THE
LAW
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER
journal
COLLEGE OF LAW OF LAGUNA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY-SANTA CRUZ
ISSUE NO. 5
AUGUST 2017-MARCH 2018
Law schools attend bar ops ‘17 SCC law students show support to barristers
Text | Glessa Rose Janolino
“LSPU, Papasa!” Shouting chants of luck with banners, the College of Law students of Laguna State Polytechnic University-Santa Cruz Campus attended the four Sundays of the bar operations to show support to their barristers during the Bar exam on November 2017 held at the University of Sto. Tomas (UST), España, Manila. First year up to fourth year law students gathered to cheer the 16 barristers this year from LSPU. The said bar operation were annually held to boost the morale of the barristers and to support them during the four Sundays of bar examination. On the first three Sundays of bar operations, Nov. 5, 12, and 19, law students from different state universities and colleges, and other private institutions lined up along the street in front of the gate of UST where bar examination was conducted. Then, bar ops attendees waited for the arrival of the barristers from their respective schools while yelling cheers and waving banners. As the barristers from LSPU arrived, hugs, prayer of guidance and warm messages of support were given to them. Barristers were also provided with a kit composed of food, drinks, and medicine before they went to their respective examination rooms. Bar ops delegates were also joined by the College of Law Dean, Atty.
Jaime Ibañez, together with Judge Eric Fortaleza, Judge Eugene Paronne, faculty, and Atty. Ramil De Jesus, College of Law Student Council Adviser. LSPU officials headed by Dr. Nestor de Vera, University President, together with the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Mario Pasion, also went to the event to show support to the barristers from LSPU. On the last Sunday of bar examination, law students waited from start until the end of the bar examination. T h e Supreme Court (SC) has given its nod in admitting 7,227 law graduates to take the 2017 Bar examinations. Slated for four Sundays of November held at the UST in Manila, the bar examinations covered eight subjects. The subjects for the first Sunday are Political Law and Labor Law; second Sunday are Civil Law and Taxation; third Sunday are Criminal Law and Mercantile Law; and fourth day are Remedial Law and Legal Ethics. Bar takers should have an at least 75% overall rating to pass the bar exam.***
Photo | Student Council
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LAW JOURNAL
OP-ED
EDITORIAL
Game of Title
I
t is the survival of the fittest… Yes, it is a game of endurance and effort. Many are afraid to at least try, but some are brave enough to continue. That is how life in law school all about. It doesn’t matter whether it is in the province or in the city because all aspirants of one title share the same story – a very tough one. Many people are aiming to get the four letter title before their name; however, the way to it is not as easy as others may think. People use the language figuratively, “dadaan sa butas ng karayom”, but we rather address the experience as a diamond which has to undergo multiple times in the 100 degrees Celsius heat before it becomes a precious jewel. It’s a process There is a process, an extensive and challenging one which will test endurance in every aspect. There is the feeling of being in a rollercoaster ride, or even in a huge rolling ball which we don’t know when it will stop from changing directions. If you think law school is just about memorizing long provisions and statues, it is not yet all. If you think professors in law school are just after on demeaning students through recitation wherein we have to stand up the whole period, it is not yet all. If you think law students are just one of those geeks who most of the time look like a panda because of being nocturnal digesting cases, it is not yet everything. If you think law students are like walking library because of the number of books they carry and read everyday, it isn’t everything yet. There may be tons of reading materials (from codals to annotated) to read each day, voluminous cases of five to six pages each the least to be digested every week, and liters of caffeine ingested from drinking coffees just to stay awake memorizing and reviewing for recitation and exam the next day. But above all those things are the untiring effort to reach that dream – to have the title that most people are yearning to have. This is neither to discourage you nor to stop you from pushing if you have the same dream as ours; instead this is a friendly advice for you to prepare not just your mind and physical being, but also your emotional tolerance. You
may fail mostly all exams even you know you studied very hard for it; you may get lower grades in recitation than what you expected to get even though you exerted twice or thrice effort than before; you may get five (5) in some of your subjects even though you know you have sacrificed a lot for those, nevertheless, that is not the end for you and your dream. Why not make those your motivation to strive further. Treat those things a challenge. At the end of the day, it is not important how long it will take you before reaching that dream, as long as you are passionate and you have the guts to face all challenges ahead of you, you will eventually make it no matter how far and how long. Now, this is a game of endurance on who will stay until the end, and not a race of who will finish first. A pat on your shoulder from the friends you will gain in law school will surely help you a lot. Do you think you have what it takes? If yes, law school is for you.***
Law Journal EDITORIAL BOARD A.Y. 2017-2018 Editor-in-Chief | Glessa Rose Janolino Associate Editor | Kid Bernabe Abay-abay Sheryl Iligan | Lloyd Perlez | Jovalyn Miano Linsay Ocera | Dominic Tolentino Contributors Atty. Ramil de Jesus Adviser Atty. Jaime Ibañez College of Law Dean
LAW JOURNAL
OP-ED
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FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE OF FALLACY | Catalysis
N
ews is yesterday’s story. But what if the news we have today is a product of fallacy, would it be considered tomorrow’s rumor leading to destruction? Well, it is indeed something for us to think over. One day when I was invited to be a judge-lecturer in News and Opinion writing in one of the districts in Laguna for their Division Cliniquing Press Conference, I was asked by one of the participants, “Why people write fake news?” I paused for a moment. Thinking the question of a little boy, I had several realizations. Why does fake news exist? Well in fact, allegorically speaking, fake is the antonym of real, and news is based on facts. “Fake news is an oxymoron for lies,” said by Ellen Tordesillas, a veteran journalist of VERA Files. News, in its simplest sense, is the bread and butter or every journalist. Likewise, people everywhere considered it their main source of information. However, the recent statistics of proliferation of fake news cause alarm not just to the media, but most of all to the Government. Social media became the main culprit of spreading unverified information, which later on branded as fake news. Why not? With its million users, or even billion users all over the world, it can disseminate false information, and as a result, many people were unable to distinguish fact from fiction. Most people can hardly tell what’s truth and what’s not. Hence would lead to ambiguity, confusion, obscurity, and might soon trigger catch-22. Like a cancer of society, indeed, it is one crucial dilemma for our Government which seeks for an antidote before it can cause chain reaction and resulted to several lives to suffer. Because of this issue, different commentaries and assumptions arose from public quorums, and one of the solutions foreseen by some people that could help to at least diminish if not totally eradicate fake news is the creation of law against it. In his proposed bill to penalize fake news, Senator Joel Villanueva reiterated four (4) elements of fake news to wit; (1) it has malicious intent, (2) it must be published online, on print, or in broadcast, (3) it may cause panic or spread propaganda, (4) the source is
fully aware of its falsehood. However, President Rodrigo Duterte expressed his defiance saying that a law against fake news may curtail freedom of speech. The Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) states that everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. More so, the paragraph 2 of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights affirmed that everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice. Thus, the abovementioned twin rights are also expressly and distinctly guaranteed under Section 4 of Article 3 of the Bill of Rights of our Constitution which states that, “No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press...,” and among other protections against abuse of the pervasive powers that have been entrusted to government. Now, whether there is a law against fake news or none, let us all be responsible for what we are spreading, be it in writing, oral, print, or others. Falsehood does not only manifest as simple white or black lies we tell to our parents when we have committed something against their rulebooks; falsehood sometimes can be found behind our language. As a responsible citizen and netizen, it is not only our duty to be aware of the perils we might encounter from receiving false information, but also, we are accountable for what we are disseminating in the cyberspace. We should scrutinize every firsthand information before disseminating anything. Now, the call is ours.***
| Glessa Rose Janolino @iamglaizzzz @iamglaizzzz
“...Falsehood
does not only manifest as simple white or black lies we tell to our parents when we have committed something against their rulebooks; falsehood sometimes can be found behind our language
”
...
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LAW JOURNAL
OP-ED
THE DIVERGENT FACTION | Ripple Effect
O | Sheryl Iligan @sheoh @sheoh
“...never ever volunteer in recitations, because more often than not, IT’S A TRAP...”
ne of my favorite book, is the trilogy of Veronica Roth entitled “Divergent”. This is a story where there are different factions in one land; these factions were created and sorted according to one’s ability. The Candor: they are the ones who are honest and true; they don’t tell a single lie. The Erudite: they are the smart ones; they know almost everything. The Abnegation: the faction that helps people, protecting them before themselves; they are selfless. The Amity: The happy ones, they keep the city safe; they are the peacemakers. Lastly, my favorite faction in the book, the Dauntless: They are the brave ones, the bold and fearless people. In addition to these factions, there’s this unwanted faction, the unknown and unclassified; they are called divergent, they possessed two or the entire characteristic of the five factions. In law school, I can say that law students must belong to the divergent category. Law students should possess all of the characteristics of the said five factions. Law students should not be just an erudite we also must be a dauntless. Intelligence and Bravery is a lethal combination in Law School. The other three (3) factions we should also exercised to strive as preparation to being a good Lawyer of the country. We must be a candor, amity and abnegations; we should be honest and true to our beliefs, exercise to be a peace maker, and be selfless as it was clearly said in Lawyer’s oath. But for now, I would focus on the first two factions that a law student must hold. I remember one of our professors told us “Law School is not a place for slow learners and timid people, in this field, you have to be smart-ass and brave, this is a world where the fittest survives.” One of the scenes in Roth’s book that flashed
back in my mind, it’s when the leader of the Dauntless Faction told the initiates that they will cut the initiates who will not pass the initiation stage. Each day as time goes by, I’ve seen how some of my classmates quit, even those which seems to have strong personality and have high intelligence quotient. I cannot blame them, our professors were really intimidating, it is as if when you don’t answer their questions in recitations, you would wish for the floor to open and eat you. There’s no room for mistakes, even your own opinions are not counted in this world. It is a world where accuracy and consistency should be applied, and you cannot condemn the professors for being that firm to the students because when we become Lawyers, people will depend and rely on our own judgment and decision-making skill. Bravery and Intelligence. You have to bring it always inside your pocket in Law School. You have to outsmart nobody but yourself each day. No time should be wasted, you have to do advanced reading, digest cases and prepare for recitations, because you can never tell when your index card would forsake you. You have to be courageous every time the professor will ask you questions in recitations, and trust yourself, even if you were intimidated by a professor as if your answers were wrong, stick to what you believe in until the professor corrected you. Lastly, a little piece of advice; never ever volunteer in recitations, because more often than not, IT’S A TRAP. If you think that after reading this you can and you have what it takes to be one of us, come and join us! Be a Law Student, Be a Divergent.***
LAW JOURNAL
OP-ED
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KYAH AND TEH IN LAW SCHOOL | Mandamus
M
ost of the students in law school are professionals employed in different field. Their expertise or other acquired experiences from their chosen career are somehow beneficial in studying law. Some have already the idea even if it was not yet discussed while others who don’t have prior knowledge would need to exert efforts and double their readings.
With the aid of technology, students particularly those who are enrolled in law school can cope up easily with the new environment, in just a click of a finger on a device, suggested or possible answers and other reading materials that are already simplified will be offered. One can do self-paced learning provided that he or she has all the recommended reading materials of their professor and enrolled in the so called “YouTube University”. A number of students browse and watch some related educational videos therein to acquire additional knowledge or information necessary for their learning process. Through this, students can survive law school for a week or a month but as the challenges are getting higher and harder. It will require every student to adjust and adapt new lifestyle that will conform to the rising demand. This is just one of the dilemmas of the law students specially those who are working at the same time. Those urgent reports that they need to finish and submit in their work ruin their schedule to read books, digest cases or do any matters related in law school. On the other side, full time students are pressured to excel or at least be ahead of their classmates who
are working because they have ample time to decipher or comprehend the given materials. As a result, some students decided to drop other subjects and a few decided to withdraw their enrollment. Decreasing number of students and classmate are very alarming; others may be sad or think to do the same. But since every problem has a solution, you, as a student, can encourage your fellow classmate to stay and to realize their potential. You can lighten up their pressures and turn it into good vibes. In case all of you do not know what to do since you are all newbie, the pieces of advice of higher year, your KYAH and TEH are very important and helpful. These will be your guide and serve as your handbook on how to pass or ace your current subject or activities since they have been through to your present situation. In return, you should pay respect and actively cooperate with their proposed program and activity that aims to develop each law student and improve law school. Also, we should support our KYAH and TEH who will take BAR examination and who will soon be lawyers. Indeed, “No man is an island” because law school is not just focusing on academic per se and like any other course, it has a holistic approach that will prepare aspiring lawyer in the legal profession that they wish to enter.***
| Kid Bernabe Abay-abay @KhidIsHere @khid
“...law school is
not just focusing on academic per se and like any other course, it has a holistic approach that will prepare aspiring lawyer in the legal profession that they wish to enter
”
...
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LAW JOURNAL
FEATURE
What’s Love Got To Do With It? Text | Domingo Viduya Digital Manipulation | Glaiz Janolino
While reading the book on Legal Philosophy, I came upon the case of Qua-Chua v. Clevo. What piqued my interest is the unique situation Evelyn Chua-Qua and her husband, Bobby Qua, got into. Let’s first discussed the case. Evelyn was employed as a teacher since 1963 at Tay Tung High School Incorporated (now Bacolod Tay Tung High School Incorporated), a Filipino-Chinese school based in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. Evelyn conducted remedial classes for Bobby, a sixth grader at that time, as per school policy. Through these classes, they fell in love with each other though they have a 14 year age gap. In 24 December 1975, they were married in a civil ceremony at Iloilo City and in the Catholic Church at Bacolod City in 10 January 1976. Evelyn was 30 years at that time. Since Bobby was minor (16 years old), his mother, Mrs. Concepcion Ong, gave her consent. On 4 February 1976, the school filed notice for an application for clearance to terminate Evelyn at the Department of Labor Bacolod City sub-regional office on the ground of “abusive and unethical conduct unbecoming of a dignified school teacher and that her continued employment is inimical to the best interest, and would downgrade the high moral values of the school.” On 17 September 1976, the Executive Labor Arbiter, without conducting any formal hearing, granted the clearance to terminate the employment of the petitioner. Evelyn denied having received any copy of the affidavits. On 7 October 1976, Evelyn appealed to the National Labor Relations Commission
“...Can we
(NLRC) claiming denial of due process for not having been furnished copies of the aforesaid affidavits relied on by the labor arbiter. She also contended that there was nothing immoral, nor was it abusive and unethical conduct unbecoming of a dignified school teacher, for a teacher to enter into lawful wedlock with her student. On 27 December 1976, the NLRC unanimously reversed the Labor Arbiter’s decision and ordered the petitioner’s reinstatement with back wages based on the following findings: (1) affidavits of witnesses saw Evelyn and Bobby inside the classroom after classes but did not see any immoral or scandalous acts; (2) there was nothing immoral or scandalous about a girl and a boy talking inside a room after classes with lights on and with the door open; and (3) there was no evidence of acts done by the petitioner that would be consider detrimental to the image and dignity of the school or the petitioner. On 30 March 1977, the private respondent elevated the case to the Minister of Labor who reversed the decision of the NLRC but granted the petitioner 6 months salary as financial assistance. On 20 May 1977, the petitioner appealed the said decision to the Office of the President. On 1 September 1978, Presidential Executive Assistant Jacobo C. Clave, rendered its decision reversing the appealed decision. Private respondent was ordered to reinstate the petitioner to her former position without loss of seniority rights and other privileges and with full back wages from the time she was not allowed to work until the date of her
dictate whom we love? Can love transcend time? Will you fight for the one you love?
”
...
LAW JOURNAL
FEATURE actual reinstatement. But on 6 December 1978, upon the private respondent’s motion for reconsideration, the public respondent reconsidered and modified his earlier decision, this time giving due course to the application of the school to terminate the services of petitioner but giving her separation pay equivalent to 6 months salary. Thus, the case was appealed to the Supreme Court. On 30 August 1990, the Supreme Court rendered its decision in favor of the petitioner on the following grounds: (1) there was no direct evidence that the petitioner committed any immorality and/ or grave misconduct; and (2) the petitioner was not given access to the affidavits of the witnesses nor given the chance to cross-examine the witness. As such, the petition for certiorari was granted and the resolution of the public respondent was annulled and set aside. Private respondent Tay Tung High School was ordered to pay back wages equivalent to 3 years without any deduction or qualification, and separation pay in the amount of 1 month for every year of service. Reading the Supreme Court decision, you will see that no immoral acts or grave misconduct was done by Evelyn and Bobby. Evelyn was spending time with Bobby after class for him to catch up with his studies as mandated by the school, nothing more. The school was just ‘scandalized’ when Evelyn and Bobby got married, triggering the case.
a2+b2=C2 y=mx+b
While the case was about illegal dismissal, you can clearly see that Evelyn and Bobby’s uncommon relationship is the real cause of Evelyn’s dismissal. It was against the social norms at that time (even now). Can we dictate whom we love? Can love transcend time? Will you fight for the one you love? What did I ask such questions? Because like Bobby, I fell in love with some one who is older than me. While many find our relationship an affirmation of true love, others were abhorred by our relationship. People, when encountering something new or they hadn’t seen before, can either be curious, accepting or dismissive. While we were sensitive to opinions of others, we didn’t stop loving each other. Negative comments made us stronger. I truly love her. I will spend an eternity with her. While I was ready to spend time together with us only, we had a child. We were happy and contented of what we have. Then the biggest trial came: she was diagnosed with breast cancer. For several years, she fought bravely her disease. In her last days, I was the one who took care of her when others would not. In the hospital. At our home. Until her last breath. Rather than focusing on her loss, I would rather focus on the love we shared. Picking up the pieces of my life. Raising our child. Looking to future.... ***
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LAW JOURNAL
OPINION
VOX POPULI Text | Jovalyn Miano Photo Courtesy | LEB website
N
o national examination for students who want to enter into the world of legal profession but everything changed with the accreditation of the Center for Educational Measurement to conduct the PHILSAT this 2017. PHILSAT is a nationwide test that aspiring law students have to take to be admitted to any law school in the country. For the year 2017, 45 percent was the set passing grade, considering that it is the first time this test was conducted. The application was quite easy and honestly my very supportive husband was the one who fill up the form for me, pay the P 1000.00 examination fee and likewise print out the examination permit. The examination was scheduled at 7:00 o’ clock and as stated in the examination permit, no late students will be admitted.
6,575
I took the test at the University of Santo Tomas, Manila. Since I am not familiar with the place, as usual my knight and shining armor come to the rescue; he accompanied me to the venue. We leave at 2:00 o’ clock in the morning and reached UST at around 4:00 o’ clock in the morning. April 16, 2017, Linggo ng Pagkabuhay, at UST, I witnessed the traditional Filipino practice called “Salubong”, when the procession was in front of me, I just prayed that if it is really for me then I know I can make it. The time came, I lined up with the rest, find the right room and right seat. The instructor read the instructions from the booklet and gave us pointers and reminders for the exam. The examination has a time limit of up to 3 hours and it covered communication and language proficiency,
Total number of examinees who passed the April 2017 PhiLSAT
critical thinking skills, verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning. The good thing was our proctor allowed us to continue to the next subtest after we’ve finished the previous one. During the last one hour, I was worried because many questions were still unanswered but I tried to finish the rest of the questions until the time ends. I went out at the testing area; I was disappointed because I felt that I will fail the PHILSAT. So I told to myself, “Good luck sa akin, wala na ngang breakfast at lunch bagsak pa”. After that day, my routine was turned back to normal. The exam happened on April 16, 2017, and the results were released twenty one (21) days after.
8,074
Total number of examinees who took the April 2017 PhiLSAT
The daughter of my officemate texted me that the result was already out and was posted on their Facebook page. Luckily, I was one of the 6,575 who made it. For me, taking the PHILSAT examination is a memorable one. Seeing my name in the list of passers made me realized that, “This is it! This is the start of my new journey”. Another batch will take the PHILSAT this coming April 8, 2018. To my classmates who will face the challenge of the PHILSAT, I wish all of you good luck. We can all make it up to the end.***
81.43%
Percentage of examinees who passed the April 2017 PhiLSAT
LAW JOURNAL
NEWS
New Student Council Officers Elected
Law Studes Holds Election for Council Posts Text | Jovalyn Miano LEADERS. Newly elected student council officers for A.Y. 2017-2018 from the College of Law, LSPU-Santa Cruz Campus, during the photo op after the election, August 31.
On August 31, College of Law students from first year to fourth year convened to elect new sets of officers for the College of Law Student Council held at College of Law Moot Court, LSPU-Santa Cruz Campus. Dr. Evelyn Balaoro, former Student Council President, opened the table for nomination. Among the newly elected officers were: Maria Raquel de Lumban, President; Steve Louis Corpuz, Vice President;
Photo | Student Council
Glessa Rose Janolino, Secretary; Alexander Cabalza, Treasurer; Sylvia Colisara, Auditor; Christopher Francisco and Kristine Ramos, P.R.O.; Dione Mendoza, Muse; and Agusto Tasing, Escort. Representatives
from first year to fourth year were also elected to wit; Kid Bernabe Abay-abay for first year; Jay Bautista for second year; Bandao for third year; and Cherry Lyn Reyes for fourth year. Right after the election, newly elected
President, Ms. Maielle de Lumban, gave a short message regarding the future plans for the Council. Photo ops of the newly elected student council officers were also conducted. More so, Ms. De Lumban thanked everyone who attended the election, and likewise addressed few of her platforms for the whole school year. Atty. Sir Jonas Javier and Atty. Ramil de Jesus were named as the Student Council advisers. First meeting of the newly elected Council officers was also scheduled in order to discuss necessary agenda and for early preparation for the upcoming bar operations.***
Council Officers conduct courtesy call to Pres. De Vera; discuss plans for 2018 Text | Linsay Rose Ocera
Newly elected Student Council Officers of the College of Law of LSPU-Santa Cruz Campus conducted courtesy call with LSPU President Dr. Nestor De Vera, Nov. 14. Headed by its Council President and Vice President, Maria Raquel De Lumban and Steve Louie Corpuz, respectively, together with other newly elected council officers, Law student council officers had courtesy call with President De Vera in his office. Ms. De Lumban led the introduction of each student council officer to Pres. De Vera, and thanked the President for allotting
time to the courtesy call. The main purpose of the courtesy call was to discuss matters and address issues and concerns of the students in the College of Law. Among the few things discussed during the courtesy call were: the number of enrollees in the College of Law, the different projects to be implemented, the experiences of students in law school, and others. Law Student Council President suggested activities that will boost number of enrollees in the College of Law like conducting benchmarking on other law schools in Baguio. According to her,
Photo | Student Council
knowing the practices of other law schools, and adopting it would increase number of interested enrollees. “Do not just give fish to the people, instead, teach them how to fish.� Thus, said Dr. De Vera as he suggested that if law students wanted to conduct extension activities to help the community, better to incorporate the
learnings acquired by students like providing legal help to those prisoners from jail, and alike activities. Student Council officers had photo opportunity with Dr. De Vera for documentation purposes. Lastly, Dr. De Vera said that his office is always open to anyone who has concerns.***
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LAW JOURNAL
FEATURE
C
ase Briefing/Digesting is an important skill every law student must learn during their 1st year of law school. Case Briefing/Digesting is simply a condensation of a reported case. Its like reading articles in Reader’s Digest – simple and direct. When looking around for some local reference at the LSPU Library, I came upon the book by Atty. Rufus B. Rodriguez, “Legal Research” (2002, Rex Bookstore). There’s a chapter devoted on the subject on case briefing/digesting. I will share the components of the case digest mentioned in the book.
Facts The first component is Facts. It describes the events between parties leading to the litigation and tell how the case came before the court that is now deciding it. Include those facts that are relevant to the issue the court must decide and to the reasons for its decision. You will not know which facts until you know what the issue or issues are. So beforehand, you must first establish what issues you are considering for the case digest.
Issue
The second component is/are Issue(s). It is the question that the court must decide to resolve the dispute between the parties in the case before it. To find the issue, you have to identify the rule of law that governs the dispute and ask how it should apply to those facts. You usually write the issue for your case brief as a question that combines the rule of law with the material facts of the case, that is, those facts that raise the dispute. Although we use the word “issue” in the singular, there can be more than one issue in a case.
Ruling The third component is the Ruling. It is the court’s decision on the question that is actually before it. The court may make a number of legal statements, but if they do not relate to the question actually before it, they are dicta (a formal pronouncement from an authoritative source). The ruling or holding provides the answer to the question asked in the issue statement. If there are more than one issue, there may be more than one holding. The ruling is supported by the court’s reasoning explaining and supporting the court’s decision.
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FEATURE
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Case Digesting: A Basic Legal Research Skill Text | Dominic Tolentino Photo Courtesy | Google Image
I just gave a brief introduction to case digest. I do encourage readers to go to the LSPU Library or buy the book to learn more. There are examples in the book that you may like to study. Furthermore, the synthesis of cases – which is a digest of related case digests – is extensively discussed in the book. You will use this technique if you are face with voluminous related cases needed for the class, or in courts.***
journal
THE
LAW
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER
COLLEGE OF LAW OF LAGUNA STATE POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY-SANTA CRUZ
ISSUE NO. 5
LEB opens PhiLSAT for aspiring law students
AUGUST 2017-MARCH 2018
Photo | Student Council
Text | Glessa Rose Janolino
The Legal Education Board (LEB) held the first ever national entrance examination for aspiring law students, also known as Philippine Law School Admission Test (PhilSAT) last April 16. A total of 6,575 from the 8,074 examinees passed the said examination, representing an 81.43% passing rate. According to LEB Memorandum Order 7, PhilSAT is a one-day aptitude test intended to measure the academic potential of an examinee pursuing the study of law. It will be one of the requirements for the aspiring law students who will enroll on the next academic year before they can be accepted to any law school in the country. Among the tests covered in the said examination are: communication and language proficiency, critical thinking skills, verbal and quantitative reasoning. Honor graduates granted professional civil service eligibility, who will be enrolling within 2 years from their college graduation, are exempted from taking the PhilSAT. In addition, law schools are still allowed to accept enrollees who did not meet the 45% passing score of PhilSAT on its pilot year, said LEB.***
SAY IT LOUD. Newly elected student council officers of the College of Law during the oath taking ceremony held at CTE Function Hall, October 7.
COL-SC welcomes newly elected officers; holds oath taking Text | Kid Bernabe Abay-abay
College of Law Student Council recognized its new set of officers for the school year 2017-2018 during oath taking with the theme “Salus Populi Est Suprema Lex” held last October 7, 2017 at CTE Function HallLaguna State Polytechnic University-Santa Cruz Campus at exactly 1:00 in the afternoon. It was started by an introductory speech given by Atty. Jaime Ibañez, the Dean of the College of Law. He reminded the student leaders of the time management as an officer and as a student and underscored the professional growth that these leaders can gain. The guest speakers were: Atty. Villanueva, Atty. De Jesus, Atty. Perez and Judge Jamolin who also shared their experiences during their law proper and tips for the BAR examination. Then, it was followed by an oath taking. Among the newly elected officers were: Maria Raquel de Lumban, President; Steve Louis Corpuz, Vice President; Glessa Rose Janolino, Secretary; Alexander Cabalza, Treasurer; Sylvia Colisara, Auditor; Christopher Francisco and Kristine Ramos, P.R.O.; Dione Mendoza, Muse; and Agusto Tasing, Escort. Elected representative from first year to fourth year to wit; Kid Bernabe Abay-abay for first year; Jay Bautista for second year; Bandao for third year; and Cherry Lyn Reyes for fourth year. Indeed, the oath taking for the new set of officers was a success as they also pledge to discharge their duties to the best of their knowledge and potentials.***