3.30.2008

why is barops worth all the effort?

because when bar results are out and your barristers made it, it's as if you've passed the bar exams yourself. congratulations to our new lawyers!


TOP TEN
1. Mercedita Ona (Ateneo) 83.55%
2. Jennifer Ong (UP) 83.35%
3. Maalat, Yvanna (Ateneo) 82.75%
4. Aclan, Jennie (University of San Carlos) 82.10%
5. John Michael Galauran (University of Nueva Caceres) 81.60%
6. Canulas, Karen (San Sebastian College) 81.40%
7. Cecile Mejia (Ateneo) and Sheryl Tizon (UP) 81.35%
8. Marforth Fua (San Beda College) 81.20%
9. Luy, Ruby (Ateneo de Davao) 81.15%
10. Llido, Christian (University of Cebu) and Vivian Tan (UP) 80.90%


only 1,289 out of 5,626 or 22.91% of the applicants passed the september 2007 bar exams.


i'm not sure yet of up's passing rate but i hope the figure is a good one, for our sake hehe.


for the complete results, click here.

3.27.2008

3.16.2008

LSG Turnover tomorrow, March 17, 10am

Hi UP LAW!
You're all invited to the LSG Turn-Over Ceremonies tomorrow, Monday (March 17), 10:00am onwards at the Sarmiento Room. Free Food! :)
See you all there! :)

3.15.2008

IMPT: NO MONDAY CLASSES next school year...PLS COMMENT

Fellow UP Law students:


UP President Emerlinda Roman has recently approved the new Academic Calendar for 2008-2009, which will observe a MONDAYS-OFF policy. This is to avoid interruption of classes on Mondays, in view of RA 9492, which mandates that most holidays, except those with religious significance, will be shifted to the nearest Monday.


The memo mentions that regular class schedules will now fall on Tuesay-Thursday and Wednesday-Friday, instead of the usual Monday-Thursday and Tuesday-Friday sched. Obviously, the memo refers to the schedule of other colleges, notably undergrad. However, since the rule applies to all, the College of Law is expected to comply with this memo, even if we don't follow the undergrad sched.


It is in this light that Prof. Lumba, the College Secretary, has asked the Law Student Government for its position on this matter. If we want, the college can file a letter asking for exemption from the said rule, but only if the students do not agree to such policy.


We, the incoming Executive Board, have our own diverging views on this matter. We thought it best however to consult you guys about it. Please send us an email at jobertn@gmail.com or reply to this post by SUNDAY NIGHT. We will furnish Prof. Lumba, Associate Dean Daway and Dean Carlota, a copy of your comments.


It is the General Assembly however which will express the official stand of the students. Even as you reply to this post, please inform your block presidents about your vote and please remind him/her to relay that vote to the officers of the GA by SUNDAY NIGHT also.

We apologize for the short notice. Prof. Lumba talked to us just this afternoon. We laud his effort to consult the students on this important matter.


Thank you and we hope to hear from you soon.


Law Student Government Executive Board '08-'09

(Feel free to repost and forward this message to your block egroups. Thanks!)

3.12.2008

forum shop today, march 12, 2008

i mean a different kind of forum shopping, i.e., choose a forum you want to attend today. too many good forums, all at the same time. tapos may pril pa.

  1. LECTURE ON "Political Pluralism and the Art of Good Compromise" by Dr. Thomas Meyer, 2-4:30 pm, Bay View Hotel, Manila. It's organized by the Center for Youth and Advocacy and Networking. It's totally free, just text me (09279704899) if you're interested so i can inform the organizers that you're coming.
  2. SPECIAL TOPICS ON INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LAW with Prof. Harry Roque, Prof. Marvic Leonen, Dean Merlin Magallona and Dean Raul Pangalangan, 2-4 pm, Ambion Room, Malcolm Hall, UP Diliman. It's organized by the Law and Environment class (07-08) and the UP Institute of International Legal Studies.
  3. PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS: THE WRIT OF HABEAS DATA with Chief Justice Puno, 2-5 pm, Pearl Hall, SEAMEO-INNOTECH, Commonwealth Ave near UP. It's organized by the National Union of People's Lawyers.
  4. SENTENARYONG RADIKAL NG UP, SERYENG LEKTURA 1 with Elmer Ordonez (The Other UP: History of Nationalized Dissent on Campus); Ed Villegas (The Political Economy of GDP Accounting); and Judy Taguiwalo (Babae, Makibaka), 1pm, Vinzon's Hall Acad Union Office.

sorry late notice. most of them kagabi lang din nagtext.

3.11.2008

144,000 for sumilao farmers

from sumilaomarch.multiply.com


Please cut and paste this message and email! Lets show our everlasting support for the Sumilao Farmers: we are hoping to send this message to 144,000 people (symbolizing the 144 hectares of land)

subject : Sumilao farmers ask for our continued vigilance as the 4th Nego with San Miguel resumes on Wednesday (144,000 emails for the famers)

(Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied)

The Sumilao Farmers had been suffering for more than 12 years in fighting to regain their 144 hectares of ancestral land in Sumilao, Bukidnon.
In spite of the legal and moral clarity of the case of the Sumilao Farmers and the promise of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo last December 2007 to finally give back their land, no significant progress has happened. Up to now, the words of President Arroyo to finally resolve and return the 144 hectares to the rightful Sumilao owners remain to be an empty promise.
Even with the ongoing negotiations between the Church Task Force on Sumilao and San Miguel Corporation, no document has been released to-date to particularly identify SALFA and MAPALADas the rightful beneficiaries while fast tracking its own air-conditioned piggery inside the 144 hectares.
On Wednesday, March 12, 2008, the 4th round of negotiations will resume. We are closely monitoring the said negotiation and the actions of San Miguel Corporation and the government. We pray that the government and San Miguel Corporation will have the resolve to finally put an end to the sufferings of our farmer-brothers and sisters from Sumilao by making good of their promises.
If nothing concrete favoring the aggrieved Sumilao Farmers will come out of this negotiation, the 144 Sumilao Farmers together with the various Church-based organizations, colleges, universities, schools, non-government organizations and people's organizations have long been prepared to launch the following campaigns:
1) Continuous March around Malacanang Palace
2)Boycott of All San Miguel Products
(especially Monterey Products)
Please send this information to all people you know as a concrete _expression of our continuous vigilance in Support of the Sumilao farmers. We hope to circulate this email to 144,000 people.
May this be our clear message both to San Miguel Corporation and to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo that we will never grow weary of our loving support for the Sumilao Farmers in their fight for social justice.

double life

the governor of new york is now embroiled in a big scandal that could potentially end his political career. according to news reports, democrat governor eliot spitzer was caught on a federal wiretap arranging to meet with a prostitute -- pretty shocking for someone whom the press had previously dubbed as "mr. clean" (for running after wall street companies in his previous stint as attorney general) and who campaigned as a "model of moral rectitude."


reminds me of bill clinton. but clinton survived the monica lewinsky controversy; i don't know if gov. spitzer will, despite his decision not to resign.


one article attempts to analyze this kind of behavior among "smart and successful" people. it quoted psychologists and political analysts comparing the situation to the chicken and egg dilemma: was this behavior present prior to their assuming public office? or is there something about being in power that causes this kind of behavior?


one psychoanalyst opined that there must be something about being in power that makes one feel exempted from the general rule. another analyst, however, thinks that politicians are humans, hence flawed, like the rest of us; it's just that they're subject to a higher ethical standard because of the position they occupy.


i agree. but the more interesting comment comes from chicago psychoanalyst mark smaller who believes that it might be a case of "splitting" of the personality: compartmentalizing risky, unethical or even illegal behavior to the point that the person no longer feels any sense of guilt or shame.


hmmm...pretty scary don't you think? does that mean we should send our politicians to the mental hospital?


i think that the higher the position you occupy, the more that you should ever be mindful of your actions, the greater the introspection that should come in. it's very limiting but i guess that's the price to pay for being in power, and that's the least you could do for your constituents.


i just pray i don't lead a double life. not to judge gov. spitzer, but i think we need leaders who practice what they preach.

no classes today, tuesday, march 11, 2008

from Chancellor Cao: Classes at all levels suspended today in view of the transport strike. For your info and guidance. Pls pass. Thanks.

3.07.2008

we have not forgotten

7 march 08: up sawa (student-led anti-hazing watch) and friends of cris mendez commemorated this afternoon what would have been cris' 21st birthday, had he not been a victim of senseless violence last august. it was a simple ceremony which began with a mass at ncpag and ended with a short program at the college of law, right at the very spot where his would-be brods would hang out.


cris' mother was there, coming all the way from quezon just to grace the ceremony. and just like any other birthday celebration, there was a cake with two candles marking what would've been his 21st year. in a month's time, cris would've graduated cum laude from the national college of public administration and governance, his friend onats said. konti na lang sana. sayang talaga.


it has been 6 months since cris died. nothing much has happened in the case; no criminal charges have even been filed. the suspects are still at large, and presumably in hiding.


until the suspects find the courage to be man enough to come out in the open, the sawa posters put it aptly: we have not forgotten. and we will never forget.