now complex omnivores that can take selfies; this is but a learning curve.

Fake news relies on algorithms and click-baits fed by internet users guilty of slanting. Slanting is starting with the end in mind. Slanting is making it appear that one is open to information when in fact one is geared towards swaying opinion. We must recognize this personal error. It took millions of years before men discovered fire and another millions of years for the wheel to be invented that effectively rocket-launched mankind to the new millennia. Surely, there is hope. For now, we must have the willpower to harness enough patience and unwavering vigilance. We must also forgive ourselves.

There will be times when correct and verified information will not be at hand and we must always have the humility and grace to admit it.

In searching for information, we must not look for allies --- we must look for the truth. A person who does not stand his ground is the easiest to mislead and the strongest foundation there is, is the truth. Ultimately, we choose our own reality. But beware; a halftruth is a whole lie.

Opinion

Mental Health Awareness

We are now in an era where when a local famous host and comedian dismiss depression as something that is made up on national television, people rise, react, and demand for an apology. Joey De Leon in perhaps his attempt to humor everyone interjected for people to not support a person’s cry for depression. It was a mistake in judgment when mental health was made a point of comic relief. Stressing how marginalized people and those of affluence handle mental health issues was nowhere witty. At best, it was insensitive and tactless, leaving a very bad taste. All these while he was interviewing someone who was medically diagnosed with depression. However advanced we are as a society, some people still think of depression as some kind of an act or make-believe situation in order to call for attention or compassion.

This collective schema is not surprising as Filipinos are known for being resilient and humorous amidst pain and personal suffering. Part of our culture is to be joyous and positive, making conversations about depression or mental illness a taboo. It is usually taken for granted, so much so that someone who possibly has depression is oftentimes forced to disregard his or her feelings and treat it as nothing.

The World Health Organization defined mental health as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make contribution to her or his community.

The Department of Health reported that one in five Filipino adults has some form of mental illness.

The most common mental illnesses among Filipinos are schizophrenia, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression. Depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. Lack of understanding and support for people with mental disorders, coupled with a fear of stigma, prevent many from accessing the treatment they need to live healthy, productive lives.

Depression is a common mental disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It affects how you feel, think, and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. It is very hard to explain to someone who has not experi-

enced it. Depression makes a person feel as if life is not worth living. It can happen to anyone and at any age. It knows no classes. Poor socioeconomic status may be a factor, but even the middle and upper class are susceptible. It is not a weakness. One cannot simply “snap out of it� as it requires a dedicated long-term medical treatment.

Individuals who are prone to depression experience negative thoughts especially when they are challenged with stressful events. They usually think that failure is guaranteed in every act and that there is no way that could get through life. The loop of negative thoughts is drearily cyclical.

In order to strengthen mental health support and to lessen the stigma against mental illness, several programs, campaigns, and initiatives are pursued by schools, non-governmental organizations, and the government. This year, the Senate passed the third and final reading of Senate Bill No. 1354 or the Mental Health Act of 2017, seeking to include affordable and accessible mental health services in the Philippine health system.

Recently, a hotline was launched by the Department of Health in partnership with Natasha Goulbourn to provide a 24/7 crisis support hotline for depression and suicide prevention. If you or anyone you know, are in need of mental health support, please call the 24/7 HOPELINE Project at (02) 804.4673; (0917) 558.4673 or 2919.

In law school alone, each of us have particular struggles and concerns day by day. A heavy workload can easily burn out anyone who does not spare time to clear up his mind or release stress by taking breaks. One should do things that nourish positive feelings. Having an active lifestyle also greatly helps. Numerous strategies are at hand to ease depression like reaching out to family and friends and seeking medical counsel. It is best to talk to a friend who makes you feel safe and supported.

For those of us who have friends suffering from depression, it is important to focus on listening and not lecturing. We must be gentle but persistent. In order for our support and understanding to be felt, feelings should be acknowledged. Depression is something that cannot be treated alone. It is not a laughing matter. No person should ever be left alone in this kind of battle.

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Opinion

How Restorative Justice looks like

The uncompromising stance of the Duterte administration on dealing with alleged criminals begs the examination of other perspectives. At the opposite side of the pole is restorative justice, which advocates for rehabilitation.

Restorative justice promotes correction of mistake as an alternative to retribution. Its merit lies on how it recognizes an offender’s humanity, believes in the innate goodness of an individual, and sees past the behavior he acquired from his environment. Firsthand interaction with offenders convinced me that restorative justice holds promise for our society. ***

On a fateful June evening, the apartment I share with my sister and cousin got robbed. The burglar struck while we were all deep in slumber. Among his loot was a bag containing a set of our house keys. Panic ensued in the morning when we discovered that our security has been compromised. We then took on a hunt to find justice.

Later that day, the tanods were able to identify and invite a suspect for questioning – Bikoy. Apparently, he is a notorious thief in the community whose “career” began at a young age of 15. He keeps a collection of IDs and ATM cards in his shanty, a testament to the number of his past victims. Eventually, Bikoy admitted committing the crime.

The tanods endorsed Bikoy to the city police station. The police officer assessed that our case is weak for illegality of arrest and lack of an eyewitness.

“But you could be the eyewitness and identify him as the thief,” offered the police officer.

I considered the suggestion. Bikoy’s barely subsisting lifestyle made him uneducated on the law. I dallied with the temptation to use my knowledge at my advantage.

But can you do it at the expense of someone’s right, a moral voice whispered.

While lost in my thoughts, the police officer instructed an intern to take Bikoy inside the prison cell.

I watched through the transparent glass partition and saw Bikoy staring directly at me with pleading eyes. Tears streaked down his face, probably imagining the horrors that await him. The immensity of the decision I was about to make dawned on me. If he gets imprisoned and can’t afford bail, I wasn’t only incarcerating a criminal but also depriving a newly born child of his father’s presence and a complete family. Imprisonment will not exactly reform him.

It would only expose him to the same callousness he faced while growing up in the slums with a broken family and an indifferent mother.

Bikoy violated our right to privacy, security, and property. Does he merit respect for his human rights? In the end, I resolved that I have no capacity to be the judge of that. Hu28 | The Red Chronicles

man frailty after all is precisely why we are a nation of laws, and not of men.

On a fateful June daybreak, Bikoy went home still a free man after signing an agreement that he will return everything he stole and depart from his unlawful ways. Four months later, we learned that Bikoy was again caught for robbery. ***

In April, our diocese launched its Sanlakabay para sa Pagbabagong Buhay program. An initiative of the Restorative Justice Ministry, it is a spiritual-oriented rehabilitation for drug surrenderees. There, I met Dave and Ate Jane.

A 17 year old former marijuana user, Dave is a jolly and clever teen. He shared that it was peer pressure that influenced him to try and later on abuse the illegal substance. Dave admitted that though it made him laugh nonstop and forget his problems, it also isolated him from his parents. “Miss ko na po yung yakapin sila at maging mabuting anak.

Gusto kong magbago para sa kanila,” Dave reflected; his voice full of regrets.

Ate Jane always sat in front. Not a week passed that she did not attend. There was even a session when she was the only participant who showed up. She comes in the earliest too. That’s why we were surprised to learn that she was a drug pusher. The easy money from the drug trade enticed her. But she acknowledged the importance of an honest livelihood. She has since resumed accepting laundry work and operating a sari-sari store.

Last October 15, after six months, Ate Jane and Dave were among the six out of 25 participants who graduated from the program. A low turnout one could reasonably infer. Maybe restorative justice is not reliable as its critics say.

But on that day, parallel to the parable of the lost sheep, hundreds of well-wishers both from the community and other dioceses as far as Manila, Cubao, and Novaliches celebrated the six graduates’ persistence. ***

Restorative justice is imperfect. It begins with empathy, but demands more. As Bikoy’s story demonstrates, commitment and follow through are essential for success.

The same goes for the Sanlakbay participants. There is no magic pill that resolves criminal behavior. One thing is certain: punishment is inadequate. The fortunate thing though is sustainable solution is at hand. But the cooperation and concern of the community are indispensable.

It is high time that we get involved and not entrust all the work to the government authorities. We have a responsibility to our fellowmen, even to offenders. Ultimately, how we treat law violators speaks volumes of who we are as a people.

Opinion

Why I Love Bitcoin

On 07 February 2017, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the country’s central monetary authority, issued Circular No. 944 (s.2017). Known as the Guidelines for Virtual Currency Exchanges, it is the first time that a Philippine government authority has issued regulation concerning intermediaries who are using bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, an emerging technology that is thought-provoking for policymakers because of its multi-faceted implications that would impact economic, monetary, commercial, social and even political spheres.

Notably, Circular 944 does not discourage the use of cryptocurrencies for legitimate financial transactions. By not declaring them as illegal, which is the unfortunate approach taken by other jurisdictions (Venezuela and Ecuador for example), the Guidelines acknowledge that cryptocurrencies “have the potential to revolutionize delivery of financial services, particularly for payments and remittance, in view of their ability to provide faster and more economical transfer of funds, both domestic and international, and may further support financial inclusion.” The BSP’s decision to regulate cryptocurrency exchanges in the Philippines also gave the nascent industry: (1) legitimacy that now enables them to operate within a regulatory framework, (2) the consumers adopting its usage some level of comfort that these exchanges are now regulated, and (3) the investors who are funding innovative business cases some certainty on where the industry is heading.

From a consumer protection angle, the government has substantial interest in regulating cryptocurrency exchanges that leverage the technology to deliver financial services such as payments and remittance especially when they hold valuable assets on behalf of the customers and their beneficiaries.

It is also remarkable how BSP showed great understanding of Bitcoin’s decentralized payment system by not intending to regulate peer-to-peer (P2P) bitcoin transactions.

Circular 944 is just the beginning. Similar to the initiatives of other central banks and monetary authorities globally, BSP will eventually study deploying blockchain technology to improve efficiency in the financial system and streamline the cost of financial services.

Very simply, a blockchain is a distributed digital ledger where transactions are bundled in “blocks” that are chronologically linked by timestamp secured by asymmetric cryptography. This innovation is a technological breakthrough as previously we never had the ability to val-

idate transactions without trusted intermediaries (banks, clearing houses, notaries, brokers, etc.) getting involved.

Blockchains could promote efficiency through automation, reduce cost by cutting middlemen, and mitigate risks by using tamper-proof protocols rather than relying on error-prone agents or potentially fraudulent counterparty.

In the future, the BSP could even explore coming up with its own Central Bank-issued Digital Currency (CBDC), which is not far-fetched considering how CBDCs are being researched or experimented by monetary authorities in England, Canada, Dubai, Singapore, India, Hong Kong and China, just to name of few. Only recently, Madame Christine Lagarde, chief of the International Monetary Fund, shared her thoughts on the most positively disruptive piece of financial technology - that is blockchain, and why the International Monetary Fund will be looking into applying this technology to power IMF’s special currency, the Special Drawing Rights (SDR).

Majority of central banks and monetary authorities in the world are now closely studying cryptocurrencies and the underlying technology that underpins it. The initiatives vary from advanced studies, to experiments (called “proof of concept”), to launching an actual production-level application for blockchain and other forms of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). For instance, the central bank of Belarus has created an information network based on blockchain technology - the first practical application of which relates to the transfer of information on issued bank guarantees.

There’s also a lot of interesting business cases for blockchain in the financial services industry. One recent and notable example is in insurance. AXA, the French multinational insurance company, launched Fizzy - a blockchain-based parametric insurance to compensate passengers for delayed flights. Fizzy will store and process payouts via smart contracts — self-executing contracts triggered automatically once pre-determined parameters are met in the real world — built on the Ethereum blockchain. ***

I sometimes mention to my law students how I love bitcoin. But I never really bothered explaining why because the reasons are not relevant to our subject matter.

My reason is simple. I love Bitcoin because it is the first implementation of a technology that I am passionate about. I believe blockchain technology gives this generation an amazing window of opportunity to make this world better. It does not make sense to love block The Red Chronicles | 29

Opinion chain but be dismissive about Bitcoin - as many traditional bankers do - especially if the only reason to reject Bitcoin is because of the reputational issues that burden the cryptocurrency, which arose from an outdated narrative that criminals were among the early adopters of the technology.

By introducing a new network infrastructure that can (1) secure data robustly by removing any single point of attack and (2) transfer value completely native on the internet (including the backend) in an elegant manner that is achieved through a decentralization combined with clever cryptography, blockchains have tremendous potential for public good even more in areas where the legacy systems fail. For instance, the recent cyber-attacks that targeted several hospitals in Europe might have been avoided if perhaps those compromised medical records were stored within a decentralized database that incorporates a blockchain architecture or some other form of distributed ledger. Factom, a US-based firm, received substantial amount of grant from the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation to work on the development of a secure, reliable, and readily available distributed health records.

There is a wide array of financial and non-financial use cases for blockchain that are in development.

Blockchain is a general-purpose technology that could potentially enhance financial inclusion to benefit the poor and the unbanked, usher the revival of artistic rights, effectively enforce data privacy, track provenance in the supply chain, ensure we are consuming fair-trade products, and automate the enforcement of certain aspects of legal agreements through “smart contracts” – all in ways that were never possible before. The list of applications goes on and on. We should focus on these aspects of the technology, rather than on the cryptocurrency’s susceptibility to abuse. After all, I’ve never heard somebody say that we should stop using social media because ISIS and Ponzi scammers use Facebook and Twitter.

It is true that bitcoin has been used in ransomware, cyberhacking and illegal money movements. But so is cash, the king of the underground. Frankly it’s not bitcoin’s fault that criminals find this cryptocurrency convenient to use. I stress again how history shows us that criminals are always the early adopters of new technology.

However, if I’m in law enforcement, I would want criminals to use bitcoin because that would give me greater chance to catch them. Unlike before when the technology was new and still being understood, by 2017 a large number of law enforcement authorities have become sophisticated enough to appreciate that criminals using bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies leave immutable audit trail on the publicly viewable blockchain. In other words, evidence and leads. Transactions analysis tools are

30 | The Red Chronicles

also widely available that make investigation simpler and reliable. One company called Chainalysis is doing a great job in protecting the integrity of cryptocurrencies and other digital assets. ***

I was recently chosen as one of the mentors for a global hackathon for projects that seek to apply blockchain to address various social concerns. Called Blockchain for Social Impact Coalition (BSIC), I had the opportunity to touch base and advise teams working on financial inclusion, transparency in supply chain, sustainable energy, protection of identity, vulnerable peoples and the environment. Among several projects I mentored, Handshake and Kore Payments stood out.

Handshake seeks to ensure the protection of migrant workers by shielding them against unfair and fraudulent side agreements, utilizing smart contracts technology to faithfully execute some of the terms of standard employment contracts. Interestingly, the New-Your based project will pilot their platform in partnership with a Philippine-based recruitment agency.

Kore Payments wants to enable workers in the construction industry to receive daily wages through a mobile wallet that could be downloaded on feature phones and cheap smart phones. Still at its early phase, the team based in New Zealand hopes to enable automated daily payouts by using a decentralized payments network that will run on the blockchain. In my capacity as advisor, I recommended to the team to include the Philippines among the countries where they could test the project.

There were also three teams from the Philippines who took part at the BSIC hackathon. Lifemesh is a blockchain-based disaster management platform that facilitates transparency between nongovernment organizations and government institutions. It does this by connecting, verifying and tracking resources needed for effective disaster management. Prodigy is an education-to-jobs platform that will run on Ethereum, while Lifeblocks is an interesting project from La Salle undergraduate students who are building an alternative to the legacy certification models implemented by educational institutions.

At the hackathon’s demo day held at Mapua University last October, a group of Mapua professors, including one college dean, announced Project Bluebook, a blockchain-based digital identity solution to ensure and protect privacy of visitors in residential and commercial buildings, to be first implemented at RCBC Plaza in Makati City. Not only that I find this project intriguing, the initiative - supported by the Yuchengco Innovation Center - shows the level of awareness from the academe when it comes to emerging technologies such as blockchains, smart contracts and decentralized applications.

EDITORIAL

Cirque du Asean

At the backdrop of Philippine political perya featuring impeach-the-opposition shooting range, “statesmen” cockfight, the crowd favorite color game, ride-allissues-you-can, and the media ever eager to cover the funfair for a fee, the 31st ASEAN Summit is an opportune new attraction. Hopefully, local spectators could learn a thing or two from the international exhibition.

The 31st ASEAN Summit is the second of the biannual leaders’ summit on economic and cultural development; the first was held in April. Since the Philippines is this year’s chairman, the summit is set on November 10-14 at Clark Air Base, Pampanga. ASEAN leaders along with dialogue partners (Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea and the United States) are expected to grace the event.

Though not without its own scuffles owing to its diverse composition, ASEAN at least has mechanisms for diplomacy founded on mutual respect and consensus.

Chairmanship rotates yearly in alphabetical order of member states’ English names. Its lack of permanent ringmaster aptly works to maintain coequality among the member states. A corollary to that, however, is a system wanting in continuity, expertise, and efficiency. But the international bloc has addressed this by setting up safety nets in the form of declarations and other binding documents.

Noteworthy is the 2015 Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Establishment of the ASEAN Community signed during the 27th summit in Malaysia. Essentially, it aims to transform the organization to an integrated community. Such is an ambitious endeavor to say the least.

The path toward it will be a walk on tightrope; the pace, wobbly, considering the organization’s strong adherence to non-interference. But if ASEAN learns to balance its act and juggle its member states’ differences, it could be an impressive unicyclist. Maybe even surpass the European Union. In 2013, International Monetary Fund data revealed that ASEAN when taken collectively was the third largest economy in Asia and the seventh in the world. Analysts predict that through integration, ASEAN will be the fourth strongest economy in the world by 2050.

Where does the law student fit in all these? Other than the brief relief brought by class suspensions, ASEAN activities have enduring effects and create complex relations. Experts have envisaged that the integration of ASEAN will alter the conduct of lawyering in the region.

As the economies merge and the barriers disappear, inter-jurisdictional law practice will be the new norm. This calls learners of law to depart from apathy and be proactive.

Law school, with its fear-inducing element and the grandeur it promises, might feel as the best spectacle there is. But it is simply not the case. Outside the big top is a vast jungle waiting to be tamed. ASEAN alone presents an array of opportunities for engagement, youth participation, and networking. There is no denying that acquisition of knowledge is essential. But exposure remains a better trainer. Do not be content in the audience. Have the boldness, grace under pressure, and knack for collaboration of a trapeze artist. Brace yourself and throw your hat in the ring. Perform. The ASEAN community could sure use what you are willing to offer.

The Red Chronicles | 31

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Own to act, Act to own

By Kaiza Abaincia

As the guard inspects bags in San Beda Alabang’s entrance gate, the familiar face of a mother appears right after. She is the mother of a law student, waiting for her son to finish classes.

She has probably memorized all the faces in San Beda Alabang in two years while entertaining herself with ABS-CBN shows every day. She is an image not so distant to the mother of Horacio Castillo III--- a loving and supportive mother. The only difference though is that this mother is not devastated for her son is still alive.

Her son did not die from hazing.

Hazing, in R.A. 8049, is an initiation rite or practice as a prerequisite for admission into membership in a fraternity, sorority, or organization by subjecting a person to physical or psychological suffering or injury. Hans Dix, a member of a fraternity, claims that hazing is important because it is a discipline-instilling exercise conducted to truly appreciate what it means to be a part of an organization --- an exercise of character building.

Pain is necessary to learn discipline. It is a well-accepted practice to sweat and bleed for something you want. However, is pain justified for that claimed purpose in hazing?

This year, another student died of hazing and most of the suspects are still at large.

Isaac Newton said that in every action, there is an equal or

opposite reaction. This very formula gives rise to accountability.

An individual must always take responsibility and own his acts. With Newton’s formula applied, the walk will be slow but the strides will be certain. Reflection is necessary. Thinking makes you you. In Rene Descartes’ words, cogito ergo sum.

We are yet again reminded of the glaring fact that in life, outcomes are always absolute.

Every individual’s acts must be examined before execution. Newton’s formula is both simple and complex considering variables that come in different forms in a setting called life, in a journey called existing.

Violence only begets more violence. Hazing, as an act, should be made consistent with its purpose. Harassment and character building do not to belong to the same page. Horacio’s death is another casualty of an act not owned by people—believing there’s good in violence. Hazing should not be condoned; it should not be supported.

Let us not walk on the face of the earth only for the sake of walking – of simply following a tradition of unexamined actions. Our actions, however miniscule, will always determine the life of another.

Let us be responsible by not only owning but embracing our actions.

The Red Chronicles | 33

Then Now and

Study of Law in the Philippines:

A great number of brave men and women have taken up the challenge of studying law. Legal education has long been present in the Philippines and many generations of lawyers have been produced over the centuries. With such long-standing presence, a lot of changes have occurred over the course of the history of the study of law.

Roots of Legal Education in the Archipelago

It was during the Spanish regime when legal education began in the Philippines. On September 2, 1734, the University of Santo Tomas established the Faculty of Civil Law, its oldest lay faculty. It adopted the same curriculum being followed that time by the leading universities in Europe.

Educational Requirements

In 1911, one had to possess a high school degree as pre-law and complete a three-year law course to become a lawyer. Later on, the prelaw requirement was raised to two years of college work (associate in arts degree) on top of a high school degree.

The Supreme Court amended Rule 138, Section 6 of the

By Lyzette Siazar

Rules of Court in 1960, increasing the pre-law requirement to a fouryear bachelor’s degree (Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science) and the Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) to four years.

Aptitude Test

A newly imposed prerequisite for admission to the basic law courses effective school year 20172018 is the Philippine Law School Admission Test (PhiLSAT). Having legal authority to prescribe the minimum standards for law admission under Section 7(e) of the Legal Education Reform Act of 1993, the Legal Education Board (LEB) required the PhiLSAT under LEB Memorandum Order No. 7 Series of 2016. It is a “standardized battery of aptitude tests designed to measure academic potential to pursue the study of law.”

Law Curriculum

From the 1960s to the 1980s, the four-year LL.B course had 122 units, emphasizing on bar subjects. The course likewise included non-bar subjects such as Legal Bibliography, Statutory Construction, Legal Medicine, and Practice Court among others.

With the hopes of leading

References: Philippine Legal Profession: History by Atty. Manuel J. Laserna, Jr. http://www.ust.edu.ph/civil-law/ https://www.cem-inc.org.ph/philsat/about-philsat https://ph.news.yahoo.com/timeline-philippine-internet-20th-anniversary-225454753.html

34 | The Red Chronicles

to specialization in legal education, the University of the Philippines launched a core-elective curriculum in 1988. The following year, a revised model law curriculum for the LL.B. degree was adopted by the then Department of Education, Culture, and Sports. With 124 units, more subjects on legal counseling, legal ethics, legal profession, and legal research and writing were made available. This took effect in 1990.

Research and Study Habits

It was in 1994 when users first established a connection to the Internet in the Philippines. Prior to that, law students had to go to the library to read books, as there were no electronic legal research tools back then. Now, legal information and jurisprudence are accessible with just a few clicks.

Truly, the study of law in the country has evolved as Philippine legal education adapts to the ever-changing times. Learners of the law must maximize this opportunity to gain as much legal knowledge since our country needs competent lawyers now more than ever.

By KARA LIM and FRANCES CELIS

Law has been a traditionally male-dominated field. It was only in the 1920s when US law schools began accepting female students, after women were given the right to suffrage. Recently, women have taken a leap to professional advances which contributed to equalize the playing field.

In that respect, the Philippines is ahead of the curve considering that as early as 1930, we had Tecla S. Ziga, the first female bar topnotcher, who scored 99% in Remedial Law. Currently, the vice president and chief justice of the country are women.

Still, despite these milestones for women in law, the field has remained overwhelmingly dominated by males especially in our courts where the disparity is striking. As of 2010, only 34% of incumbent judges in first and second level courts were women. In our Supreme Court, only 3 out of 15 (20%) justices are women.

A look into Supreme Court data on the distribution of male and female lawyers throughout our justice system shows that women generally take part of a greater share of positions in the lower courts, administrative roles, and lower-ranked positions

while male lawyers occupy a greater share of positions in the appellate courts, and the highest tribunal of the land.

Women are also underrepresented in the higher ranks in law firms, and as corporate counsels, law school deans and professors.

The tide may be turning, though.

In 2016, female enrollment in US law schools surpassed male enrolment for the first time. Local trends appear to follow a similar trend. Think back to your own block – how many females and males are in it?

The demographic of bar passers in general is equally distributed between male and female. In the November 2016 Bar, 8 out of 13 of the bar topnotchers are women. As the trend shifts and as the gender gap narrows, questions arise as to the reasons and implications.

Women have myriad of reasons as to why they decided to pursue law. They may be career-oriented and willing to take up the challenge as they spend additional years in school. Being a lawyer may also be a childhood dream. As they continue to strive for their dreams, the increase of their number in law schools shows the dec l i n e in the real and perceived barriers in the law profession, proving that women are at par with men.

Then, the question becomes about the real-life experiences of women after graduation. Since the glass ceiling continues to exist, will the presence of more women in the field open more opportunities for key positions? Will the greater number of females admitted into the practice of law translate to a greater number of female lawyers holding the gavel?

There may be different implications with this trend as the manifold changes are yet to come. The fight for an equal playing field between men and women still continues. But for now, let us welcome more women in the field of law.

The Red Chronicles | 35

UBER, GRAB vs. LTFRB

Ride-sharing services, particularly Grab and Uber, recently fell under the spotlight of the LTFRB.

Coming under the purview of Transportation Network Vehicle Services, Grab and Uber were accredited by the LTFRB and required to register. The LTFRB, on the other hand, issued permits for their drivers and the requisite Certificate of Public Convenience.

The LTFRB, however, resolved to halt the acceptance and processing of their applications, to allow it time to study how to regulate the newly-introduced industry.

While both ride-sharing platforms initially refused to comply on the ground of alleged possible loss of its fast-growing clientele and interested drivers, Grab later desisted, and Uber continued to openly defy 36 | The Red Chronicles

By Trisha Yaokasin

the government issuance momentarily before heeding the order, leading to its controversial monthlong suspension.

Despite the suspension, Uber continued to operate after lodging an appeal with the transportation agency, then quickly reversed its stance after said appeal was rejected. In the aftermath of such suspension, Uber sought to have the penalty of suspension converted to a fine, thus leading to the imposition of the Php 190M fine, which Uber complied with.

The controversy gave birth to a public outcry, with various citizens and lawmakers viewing the LTFRB’s treatment as harsh, and the suspension arbitrary, making the public suffer the absence of a reliable mode of transportation. It must be noted

that technological innovation for the enhancement of human convenience cannot take precedence over the law.

While these ride-sharing platforms do provide us with a certain level of comfort and convenience, which is rarely afforded to us by the other public transportation options, the need to strike a balance between innovation and public convenience, and putting in place laws and regulations that will ultimately benefit the public good is of utmost importance. The LTFRB, being a regulatory body charged with promulgating, administering, enforcing, and monitoring compliance of policies, laws, and regulations of public land transportation services, cannot then be faulted for simply doing its job.

A MARAWI SIEGE EXPOSÉ

By JENICA TI and DICK MARTINEZ

The Marawi siege caused great concern in the SOL community, not only because it was a nationwide dispute, but more importantly, because of our affected Maranao brothers and sisters in the SOL studentry. The Red Chronicles sat down with these SOL students -- 4th year student Ms. Sitty Hannan B. Mangotara; 4th year student Ms. Yaimah Sattar; 3rd year law student Mr. Hafsha Guro; and 2nd year law student Mr. Mohandis Iman M. Lucman.

Here’s their take on the issue.

A Closer Look at the Marawi Siege

“I was in Marawi the day before the siege,” Guro revealed.

“My grandparents, aunts, and other relatives’ houses have been hit by airstrikes,” said Mangotara. Guro explained, “Islam is also a victim.”

Lucman agreed. Mangotara clears any misconception, “A jihad doesn’t mean killing Christians.”

The Philippine Government, at a time of crisis

Lucman blames, “the government of the Philippines was in one way or another, directly or indirectly faulty.”

Sattar expressed discontentment, “since day one, the government already had an intel. But, instead of planning or preparing, some officials went to Russia, and still have the confidence to blame the people of Lanao for not doing anything.”

Mangotara concurred, claiming that she felt “dissatisfaction, disappointment, and distrust. I just hope they realize that they have largely contributed to our downfall.”

On the other hand, Lucman was in favor of the military presence of the AFP, “but not in the disproportionate manner it has [been] conducted, by way of airstrike and bombing.”

Martial Law in Mindanao

With distrust, Sattar explains that some military officials were abusing their powers. Lucman adds, “It only empowers the military more than it needs. Even without ML, we already have numerous accounts of military abuse in the guise of legitimate operations.” Mangotara, apprehensive, reveals, “I don’t think anybody would want to experience living under Martial Law.”

Lucman adds that it was unnecessary as “prior to the declaration of Martial Law, the military have already been conducting operations against the Maute Group in Butig.” He suggests the calling out powers of the President. Believing that the declaration is detrimental, Lucman opines, “A disproportionate response by the government only allows [Maute] to gain notoriety and elevate their position among Southeast Asian terror organizations, and recognition from ISIS.”

Guro dissents, “Martial Law is reserved for moments like these. The bottom line is, Martial Law was needed in Marawi and the imposition of Martial Law in Marawi was the right call.”

Social Media Power against Marawi Siege

“Social media has been an effective medium of reminding and putting pressure to the government that we will not settle for any abuses,” Mangotara revealed.

Lucman points out the reality, “Most Filipinos are just watching.” Sattar adds, ““Not all news and reports from the media and the government are true.”

Mangotara, however, convinces the netizens that instead of being mere keyboard warriors, “Be warriors of peace, love, and hope

TRC EXCLUSIVE

through volunteerism.” Guro adds, “I wish the reactions in social media would shift [into] what we [can] do to help the people of Marawi.”

A Call for Unity

Guro calls for unity, “I do not see it just as a Muslim nor [as] a law student, but [as] a Filipino who sees those in need. Maranaos are also Filipinos. Marawi is part of the Philippines. We are Marawi. Help Marawi.”

Sattar stands her ground, “I condemn any heinous terrorist acts by any extremist terrorist groups.”

Mangotara shared, “I condemn the hatred, extremism, terrorism and the spread of ‘un-Islamic’ ideologies.”

Lucman remains optimistic, “If we have created a system that destroyed our lands, we can surely create a system that cannot only restore our lands but also nourish every seed thrown at it. Let this tragedy be an opportunity to create better versions of ourselves.”

End of Marawi Siege?

On October 17, 2017, President Duterte declared the liberation of Marawi from terrorist influence. Though the government has prevailed against the terrorist group, the more crucial endeavors of healing and rehabilitation follow. In the words of Guro, “Eventually, after the conflict ends, [the Maranaos] still need to return to their ruined homes and rebuild. Our attention should not die when the shooting ends, because this is just the beginning.”

The Red Chronicles | 37

By LEIRON MARTIJA and JENICA TI Photos by AYLWYN VALENCIANO and MELISSA MANANSALA

Up close and personal with Aquino and Santos, Attorneys-At-Law

The study of law is a rigorous ordeal, a jealous mistress that demands unwavering devotion and sacrifice. The trials and tribulations of a legal education shape a law student, not only with the expertise necessary to practice, but also residually, those unwritten qualities that necessarily go with the beautiful struggle: courage, resilience, and that infamous cunning, tempered by a well-developed moral fiber. Besides the intricacies and the demands of law school, Bedan law students are not to shy away from principles that are deeply rooted in their souls. We hold dear our alma mater. “For San Beda, our country, and God,” a constant and unwavering reminder of our ultimate purpose in the community.

As our professors constantly remind us, the key to a holistic and meaningful legal education are best exemplified by our words, prayer and work - ora et labora.

This year, The Red Chronicles features two of our law school’s alumni, famous in their own right for exemplifying these qualities and more. Two success stories, among others, which are testaments of strength and resilience in the realm of the study of law. Like all students of law, they have bushwhacked through the vines of sleepless nights and pile-high readings, emerging successful. They exemplify the ultimate success promised to all Bedans—scholastic brilliance with Benedictine values which remain the marked qualities of a true Bedan lawyer. This is their story.

38 | The Red Chronicles

“Well, if I finish law, I could help my townmates.”

ATTY. RODOLFO AQUINO

Atty. Rodolfo “Ding” Aquino is San Beda Alabang’s first bar topnotcher, placing 10th in the 2011 Bar examinations. Currently, he is a certified public accountant, a practicing lawyer, and a professor of both accountancy and law in the University of the Philippines Diliman and in the San Beda College Alabang - School of Law, respectively.

Never A Dull Moment

Atty. Aquino stood tall. He was dressed sharply with comfort and ease intelligently incorporated - wearing a blazer over his polo shirt and slacks. We settled into our interview a little tense, primed for terse and objective questions. Soon however, we found ourselves enthralled in conversation with Atty. Ding with occasional mirth and life lessons strewn with sagacity --- always with a touch of wisdom only experience can impart.

“Why San Beda Alabang? Commuting did not appeal to me.” Atty. Ding humored us when we asked him why he took up law here, and not in the State University, where he first passed the law entrance exam. “I was already here,” he said.

We pressed him for his motivation, his ultimate “why” for studying law. “Well, if I finish law, I could help my townmates, you know, small legal matters. So, I pursued law. I wanted to retire a lawyer.” We looked for an inspiration for his younger self, a figure he possibly looked up to, that made him pursue law. “No one, really.” He shook his head, laughing. “I didn’t really have anything like that. Even when they interviewed me, on the TV, no one really comes to mind.” No one in his family came from a legal background but he recognized his passion for the legal profession. You could say that Atty. Aquino went where his heart led him to.

“I studied law fairly late in life,” he told us in his relaxed baritone.

ATTY. RODOLFO AQUINO

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“I graduated Accountancy from the University of the now. Para pagdating ng bar exam, confident ka. I saw a lot Philippines, and though I always wanted to be a lawyer, of people, looking at last-minute notes. What else can you I had to work first.” Apart from being a man of service, cram in your head, a few minutes before the exam?” We family figures very much in his life. While he was in law pressed on further for his thoughts on preparing for the school, he was still lovingly catering to the needs of his bar. “It’s not so different naman from law school. Somesiblings, his son, and his wife. Atty. Ding is very much a times, you think you need to buy more reading materials, family man. or new books. Maybe one or two. But I found that

Asked about what the hardest obit was important to stick with the one that you stacle was in his study of law, he admitted start with.” Atty. Ding went further, discussit was finding the time for things. “The ing the relevance of study habits. “Stick time management siguro, balancing the with the habit that works for you, continThere’s no such responsibilities.” A plight many of us can ue with it. What doesn’t work, stop it.” thing as a stupid relate to.

His matter-of-factly tone found us all question, only a

But his resilience as a law stuin silent agreement over a simple truth stupid answer.. dent was greatly tested when his father so often taken for granted; that learning passed away. He received the tragic call starts and comes from within ourselves. while in school. At that time, he had to go

He reminisced his law school years, outside Judge Palamos’ Special Proceedings “May nagsabi sa akin dati, that we needed class and arrange his father’s funeral services. Soon to read three times: tapos each time, you mark or after, sadly, his sister also died. The funerals in both cases highlight with a different color.” We remarked that some coincided with the final exams. Confronted with conflict- students highlight with as many as six, sometimes seven ing priorities, Atty. Ding sacrificed in order to attend to colors. “Ahh, that never worked on me. I only used one. both obligations. He endured travelling to Nueva Ecija ev- I can never remember what the other colors are for.” He ery four in the morning, squeezing review time during the chimed this in with impeccable timing, both anecdotal and wake, only sleeping on the trip back to Alabang, and taking poignant. the exams in the evening. He triumphed through all the “Remedial law was the hardest for me,” Atty. struggles and even graduated as his batch’s valedictorian.

Ding answered when asked if there was a subject that he found at all difficult in the bar exams. “Kasi, it’s procedurA Pillar in the Academe al. It has a separate logic. Hirap ako ‘dun. Another one

Indubitably, he’s no stranger to academic excel- was Civil Law.” Despite the admitted difficulty, one of his lence - between two PhDs, teaching Finance in the State best scores was on Remedial Law. “Gulat ako. And not University, placing in the CPA exams, and being the first only that, you know the subject I felt more confident with topnotcher of San Beda Alabang. Atty. Aquino serves as - Criminal Law - was my lowest score.” A clear manifesour school’s best example of academic excellence. Pres- tation that in the study of law, we also need to have faith, ently, he teaches law in San Beda. “Well, one has to do in ourselves and in God, in those matters that are difficult something.” He jived us on. “I teach because at my age, life for us. Also, that we must not give in to the temptation of can be a bit boring at times. It’s a good way to stay sharp.” giving up because once we put our minds to the test - the He said that last part to us with an assuring nod. One can’t rest is a matter of patience, and time. help but agree.

We asked him to talk about his favorite subjects

As to his purpose for studying law, he recalled a in law school, and which one he found hardest. “Harddream he nurtured as a younger man. “Well as I said, I’ve est?” He shook his head, and chuckled. “Hard or easy, they always wanted to somehow give back to my community, are all the same. Aren’t they? You have to go through them my province.” Atty. Ding hails from historic Nueva Ecija. just the same.” Indeed, preparation requires mastery in all “I thought, if I were to retire, I would like to be useful the departments to have a confident grasp on the instito my fellow man. If you’re a professor? Useful perhaps, tution. Moreover, what you prepare for as a student will but not to as many people.” This, despite already finding dictate your fate as a bar examinee, and what you prepare plenty of work in the city, first as an accountant for SGV for as a student and a bar examinee will dictate your fate in Accenture, legal practice, and even a government position. the legal profession.

“It was a holdover position, more or less five years, with Parting words for our readers: “DO NOT BE the Credit Information Commission as Director.”

AFRAID.” He also has some words for us students experiencing strife in their studies: “There’s no such thing as The Bar Exam a stupid question, only a stupid answer. It’s okay to fail in

Atty. Ding’s reputation as our school’s first top- your subjects. Kasi ibig sabihin, hindi ka pa hinog. Hayaan notcher precedes him. He shared his foolproof tip in acing mong bumagsak ka ng subject sa law. Que sa bumagsak the examinations, “The important thing is to study hard ka sa bar.” With that, we parted ways with Atty. Aquino 40 | The Red Chronicles

Grassroots

Saturday morning, and our interview at the Romulo Cafe was greeted by a hazy southern drizzle. We met Atty. Julius Santos over coffee and conversation to ask him about his journey throughout law school and conquering the bar exam.

“My mother described me as a happy-go-lucky person.”

He reminisced his childhood, “When I was growing up, I never considered myself to become a lawyer, although my grandfather was a lawyer. My mother suggested that I should just try, and that if hindi ko gusto, I could just get out any time.” A familiar face among students and professors alike, Atty. Julius not only passed the bar examinations in one take, but one of the hardest bar exams in recent history. This, despite his extended stay in law school - fifteen semesters in total. Atty. Bruce Rivera, the School of Law’s former prefect of student affairs, would often proudly boast of Atty. Julius to his students exclaiming, “Don’t lose hope! Look at Atty. Julius. He had a hard time memorizing and he knew this and he compensated for it. He really worked hard. Eight years in law school but one take sa bar.”

light-hearted mood, even when it comes to topics about his struggle in law school. “Teacher ko ‘nun si Atty. Amurao. I was so scared. And after retaking him, teacher ko naman si Dean Jara. Mas takot ako sa kanya kasi makikita mo talaga ang lawak ng isip niya. Sobrang hirap talaga ako sa kanya, but you know it’s like what he always says: there’s always a remedy.”

Atty. Julius recalled his subjects: “After that, kay Judge Wagan naman ako for CivPro. Evidence also, was under her. Bumagsak din pala ako ng Corporation Law. So halos lahat ng third year inulit ko. So pinasa ko lang ‘ata noon was PALE. Oh, and Tax 2. Pero pagdating naman ng fourth year, inulit ko rin Tax Review under Atty. Cabaneiro.”

With how Atty. Julius can talk about his experience, one will think that he is immune to self-defeating thoughts. But he revealed otherwise. “After several and repeated failed subjects in law school, I lost all of the confidence I had in me. I thought that maybe law school is not really for me. That maybe they are correct that I will never be a lawyer.” Amid the self-doubt, Atty. Julius persisted.

This he credits to his faith in God and the people who believed in him -- his family and friends, Dean Ulan and his professors.

“Over time, tinanggap ko na lang na delayed ako.” This he shared in passing, without a tinge of regret.

“Kaya nag-working student ako, as a paralegal.”

Atty. Julius admitted that his greatest foe in law school was himself. He reflected on his lack of discipline and how easily he gets distracted. To overcome this, he coupled self-awareness with prayers. “I prayed to God that He will give me enough strength so that I can sacrifice the momentary fun and joy in order for me to achieve permanent happiness.” Over time, habits gave way to virtues, and he found himself on the track to achieving what was once thought impossible for him - passing the Bar exam.

The Bare Necessities

“You’ll rediscover yourself in law school. Law school changed my life.” We pressed further, if this was to mean that law school was a painful ordeal. “No, I had fun! Law school was fun for me.” The answer catches us off-guard, with nervous laughter. “Reviewing for the bar was also fun. I don’t know,” he chuckled. “I think it was because of the people around me, my batchmates at the time.”

But not all days are sunny in the study of law.

“The first time I failed, it was in Criminal Law. I was under Atty. Amurao.” There isn’t a trace of wistfulness or regret in Atty. Julius’ voice as he tells his story. “I got a 100 in one of his recitations. But it wasn’t enough.” He led us in looking back, and laughing. Atty. Julius inspires this

Failure as a Gain What people regarded as Atty. Julius’ weakness, ultimately became his edge. “During my bar exam, all that I read were asked in the bar.

Failure is a good teacher. If I did not fail, I wouldn’t have passed the bar because the questions there, naalala ko, galing sa law school. Kaya I am proud actually of my journey in law school.”

The secret to the indomitable disposition of Atty. Julius? Perspective. On failure, however grave: “You try again after failing because life is about failure. You learn from failure if you want to succeed. It makes you stronger talaga. Yung mga bokyang recit, ayaw ng mga kaibigan ko na bobokya sa harap ng hukom sa korte, pero okay lang sa akin kasi sanay na ako. I have a friend, cum laude siya sa college pero hindi niya matanggap ang failure so she wasn’t able

not only inspired by his stories, but also by the practical wisdom he had imparted in so brief a time. And we shook his hand as better students of the law.

ATTY. JULIUS SANTOS

Atty. Julius Santos entered law school in 2005 as part of the pioneer batch, passed one of the conceivably known hardest bar exams in recent history on his first take, despite a challenging study of law that spanned over seven years. Now, he is an attorney-at-law, specializing in education law as counsel for the University of Perpetual Help - Dalta System.

Failure is a good teacher.

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to recover quickly. Ako kasi mayroon akong trait na when I fail, siyempre malungkot ako pero masiyahin [pa rin], nadadaan sa biro.” He was all smiles as he told us this. It is the smile of hard-earned wisdom from his experiences.

“Failure is not supposed to bring you down; it will make you stronger and a better person.”

We asked him if failing in law school is a similar experience in the practice of law. “Yes, even the veteran lawyers sometimes would lose their pride, and would not feel good there, as they could lose their case if they tried to impress the judge too much or be full of pride. Sometimes, if you get corrected, you accept the comments and corrections, and it can serve as an experience.”

Did he ever fear disappointing his family? “Actually, blessed talaga ako kasi yung family ko, todo suporta sakin. All of us know naman ‘diba, our families are with us 100% of the way. Given na ‘yan na proud sila. The rest is really about the work. What I feared more was disappointing my teachers.” His voice rose as he made this point, all of us listened intently. “I know this because the feeling of making my teachers proud, that was incomparable. Iba talaga ‘yung pakiramdam. It feels like you can do anything.”

“I will not be a lawyer now if not for San Beda. A Law degree from San Beda means that you are ready to pass the bar examinations.”

Ora et Labora

Both law school and the bar exam brought Atty. Julius closer to God. “Would you believe that I still go to church every day, since graduation?” His eyes lit up recalling these times, as if the steadfast prayers were his trusted companions throughout his studies. “Every Wednesdays I am in Baclaran, Thursdays at St. Jude and Fridays at Quiapo, and every regular days, nasa St. Jude ako.” Asked if it was a habit he picked up in preparing for the bar, “Yes. Up to now, I go to the chapel every day.”

But Atty. Julius does not proselytize. He shared with us an anecdote. “Yung isa naming bar weekend, the proctor led the prayer. But of course, in the bar exam, people have different faiths. So sabi pa niya: “Oh, yung mga acheest acheest diyan!” Tapos yun pala atheist ‘yung sinasabi niya!”

We could not help but laugh; even on such serious topics, Atty. Julius maintains his mirth.

Role Model

“My idol talaga is Dean Ulan Sarmiento. He’s the kind of lawyer I want to be.” We asked further what

ATTY. Julius santos 42 | The Red Chronicles

qualities he admires the most about Dean Ulan. “It’s just everything. From his skills as a lawyer, his commitment to San Beda, lalo na to his students. Sa tagal ko nga dito, parang nga inampon na ko ni Dean, and also the faculty. So, I was really close to my teachers.” He paused, considered his answer a little more thoroughly. “Pero what really sets him apart, it’s the heart. Legal practice is a small world, you will end up working with or even against some people you know. Pero si Dean Ulan, he has the compassion talaga. It’s (sic) what sets a Bedan lawyer apart for me.”

The First and Last Take

How did you feel, walking into the bar exam?

“Kabado, siyempre. Nandun na rin yung takot. I just kept on thinking, sobrang galing ng mga kasama ko. What are the chances of me passing?” His candidness brings us full circle to the reason we sought him out for this interview: a human take on the law student’s story. “I didn’t think I would pass it. Nagbibiruan na nga kami after each exams eh. I just kept positive.”

We asked him what the hardest subject was for his bar exam. “We graduated from San Beda, and our professor was Atty. Maximo P. Amurao Jr., and he was the best in Criminal Law. And so when the bar came, the hardest was Criminal Law. So we were all shocked. It’s really hard. Well, when the bar results was released, ‘yun naman yung highest ko.” We were taken aback with awe. “So, I’m thankful for Atty. Amurao.”

But how did it feel, knowing you passed? “Until now I remember, passing the bar, I cried. Before the release I waited at Baclaran Church and I prayed.

Actually, marami kami dun eh. Alam mo ‘yung laman ng Baclaran is lahat law students, lahat mga barista.” Like everyone else in Baclaran that day, Atty. Julius prayed for the success of his painstaking preparations for the bar. At that moment, the fate of his exam had been set in stone; and as he waited for the results

of the bar, he got an unexpected call from his sister.

“Oh no, I failed…”

“Tapos I got a call from my sister. My sister was crying when she called me and nakakainis lang ‘diba? Bakit siya umiiyak ‘diba syempre eh ‘di sabi ko sa sarili ko, ‘Oh no, I failed.’ so some part of me recalled; parang naalala ko na, wow tama pala sila, hindi talaga ako papasa.”

He revealed that some people questioned his ability to pass the bar, noting that he rendered more years in law school, and that he may not be ready in taking the bar that year.

But then, his sister, on the other side of the phone, composed herself, “Then, when she calmed down she told me, “Kuya you passed,” ‘yun ang sabi niya. Then I cried sobra.

‘Pag naaalala ko naiiyak pa rin nga ako eh. Then Atty. Frias called, Dean Ulan called. And it was confirmed.” And the rest was history.

“I was crying in the church maybe for half an hour, even more. It was really life-changing. I never expected to pass the exam, in one take even! Kumpara kasi sa galing ng mga batchmates ko, sabay sila, mas aral pa sila.

Then I compared everything that happened in law school, review, tapos parang hindi naman, diba? Parang nandun lang naman ako, easy easy lang, relaxed, hindi stressed. I felt like, I was afraid I did not do enough. So I was really thankful. I was really grateful talaga. To God, my family, my friends, and also to San Beda, the community.”

Deep in his thoughts, Atty. Julius had a few words to share, “I will not be a lawyer now if not for San Beda.” “A Law degree from San Beda means that you are ready to pass the bar examinations. It gives you some confidence.”

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Truly, the study of law is a unique experience for every law student. Although we go through the same line-up of professors, purchase the same books, pass by the same hallways, and share the same Bedan values; each student has his own story and path to tread. All, with the promise of success just like Atty.

Ding and Atty. Julius who are completely different and similar at the same time. For us who have yet to cross the finish line, they are shining beacons of hope. Every lawyer shares this defining heritage - of being a student of law, and passing the bar exams. And while no successes are certain either in life or in law, our San Beda is never short of inspiring stories to share.

44 | The Red Chronicles

Comics

The Red Chronicles | 45

By KARA LIM

The jury is still out on the digital vs. paper debate.

Over the past decade, paper use has been the object of a smear campaign of sorts. It used to be the case that think-before-you-print reminders were found at the bottom of email signatures only of niche Silicon Valley type firms. Now, even our own Supreme Court issued AM 11-9-4-SC, the Efficient Use of Paper Rule, ordering all courts and quasi-judicial bodies under the Court’s supervision to adhere to certain printing guidelines in an effort to reduce paper waste.

Truth be told, global studies are inconclusive as to whether or not abandoning paper in favor of tablets will be more beneficial for the environmental, especially once we consider the lack of established electronic waste programs in the Philippines.

The end goal of any switch-to-paperless campaign is surely to reduce negative environmental impact of paper production. However, are we certain that a widespread switch to tablets, for example, will not cause its own environmental harm when landfills begin to stock up with discarded electronic waste? Currently, there is no established government e-waste recycling program (if you are looking, a good bet is the E-Waste Project at UP, where Engineering students collect used gadgets to tinker around with).

What we do know for sure is that law school equals paper. Isang katutak na papel. Photocopies, yellow pad, and notebooks all add up and it seems there is no escape.

Many law professors allow only handwritten notes and perhaps with good reason. Commonly held belief is that retention is higher when taking handwritten notes versus when you type your notes. And no reasonable law student will refuse a memory-booster.

Informal studies on college students observing the correlation between note-taking methods and grades 46 | The Red Chronicles

suggest that handwritten notes really are beneficial to students.

Is this set in stone, though? Could we train our brains to work equally well with computer-typed notes?

How many photocopied readings are produced every month for your block alone? Multiply that by the total number of sections, multiplied by four batches, multiplied by the number of law schools in the country and how much paper are we looking at? Admittedly, it depends.

But in sum, we use up a lot of paper as students and may very well be employing less than an efficient-use-of-paper rule.

For the socially-conscious millennial student, not one to accept the inevitability of the paper-wastage conundrum, a few noteworthy apps like Genius Scan and Evernote have become trendy means for reducing paper use.

The switch from paper to digital may or may not be the way to go for you but the debate does drive home one universal tip: efficiency is the goal. We all ought to improve efficiency of resource use whether that means taking better care of your photocopy so that you won’t end up needing a new one of the same chapter, or streamlining the number of devices you own to reduce e-waste. Whatever your take on this is, we are all in this together, fam! ***

Genius Scan and Evernote take the cake for the top apps for law students. Genius Scan allows you to quickly take pictures of textbook pages from the library, and then turns them into decent high-contrast scans (instead of hard to read JPEG pictures). Evernote has endless features but essentially allows you to keep your notes organized in one place, and accessible on all your devices.

By VALENTIN PRIETO III

Last summer, the Congress of the Philippines passed House Bill No. 5636, otherwise known as TRAIN (Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion Act), as a tax measure to raise the prices of sugar-sweetened beverages and promote the public physical health of the citizenry.

Among its provisions is to increase the price of sugar-sweetened beverages by 140%, or a tax of PHP10 per liter.

Covered by this proposal are sweetened juice drinks; sweetened tea and coffee; carbonated drinks with added sugar; flavored water; energy drinks; sports drinks; powdered drinks not classified as milk, juice, tea and coffee; cereal and grain beverages; and other non-alcoholic beverages that contain added sugar. Not covered by TRAIN are plain milk and milk drink products without added sugar; all milk products; 100% fruit juices; 100% natural vegetable juices; meal replacement and medically indicated beverages; ground coffee; and unsweetened tea.

The Department of Finance had estimated that if TRAIN is enacted, the cost of soft drinks will climb by 36% of current prices and the prices of sweetened milk, tea, coffee, and tetra pack juices could increase by 48%.

Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua stated that the excise tax on sugar sweetened beverages could generate PHP 47 billion in government revenue in the first year of implementation. Apart from the financial benefits, the government hopes that the imposition of this excise tax shall reduce consumption of sugary goods, especially by those prone to diabetes.

According to the Department of Health, con-

sumption of sugar-sweetened beverages increases the risk of developing health problems such as blood sugar disorders, obesity, diabetes, and other related diseases like bone fractures, hyperacidity, tooth decay, and heart problems.

Senator Joel Villanueva expressed that the lives of Filipinos must be given priority. He said that it is high time that Filipinos be given the right information and education on the harmful effects of sugar on their health. Moreover, the tax to be imposed shall prompt Filipino consumers to opt for healthier alternative to sweetened drinks.

On the other hand, The Beverage Industry Association of the Philippines (BIAP) projected that the new tax measure would result in a PHP 20 billion decline in sales of sugar-sweetened beverages. Likewise, the Philippine Chamber of Food Manufacturers believe that the tax to be imposed will be the highest in the world and will hit the masses the hardest. According to Philippine Association of Store and Carinderia Owners President Victoria Aguinaldo, sari-sari store owners earn PHP 1,000 per day and 30-40% of their total sales come from the sale of coffee, juices, and carbonated drinks. With the possible increase in prices, sari-sari stores, which comprise 91% of all retail stores being an economic backbone, may be forced to close shop as they would no longer be a source of additional income. Other losses to be expected are PHP 2.4 billion in VAT, PHP 27 billion losses incurred by affected businesses, and PHP 130 billion losses in investments for the Beverage Industry Association of the Philippines.

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Batas Kasambahay

By KARA LIM

Filipino families have a unique and special relationship with their household helpers, who are employees hired for a value exchange, at face value, but who, in reality, become much more than that.

“She is someone who gives more than she takes. She is the one who has made a living out of caring and loving other people.”

These words supposedly came from Miss International 2005 Precious Lara Quigaman during her Q&A segment; she was proud that Filipinos are typecast as nannies because it is a testament to our loving and caring culture as Pinoys.

Filipino nannies have made such a name for themselves that Pep.ph has written an article on eight of the most famous Filipina nannies. No one has verified that Quigaman’s Q&A really took place, but regardless, the words hit home.

Amidst the growing number of overseas domestic workers (those providing service that offer convenience and personal comfort to the employer), foreign nations have formulated their respective laws regulating foreign domestic worker employment. In Canada, Filipino domestic workers are covered by the Temporary Foreign Worker Program that regulates the employment of foreign domestic workers. The law states that employers must pay for the worker’s medical insurance and must provide them a private room, with a window, and a door that locks from the inside. All these seem to protect the domestic worker and guarantee

48 | The Red Chronicles

a certain quality of life.

Similarly, Filipino nannies working in Hong Kong are protected by their government’s laws stipulating a minimum allowable wage, a food allowance, reasonable accommodation, and free passage from the home country to Hong Kong and back upon the end of the contract.

In the Philippines, Batas Kasambahay (RA 10361) was passed in 2013 to protect the rights and welfare of our household workers. Employers must now (among other things): 1) enter an employment contract with the kasambahay; 2) register the kasambahay under the SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG systems; 3) pay the monthly contributions to SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG for the kasambahay (or a share of, if the kasambahay has a monthly wage over PHP 5,000.00).

The law defines the rights, vacation leaves, mandatory benefits, and contents of the employment contract, and lists prohibited acts like hiring a domestic worker under 15 years old. All in all, the law places domestic workers in the formal labor market, just as in the employment of any regular corporation.

Still, enforcement of and compliance with Batas Kasambahay is weak. A year and a half after its effectivity, only 120,000 kasambahays were registered with SSS, 59,734 with PhilHealth, and 24,671 with Pag-IBIG, while there are an estimated 1.9 million kasambahay workers (Philippine Statistics Authority, 2010).

Why do some employers (even employees themselves) prefer to do away with bureaucracy and continue private agreements regarding compensation, leave, and benefits?

Perhaps the very nature of the relationship eludes any strict boundaries by the law. The employer-kasambahay relationship may allow for bending, like extra long hours when the employer has guests.

On the other hand, a kasambahay may be able to ask for advances on their salary, and flexible repayment terms.

But it is precisely the reason the law wishes to protect the interest of both domestic worker and employer, by setting standards all employers must adhere to and workers must know of. The government seeks justice at the hands of law, and not of men.

If you, your family, or your household helpers want to know more, www.dole.gov.ph has an excellent Q&A on Batas Kasambahay in English and Filipino.

Inside the

Legal Aid Center

The Legal Aid Center of San Beda College Alabang aims to be one of the best avenues for training law students before entry into the legal profession. It was established in 2014 and duly accredited by the Supreme Court on 5 July 2015 pursuant to Bar Matter No. 2742. Supervised by Atty. Maritonie Resurreccion, the Legal Aid Center serves indigent clients with respect to primarily civil and criminal cases filed within the cities of Parañaque, Muntinlupa, and Las Piñas.

The Legal Aid Center aims to make justice accessible to all; provide quality legal service to persons of inadequate means, the disadvantaged, and the oppressed; promote voluntarism among law students aiming to maximize their capacity and talents in the legal profession; stimulate enthusiasm and boost morale and love in the learning of law; and bring brotherhood and sisterhood among students.

Fourth year students undertaking third year subjects, or full regular subjects, may join the Legal Aid Center. Legal Aid work will put to the test what students learn since freshmen year, most especially their working knowledge on legal procedures. Admission is done via oral and written examination and if the applicant succeeds, he or she can be an intern. In addition to that, becoming a member of the Legal Aid Center effectively exempts a student from attending Practice Court 1 and Practice Court 2 classes as actual membership will be the basis of one’s grade in both subjects.

As a student-led organization, it has honed student-interns’ potentials in exercising the legal profession and leadership skills needed in their daily lives. The current president, Johnlery Pugao, believes that the most important ingredient in being a lawyer is exposure --- for one to be the best in the profession, exposure to all stages in court cases can shape the practice of one’s legal profession.

By VALENTIN M. PRIETO III

Mr. Pugao believes that some students in San Beda Alabang lack exposure. In order to address that, the Legal Aid Center partnered with the IBP-PPLM to lecture the student body on continuing trial in criminal cases, as one of the projects to expose the students to the rigors and trends of the legal profession. Apart from exposure, Mr. Pugao believes that internship in the Legal Aid Center allows students to have hands-on experience in dealing with clients, enabling them to smoothly deal with prospective clients, confidently face judges sitting in court, and effectively win cases.

One of the prior interns, Mary Pabalay, recalls one experience where the judge grilled her on the reason why their motion for a default judgment should be granted. In one case she, together with her teammates, was able to push for a compromise despite the case appearing to be already a loss in court, effectively preventing two families from losing homes and being evicted.

Another prior intern, Valerie Cruz-Claudio, recalls her experience as fulfilling as she handled a case of qualified theft. She recalls how cases are transferred from one office to the other. Many were instances where she rendered legal advice to certified indigent clients only to find out that such cases will be handled or brought elsewhere.

The Legal Aid Center provides free legal counseling and free legal advice to walk-in clients. Notably, Frolics, a counseling program usually set up in time with the school’s Santo Niño Festival and Maagang Pamasko, are programs where the Legal Aid Center adopts an indigent community to offer free legal services.

The Legal Aid Center is at Room 12E8 of the Saint Benedict Building. Applications for membership take place every second semester of the academic year.

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THE GAME CHANGERS

STUDENT ARTISTS

By GREAN AÑONUEVO

NIKKI TUBLE on Fiona Federico, ERROL CABRERA on Earl Santos, KARA CHUNG and SARA ABRIGO on Mateo Escueta

A law student’s life is occupied with reading tons of materials, conquering menacing recitations, and preparing for grueling exams, making it hard to imagine a student wear a different hat. In the School of Law for instance, students effortlessly camouflage with everyone else. But don’t be fooled. The Red Chronicles peered through the camouflage and found four students whose artistry outside law school had drawn the spotlight to themselves.

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Mateo Escueta Musician

Born and raised in a family whose love for music is undying, Mateo’s passion in music began when he realized it is his safe place. He considered songs and song writing as an outlet to express himself. He relates truth and reality in his craft. Being an indie musician who has produced songs that are widely available on various online music stores and at the same time a devoted student of law, he reiterated the importance of wisely balancing his time in studying to allow him to still keep nourishing his passion for music. In his extended play, he has written two songs entitled Twenty Three and Something In Me, which were inspired by the things he went through in law school.

Fiona federico Figure Skater

Aside from studying law, Fiona is most passionate about the art of figure skating. It started when she was enticed by a friend who enrolled in a skating lesson. She enrolled as well and it turned out that Fiona was much more interested in the art form than her friend. Her graceful gliding on ice and her inherent balancing skills made her excel in it effortlessly. She admits that her love for skating sometimes conflicts with her studies, but she strictly follows an effective study habit to harmonize the two. Fiona has been participating in various competitions. She had won two gold medals in a summer skate competition.

EARL santos

Food Photographer

Earl’s love for cooking scrumptious meals inspired him to start his own food blog to showcase his talent and art in food photography. He believes that people eat with their eyes first and that the aesthetic prowess of a beautifully prepared plate catches the attention of many.

Earl took his passion to the next level when he started posting on his social media accounts appetizing pictures of food he has tried—from small diners, cafes, and bars to well-known restaurants in the south and the metro.

For him, an honest review of the taste, cost, and presentation of the food really matters. Positive feedbacks have been reflected through thousands of followers on his account. And he is not stopping. The renowned food application called Zomato even made him as one of its frequent food and restaurant reviewers.

kristine de villa

Plus-Size Model

Being a lady entrepreneur on one hand and a law student on the other, Kristine is also known for expressing fashion in one of the more popular ways—through modelling. As a plus-size model who confidently flaunts her curves in the name of fashion, she wants to be an epitome of empowerment especially for women who struggle in finding the perfect size of clothing. To date, her clients range from famous online shops and plussize celebrity clothing lines. Because of her passion in plus-size clothing and modelling, she was inspired to start her own online shop, which showcases clothes she personally designed, specifically catered to women whose sizes range from XL, 2XL, and 3XL. The Red Chronicles | 51

Law Distance Relationship

By FRANCES CELIS

As the gates of law school welcomed innocent souls, students were easily devoured by the sea of readings and endless cases. It is like a walk in the (Jurassic) park where a lot of legendary (dinosaurs or) professors will devour anyone during recitations. Law school, as they say, is a time vampire and a jealous mistress. It is a place where those in a romantic relationship are challenged to maintain the flicker of love. It is a time when couples are baptized by fire, enduring misunderstanding and miscommunication. With numerous sacrifices, law school will either make or break the relationship.

As classes begin, library and coffee shops usually become the dating place.

Books become the third party, turning the supposedly romantic date into a study session. While one hand is locked in the hands of a sweetheart, the other goes through a thick book of Taxation Law, trying to understand provisions seemingly written in an alien language. Some dates might even turn into pity parties where one cries for being humiliated in class or for failing a subject. Little things like a box of tissue, a shoulder to cry on, and a reassuring hug ought to be the first-aid medication.

Being in a relationship in law school has both advantages and disadvantages. But one thing is for sure, it is no joke at all.

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There will be apprehensions if the relationship is strong enough to endure the struggles. There will be quarrels about not giving enough time and effort, which unavoidably become a distraction.

Issues of time management and priorities will always lurk in a corner. There will be wearying dilemmas where one loses either way and a toss of a coin is more decisive.

If heads, snatch the day and celebrate the birthday, anniversary, or spend time with your beloved (but at the expense of missing a class); if tails, let your sweetheart be alone in that special day, and expect the ensuing silent treatment. Sometimes, you just pray for a day to have 48 hours so you can study for the brain-wrecking, heart-pounding recitations, and still have time for the one and only bae (but this is not possible).

All these things—unmet demands and misunderstanding— create the gap in the relationship.

This distance between couples in this kind of relationship may push them to look for someone else. They may realize that it is not the same relationship they had before. But this distance can also make the heart grow fonder and the ties stronger.

Since your partner can be a source of support and a source of demanding responsibilities, it is necessary to always reflect and ask oneself—Is this relationship worth fighting for?

Winter (a.k.a. finals) has come

By Trisha Yaokasin

With final exams just right around the corner, we realize that it’s time to stop dilly-dallying, say goodbye to our social lives, return to the fold of life as hermits, and glue our eyes to our voluminous books and cases.

With the extra hours we decide to put into studying and our renewed resolve to avoid any possible distractions, we mistakenly believe that this would result to increased productivity, but we later learn that research tells us otherwise.

Now, why is that?

There’s no problem if you’re on a roll, and flipping on to the next pages of your assignment without breaking a sweat. But when you feel like you’ve hit a roadblock, and you can no longer absorb what you’re reading, studies reveal that we actually need to take breaks in be-

tween to promote productivity and reset our tired brains.

Mental concentration has often been likened to a muscle, which experiences fatigue after overly intense workouts at the gym. It’s undisputed that the brain gets tired after prolonged periods. What to do then? Here are some neat tips and tricks to boost your concentration:

Rather than drowning yourself in stress and pulling a number of 100% “in-the-zone” all-nighters, steering clear of all distractions, reward yourself by taking short breaks, giving your brain a breather, and making that 300-page assignment much less daunting.

Short breaks can be spent by taking a walk outside to get some air. Movement gets our blood flowing that in turn activates the transfer of more oxygen to the brain. Sitting

still for long stretches of time can make us feel restless, so work off that extra energy.

Eat. When studying, it’s important to fuel the body and mind to give it the energy it needs.

Take a nap if you’re feeling tired. Napping has been proven to improve learning and memory, boost mental alertness, and increase productivity. For an effective energy-booster, set your alarm to ring in the next 25-30 minutes.

Meditate. The technique allows you to clear your mind. Meditating is effective for relieving stress as it lowers cortisol levels in the body.

Remember, we’re not robots, and are not wired to just keep going and going. The next time you feel like beating yourself up for taking a break – don’t.

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See Food Diet

By NIÑO AREVALO Photo by NIKKI TUBLE

There’s no diet like “see-food diet.”

Sometimes decision-making is hardest when you’re at a food court where you’re just overwhelmed with selections of food. Having a strict budget isn’t enough to narrow down your choices. And you have to go around the entire food court, thrice at minimum, checking the different varieties of food and their prices before you select the food stall deserving of your prized money. BUT the food sightseeing could be fun! It gives you power to mix and match food from different stalls and have the best meal your money could afford.

Alabang Town Center is a good place to sightsee food and eventually satisfy your palates without hurting your pocket. “Town” has had a lot of changes, but its food court remains a top hangout spot among frequenters, SOL students included. The food court has been there for almost two decades. Over the years, the type of food has evolved from the usual Filipino rice meals to different cuisines, such as Japanese, Chinese, and even Korean.

Now, if you are a student with a budget of PHP 300, what could the Town food court offer?

I picked five food stalls that I think would fit your budget and give you the value for your money.

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TED’s La Paz Batchoy

1

Mesa Steak Sizzlers

This stall is hard to miss as it is situated right at the front corner side of the food court. It’s easily that first stall you’d notice. They offer varieties of poultry, pork, beef, and seafood sizzler meals. Their best seller and the meal that I recommend is their pork sisig (Php 135). Like adobo, there are countless varieties of sisig in the country but what made this sisig stand out is the richer pack of flavor that’s unique to Mesa Steak Sizzlers. It’s impossible to go wrong with this dish.

Named after the place where it originated which is La Paz, Iloilo, La Paz batchoy is a mainstay superstar when it comes to showcasing Filipino flavors.

Thanks to TED’s, one need not go out of his way to visit Iloilo to have a taste of this very simple but delightful dish. When at TED’s, I recommend ordering its extra super variant (Php 130) for it’d give you just the perfect amount of that filling flavorful soupy kick. It’s not bad too that you can ask for more soup for free. It’s still far from the original TED’s in Iloilo, but it gets the job done when you’re in Alabang.

4Kim N’ Chi 5Flaming Wings

3

El Presidente of Binondo

If you’re into Chinese cuisine, I highly recommend President Tea House.

It’s a popular go-to place in Binondo, Manila that never fails to hit the spot when one is craving for good old Chinese dim sum. Their menu is student-friendly for they offer plenty of less-than-Php 100 items. I recommend what I usually order which is their beef wanton mami (Php 105). For a fair price, you get to enjoy a really rich beef broth that can go headto-head with most of the popular ramen dishes available in the south. Unlike most beef wanton dishes, it’s filling and savory without being too salty.

One of the newer additions to the food court is Kim N’ Chi. Aptly riding the K-Pop fever, this food stall really delivers a taste of Korean cuisine. They offer set meals, and my favorite is the grilled chicken set meal.

What’s notable with Korean food establishments is that they still maintain the Korean way of wellness when it comes to the dishes they offer. And this, of course, is also the case with Kim N’ Chi for for PHP 135 only, you’ll get grilled chicken with rice, three side dishes (egg roll, veggies, and Myeolchi-bokkeum-stir fried anchovies), soup, and a drink. This food stall is worth a try if you’re particularly looking for healthier meals without compromising on taste.

The fifth on the list is a personal favorite – Flaming Wings. It has a restaurant in Taft, which I usually go to with friends when I was still in college. Its menu and signature sauce will urge you to come back and try a different combination every time. Their tenders meal (chicken strips and rice) is at PHP 128 only. Just add PHP27 and you will have a drink with it. Of course, if you have been to Flaming Wings, you will always order their famous dessert, wicked oreos. It’s a treat of deep-fried oreos coated with batter, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (PHP 100).

The good and the bad thing about the food court is that you have a lot of options to choose from. But, there is silver lining to it, you can always mix and match. Enjoy your next food sightseeing trip at the Town food court!

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