How to survive Atty. Amurao

Before you actually look for tips or ways on how to survive in Atty. Amurao's class, I have to tell you, I cannot give you any. But hold on, hold on. I got 92 as final grade in criminal law 1 under him. I hope that is enough reason to continue reading.

Like everyone else who, for the first time heard the name of the legend, and who, according to sources is the terror-est professor in San Beda, I was really nervous during our very first day. I did not know his face or what he looks like. A blocmate told me he is tall so as we were waiting for our professor in crim, (the classroom door has some kind of a glass where you can see people at the other side. The glass is situated in such a way that people's faces, atleast those with an average height, can be seen) he was joking that if we would not see the professor's head or face behind the glass in the door, for sure, we are doomed because that is Atty. Amurao. And true enough, we haven't seen the prof's face, and true, it is Atty. Amurao.

He told us that there was really no formula for a student to pass in his class but, study, study, study and study. At first, I was still very hopeful because I have had also terror professors way back in UP and I have survived in all of them. But Atty A was really different.

We were actually lucky because for the first time in our class, he allowed us to open his book. His book was first released in time for the first semester. Prior to our batch, he only allows hand written notes during class. On top of that, i believed he liked our section.

I can still remember the tension during our first recitation class under him. But it was not entirely difficult to look back because for the rest of the semester, the tension and the uneasiness that i have felt during the first day was in the same intensity up to the last. My first recitation grade was 85. The first question he posed for me was about the justification regarding the imposition of punishments. Tuesdays and Fridays were really the most dreaded days for me. I cannot even say thank God it is Friday during Fridays because it is an Amurao day. I remember also praying that if typhoons or floods may disrupt classes, it must do so during either Tuesday or Friday. But typhoons never hit the Metro during those days. That is how strong Atty. A is.

I used to tell my classmates that if ever I will have my own child and he is diagnosed of having a heart ailment, I would not let him take law.

Until now that I am having my semestral break in the province, I can still see Atty A in my dreams.. no, that is an exaggeration.

For all the heartbreaks, frustrations and momentary self assessments during the whole semester, i am very proud to say, i survived Atty A.

I have my own formula in studying: hard work, intelligence and luck. Luck is something that you cannot really control. Intelligence is a tool so that you may know in which subjects you need to exert extra effort and in which you think your forte. You have to maintain the balance between these three. If you think the subject matter is your water-loo, you have to exert much more effort and probably look for bling blings to bring good luck, haha. If you think it is your forte, you still have to work hard but the extra you, give to the other subjects which you think are your water loo. That was how i handled criminal law and the other subjects. On top of that, of course you need to ask for Divine Guidance.

I survived Atty Amurao, you can too.

NO TO CHEATING

First I would like to say hi to one of my masugid na tagasubaybay (yesss), DK. He told me he wanted to be mentioned in my blog. You got the first line my friend. Haha

Today officially starts our one week sembreak. Everybody loves sembreaks but one week? That sucks. But before going into that, I would like to reiterate my position on a very important issue—cheating. You see my dear readers (as if there are really that many huh) I personally consider cheating as malum prohibitum, that is, the mere act of doing it already considered unlawful. Good faith is not a defense. Intent is not a defense.

Cheating starts in very little things until you actually apply it to bigger things and you never notice but it is already your way of life. Look at these greedy politicians seating comfortably in the Congress, when do you think they start cheating? Of course they started that in little things. Maybe even in simple murmuring with their seatmates during classroom exams in 2nd year high school.

As a rational being, we can always rationalize things to our advantage. We can always justify why we did or did not do something. But in the case of cheating, this must be absolute. No matter how small that may be, it is still considered cheating. If I become a lawmaker, my landmark legislation will be a law on cheating in schools, that’s how passionate am I about this.

Anyway, here’s the back story. Last October 22, we had our final exams in Persons and Family Relations under Judge S. I was one of those exempted to take because my midterms standing is already quiet high (well, at least to the Judge’s standards) but I opted to take though it will no longer affect my grade. I just want to look at the exam questions as it might help in the future. A few minutes after we started, Judge told us that he will go out for a while and get a drink. As soon as the door closes, my not so honorable blocmates at the back started whispering with each other to the point of actually distracting the other takers. I looked back and momentarily hold my gaze hoping that if they see me looking at them, they have the shame to actually stop. But they never did. What’s worse is that C, a son of a former lawmaker, put out his iphone in the middle of the exam, Y beside him is also looking at the iphone. This triggered me to do something no one ever thought of doing—telling all these to the Judge.

I waited for him outside and the first line that went out of my mouth was “Sir I do not actually want to tell you this but I really cannot contain it. This is not an honorable thing to do.”

Really not an honorable thing to do. But for those involved, I’m still mabait as I did not name names.

When I was still in UP, cheating is never a problem. There are exams when Tita Lorns from the department will just give us the exam questions, walk out from the classroom and go back to get our papers as the time’s already up. In UP, when the professor or proctor started distributing the exam questions, not a single noise will be heard. I have never caught someone looking at another’s paper or whispering with the other, either they’re too smart to get caught or no one really cheats. I remember my professor in PolSci 1 during my freshman year saying, “in UP, cheating is not a problem”. According to her, it is just about pride. If you are a valedictorian or an honor student way back in high school, will you look at the other’s paper? Or will you give your answers to your seatmate? I think this set up applies for the freshmen. But for the higher years, a different reason is applicable, when they already grasp the University motto, Honor and Excellence, they will apply that. Honor first before excellence that’s why they (we) don’t cheat.

One might ask why I’m very passionate about this. Simple. Training. If you have been trained that cheating is inherently immoral, you would not. If your University would not let cheaters go away unpunished, you would not cheat. If you came from UP, you will not cheat. Well, this is a generalization but there are of course isolated cases.

I really wish San Beda has a strict policy about cheating. Let us not tolerate it. We all know it is wrong. Speak up. We all say, NO TO CHEATING.

Not Really Random

Let’s go first to the most substantial, the issue on pork barrel. As a law student, it is clear in the principle of separation of powers that the legislative department makes, enacts and repeals laws. Nothing in the Constitution, (as far as my very limited knowledge on the Consti is concerned) says that they have the power to get pork barrels and use it in their respective districts. That is the strongest argument in favor of the abolishment of PDAF. Secondly, even if these Congressmen and Senators are justified in having these sums of millions of money, they must have used these in noble purposes, it must have served the people because in the first place, this money comes from the people’s taxes. The idea was that, people pay their respective contributions in the form of tax and they get it back in the form of public service and public works. But because of our beloved Congressmen, we get back nothing from the taxes that we pay. I wonder where our beloved Albanos in the first district of Isabela bring the people’s money for the longest time that they held the position.  I am for the abolishment of PDAF. I am for running after those who lambasted the people’s money. I am for rechanneling funds for social services.

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Last week we had our midterms week in San Beda. Modesty aside, the exams were not that tough as I expected them to be. Atty. Amurao gave back the corrected exam and I got 96%in criminal law, I am the highest in class. Who would not be happy about that?

I talked with a blocmate, Aaron, he also came from UP up there in Baguio. We were talking about UP LAE and San Beda, yes more like comparing San Beda and the mighty UP. He was interviewed for the LAE but unluckily he did not make it. He asked me if I will again take LAE and I said why not, I told him to take the exam again too may be this time he will get admitted. That’s when he told me about the murmurs during our Constitutional Law exam. In Beda, the prof himself would not be there during the exam. Someone will proctor.

During the Consti exam, our proctor came late, he was already distributing the exam booklets and questionnaires but everyone were still talking with each other. We were already beginning to answer when our proctor left us and went to the other classes. At first I heard murmurs, I was seated in front so I looked around to see who were still talking but I didn’t actually mind them and instead focused on the exam. Aaron told me that he actually saw F and J talking with each other during the exam, of course what else will they be talking about if not the exam itself?

I was disappointed, really. In UP I am very proud to say I did not cheat. There are moments when I can easily do that but I did not. It was better to submit a blank blue book than to look at my seatmate’s paper. That was how UP trained me. Honor and Excellence. I don’t know how their institution taught them. What the hell this is Law School, this is graduate degree, if they were not trained to be noble, shame on them and the institution they came from. Dear readers, do not be like them, do not talk with your seatmate during exam. Do not cheat and most especially, study in UP, not in some other institution which prides itself of being a catholic school but its graduates do not follow the right path.

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I was in UPLB last weekend for the pre pageant of CEMPLANGAN, an inter organization competition. I have heard several not so good news about my beloved EconSoc. Well, I am no longer a resident member at least so I cannot just judge because I was not really there and witness firsthand what were really happening. It is their time now to surpass or at least maintain the good name the org has earned for the last 26 years. Uphold excellence dear orgmates, love the org and everything else will follow.

Peace of mind, heart and soul

All freshmen in the College of Law are required to attend a peace retreat during their first year. This is a requirement imposed by San Beda for graduation. The schedule of our section was last Friday to Sunday. I was really looking forward to it, aside from the fact that it’s my first time since this is my first time to attend a catholic school, it was also a much needed rest for us, law students. But what I got was beyond rest and break from law school.

They gave us a list of prohibited items even before going to the retreat house. They were really strict about those. We had no cell phones and other gadgets and even wrist watches. We do not know anything about the outside world. Some were complaining about that but I told them, we were just used to having those material possessions that’s why we think that we cannot live without them but in reality, we can actually live, and it’s just for three days, no worries.

Our first activity was confession. Father even lectured me. He said that change may be the hardest thing to accept in life and the hardest thing to live by but we do not have a choice but to accept it, otherwise we will get stucked. And it’s true. Yes, you can always look back at those that happened in the past, but you can’t live with those, be it good or bad, you have to keep moving forward, a better way to deal with those is that use the experiences to be a much better person today.

Applying that now, I really have to accept why I am where I am now. Seriously, I have to set aside the what ifs and why nots. As the speakers said, me being in San Beda is never an accident, in a more straight manner, me NOT being in UP Law is not an accident, there are reasons behind it and if I just focus on those reasons, I may be happy and content for where I am and what I have. It’s just proper setting of the mind.

The peace retreat really provided not only peace of the mind, but also that of heart and soul. I have to admit it, because of the pressures of law school, I now cannot reflect much or talk sincerely with Him without looking at the watch and limiting the time devoted for praying because I rather would use it to study. That was not the case in the three day retreat. We didn’t have to think of criminal law or amurao or the provisions or the case digests, instead we have devoted all our energy to actually listen to Him, not only with our ears but most importantly with our hearts.

Inspirational speakers also said that law school is not just a test of intelligence, we all have our undergraduate degrees so by one way or the other, we have already proven something, rather, law school is more of a test of character. A couple of years back, the bar topnotcher who came from San Sebastian, a graduate of UP, was a former student of San Beda, she was not retained. If only she gave up, would she be the bar top notcher? Would she be a lawyer by now? We all have those share of disappointments, frustrations and failures but that does not mean we should stop. That should not hinder us from pursuing our dreams. The road may be winding and full of detours but that is how we get tough. That is how we become good future lawyers.

Rants, frustrations, confusions and other what nots

It has been a while since the last time I posted something in this blog. I was busy in school.

Two weeks ago, I received a message saying,

“Hi. You’re scheduled for an interview tomorrow, 2pm at the NEDA infrastructure staff conference room, 3^rd floor NEDA-sa-Pasig bldg., #12 josemaria escriva drive, ortigas center, pasig city. Kindly reply for confirmation and bring copies of your TOR, diploma and certificate of eligibility tomorrow. Thank you.”

Well obviously it came from NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) for people who do not know what NEDA means, yes there are people who don’t. Anyway, I was scheduled for an interview after submitting a resume via email. I just tried honestly because I wanted to experience having interviewed by agencies/entities for employment purposes. I was very happy when I received that message of course. I went to the scheduled interview without preparing, not even reading NEDA’s mandates, I was shocked as I entered the room, eight people were there to interview me. I seated infront, at the center. It was a good experience until I got another message saying I’m scheduled for an interview with the Infrastructure Staff Director. The Director interviewed me. That’s when things got a little bit out of order. I got confused because, well, really, that’s NEDA, a government entity in charge of the country’s economy. If ever they employ me, how could one say no to such a wonderful opportunity but how can one say no to a childhood dream?

I can’t sacrifice my law dream. I am a planner, since grade 2 I know I wanted to become a lawyer, I did everything and I will do everything else to get that. I’m already in the first step of formal law education, will I have to defer it? On the other side, NEDA is the only entity that can move me out of law school really, if ever I decided to focus on econ, that is the first agency I will apply to. We’re econ majors, we have to be in NEDA. But is it great enough to make me defer law? I already decided in favor of law but now as how things are going in school, am I really for law?

When I took the NEDA exam, which by the way I passed, and have to absent myself in criminal law because I was not ready that day, the exam lasted whole day, that’s when I got three failing recit grades for two consecutive meetings. My record before that was relatively good. The day when I got my first two failed recit grades, my classmate Jobel, introduced me to her Boyfriend “uy si April pala, April Boyfriend ko. *Hi!* Alam mo ba, magaling to, laging nakakasagot kay Amurao”. And during the second meeting when I got the third failed recit grade, Francis, another classmate introduced me to his friend “Si April, magaling to sa class, Amurao killer to eh”. I was thinking, nabati yata ako eh. Of course that’s lame but I just wanted to cheer myself up. But really what happened? I already got the rhythm and all of a sudden, I got failed grades when my classmates are already catching up. I don’t know, I don’t know what the problem is, that’s the problem.

One time when I was studying in the library, I stopped, looked around, thinking, who among these people will be lawyers in the future? Passing rate in the bar last year was only 17%. What happened to the 83%? I’m pretty sure they also studied day and night but still they weren’t able to pass. I realized, for the next 4 yrs or so, my life will only revolve in the library, eight hours study time a day. When I examined how I have been spending my 24 hrs, it goes like this, 9 hrs study, 7 hrs sleep, 5 hrs class, 1 hr lunch, 1.5 hrs breakfast/bath, 1.5 hrs dinner/bath. Am I really ready for that kind of life?

I introduced the distraction. I must be the one to get my focus back. Law is what I wanted. Law is what I must get.

The unfairness of Law School

Today, our professor walked out from us.

Isn’t it ironic? We are studying Law, under the Constitution, every person shall not be convicted without due process of law.

This afternoon, we are scheduled to have our Statutory Construction class at 4:30-6:30pm. Atty. Pahate arrived a little before 5pm. She called Joey to recite. The question was something about the parts of a statute. Last meeting, she asked us to read a statute and be able to look for the necessary parts of it. Only a few had their copies, not even me. Joey could not answer well because she didn’t read. She was asked to sit down, Atty. called Peter to recite, knowing the guy, he would not get the correct answer, I’m a bit judgmental but yes, he could not, I don’t know if he does not study or what. As expected, he could not answer the question. That was the time when Atty. asked if we are indeed studying. She said it’s as if we don’t study. She even ordered our beadle to decide if we just want her to give us the midterm and final exams and not to meet us anymore. Of course our beadle said no, Atty. told us to just text her next meeting if we are ready to answer her questions, collected her things and walked out.

I’m really really furious, after studying day and night, a professor will walk out just because your classmate did not study? That is absurd! They say, in Law School, kasalanan ng isa, kasalanan ng lahat. That is bullshit. I was trained in UP to beat myself. Don’t mind others, if you study, well and good. If they don’t study, they will flunk, that has nothing to do with your grade. But here in law school, if someone didn’t study, that means everyone will suffer.

Atty. Pahate generalized without taking the time to ask a significant number of students first. She just asked two people, if she called me I’m sure as hell know what to answer because I studied, yes this may be a bit boastful on my part but I DID DAMN STUDY AND IF SHE ONLY CALLED ME TO RECITE, I CAN ANSWER. I CAN ANSWER. My god I’m really furious about this. My classmate went to the Dean’s office hoping to talk to Atty. and explain whatever. Kuya Jerome told her that Atty Pahate told him “Sabihin mo sa kanila may grade na silang lahat”. Do you know what that means? We all do already have a failing grade. At this point in time that should never happen. We were just starting. We were just damn starting.

Is this about the system? San Beda College of Law itself? Maybe. Why will someone pay for the wrong doings of others? If someone did not study, give him a failing grade. If someone can’t answer, ask another one. Do not generalize just because one or two students did not study doesn’t mean the whole class deserves to be failed.

Is this about the other classmates? Maybe. It is their sole duty as students of Law to study. If they cannot study, then drop the whole course. Why waste tremendous amount of money for something that you cannot do? Palibhasa anak ng mga mayayaman eh.

Am I at fault too? That can also be. I can just volunteer and answer the question, but that is not the practice, if I do that someone or even the prof might say I’m just boasting around or something. Or if we look at the other side of the picture, if I cannot accept the system, I could just drop the whole course, take LAE again, give whole effort and make sure to pass because as a product of the best University in the Philippines, I know UP Law School is not like where I am studying law now. I may also drop the course, submit resume to companies and start working. Forget about the law dream. Or I can take a masters degree in economics or business ad or something. 

 But I could not do that, I will not. I love studying law. I do not have failing recit grade yet in Criminal Law, I was already called to recite in Persons and I know I answered well. I even volunteered in Consti 1 one time. I’m literally studying day and night just to have a failing grade in Statutory Construction because of some other people? I don’t know. Can someone explain this to me? I know life is never fair but this is too much. Wala kaming kalaban laban may singko na agad? Am I just over reacting? I don’t know. But this is really unfair ladies and gentlemen.

Nostalgia at its finest

Last night I went to Los Banos to witness the final initiation of our applicants in EconSoc. It was really nostalgic. I went there with Audrey and Kai. Kai was so arte we exerted every convincing powers we have just to tag her along with us, which she could not resist.

Hindi ko alam kung bakit ako nalulungkot ngayon. Supposedly masaya dahil nga nasa finals ako kagabi. Bago ako nag college sinabi ko sa sarili ko na siguro pagkatapos ng college, okay lang yung paghihiwalay mula sa lugar/tao kung saan ka naging kumportable. Nalungkot din kasi ako noong high school lalo na nung naghiwa-hiwalay na pati na rin yung bagong environment na ginalawan namin. Wala na din sa tabi ng mga magulang and the likes. Pero pagkatapos ng college, hindi pa rin pala madali. Nakakalungkot pa rin pala.

Last night I felt the warmest welcome I could ever receive from people. Very warm, very sincere hugs and handshakes and I realized, I was home. It has been three weeks since Law School started. During the first week, I had a good distraction, NBA. At the end of the second week, I rewarded myself with a movie, 4 sisters and a wedding. That helped me to carry on my second week because I was looking forward to that reward. Last week, I clung to the idea that I will be going to lb for the finals by Friday. I loved the idea of looking forward to something really great. It helped me survive. This week, I am clinging to the idea of me going to lb by Thursday to get my transcript of records. For the weeks after that, I don’t know what to do.

Ang buhay naman ay isang paglalakbay. Kung hindi ka makikisabay, maiiwanan ka. Pero bakit ang hirap hirap tumuloy palayo kung gustung gusto mong balikan yung dati, yung kumportableng buhay, yung masaya, yung hindi katulad ng buhay na ginagalawan mo ngayon. Kada pagbabago ng estado ng buhay, mahirap sa umpisa, ganun naman talaga pero hindi ko naman inasahan na ganito pala yun kahirap.

This is like learning your first walk all over again or learning how to read, how to write for the first time or trying to sleep the first night you were away from your parents. I don’t know but it’s hard. I guess I became too attached to UP Los Banos.

Kahit naman gaano kahirap, kailangan tanggapin na ganun talaga, tapos na ang college, hindi na pwedeng bumalik doon. Kailangan na maglakad sa ibang direksyon, kundi, hindi ka makakasabay, maiiwanan ka. Hindi nakadepende sa isang bagay na masaya o isang bagay na kumportable ang paghakbang mo. Kailangang humakbang ka dahil yun ang dapat. Kailangan mong matutong gumalaw sa isang bagong mundo, malayo sa masaya, malayo sa nakasanayan, kasi kailangan.

How to commit a crime without being prosecuted

Best thing one can learn from Criminal Law 1 is how to commit crimes without being prosecuted. Ladies and Gentlemen, here are two ways how.

1. The Philippines adheres to the English Rule where it stresses the territoriality rule. This means that when a private or merchant ship sails and an offense was committed on board, wherever that ship goes, the right to exercise jurisdiction shall always be awarded to the Philippines. Now, the other rule is the French rule which stresses the nationality principle. In the French rule, wherever the ship may be, if an offense was committed on board, the country where the ship belongs to shall have the right to prosecute the offender. 

This is what you have to do, find a country which adheres to the French rule, get into a Philippine ship that goes to that country and commit a crime on board. Since that country adheres to the French Rule, they will give the right to prosecute where the ship belongs to but we are adhering to the English rule so no court shall have the jurisdiction for your case.

2. Article 2 of the Revised Penal Code expresses the enforcement of the RPC not only within the Philippine territory but also those crimes committed outside Philippine territory against those who (Section 1) commit an offense on board a private or merchant ship or air ship shall be prosecuted in the Philippines provided that a. the merchant or private ship is registered under Philippine Laws, in the Maritime Industry Authority or MARINA and in the case of airships, in the Civil Aeronautics Administration and b. the crime was committed within the international waters. Meaning, those crimes committed on board a private or merchant ship cannot be prosecuted in the Philippines if the ship is not registered in MARINA.

Here's what you have to do. Rent a private motorboat, make sure it is not registered in the MARINA, sail into the international waters, make sure you are in the international waters and then commit the crime you want to commit. Since the motorboat is not registered in the MARINA, Article 2, Section 1 of the RPC cannot be enforced, therefore, you cannot be prosecuted.

The VFA

We were having our daily dose of recitation in Criminal Law earlier today. We were discussing about the elements of Criminal Law namely general, territorial and prospective. Under the generality rule, all those who live or sojourn in the Philippine territory who committed crimes, must be prosecuted by Philippine courts. Same is true for the territoriality rule, any crime committed within Philippine Territory should be prosecuted by Philippine Courts. Of course subject to exceptions. Provisions of treaties entered into by the Philippine Government and those laws of Preferential Application. An example of a treaty exempted from the generality and territoriality element is the Visiting Forces Agreement as an implementing agreement to the main RP-US Defense Mutual Treaty entered into by the US and RP Governments with a purpose to strengthen the ability to resist armed attack to both countries.

Some provisions of the Treaty says that in general, Philippines has primary jurisdiction over offenses committed by US personnel except in cases where, crimes committed against another US personnel, crimes committed against property of another US personnel, crimes committed against property of US, crimes committed against National Security of US and those punishable acts or omissions done in the performance of official duty.

This one is terrible, it says in the treaty that even to cases not bounded by exceptions, meaning those cases really triable in PH Courts, US can request for the PH to waive its right to exercise jurisdiction, and this one we have no choice but to agree. There are consuelo de bobo for this, we cannot grant the US request if the case is under Heinous Crimes, Anti Child Abuse Law or Dangerous Drugs Act.

The last question posted by Atty. Amurao to one classmate was "Do you think this is fair?"

Of course not! How on earth can that provision be fair? If for example, your sister was raped by US Military personnel covered by VFA and then the US requests for PH to waive the right to prosecute and the Philippines without any choice granted it, is it fair? NO!

Then I remembered the rape case to a Filipina and US soldier Smith, I'm pretty sure the US at that time requested for waiver of jurisdiction and of course the PH agreed. What now happened to the case? We don't know. What happened to the Filipina? Is she still living a normal life? We don't know. what happened to Smith? Can he sleep sound at night knowing that a girl thousand miles away is still suffering for what he did? We don't know.

This is rather a sad, sad realization.

The Line-up

I only allowed myself a few minutes to spare for this post so I better hurry. It was our first meeting in Criminal Law 1 earlier. We were really nervous waiting for our professor. There have been rumors that we will be under the legendary Atty. Maximo Amurao but then i didn't believe until a very tall, old, no nonsense man entered the room. Everybody was quiet because his voice was too not loud, I cant remember the opposite of loud. LOL. He went on to discuss the rules in class. Everyday will be graded recitation, only hand written notes are allowed in class, and we were lucky because his book has already been published so we can open it in class provided we were not the one answering the question because if you are, of course you cannot open anything. We can maximize absences subject to the maximum allowable absences as required by the school.
According to stories, Atty. Amurao is very strict in everything. Last semester for their Criminal 2 class, no one passed the course. The previous years, only 2 o 3 people pass his subject. No one really wants to be under him. As for first impression, he is really a no nonsense man. He even told us he is doing this for our own good what if he says we are already litigators and during the trial we run out of arguments, will we say, "excuse me your honor pls give me an hour to review" of course we cannot, so as early as this stage in our study of Law, we will undergo his scrutiny, one thing that he does best. He told us, we will pray that during his class a storm will land so classes will be suspended or there be a bog flooding so we cant see him. We can curse and plan to kill him in our minds but of course not put that into action because we can be criminally liable for doing that. He says if we survive his course, we will be very thankful to him. He even shared that some of his students who already took and passed the Bar sometimes go to him and tell him that during the Criminal Law part of the Bar, they saw his face in the questionnaire and were transported back to their classes under him. In that way, he said, they remember that he is behind their back and helping them answering the questions. He is that sweet. LOL

He said, after your first year and you pass all your subjects, you get a big A. After second year and you pass all your subjects you get the big T. After third year and you again pass all your subjects, you get another T. After fourth year and you again pass everything, you get a big Y. If you take the Bar and you pass, you get the big period. (He wrote it in the board so it became more dramatic). Try to get your first A after first year.

Other professors for our other subjects were as follows: for Persons and Family Relations, Judge Andres Soriano; for Constitutional Law, Commissioner Wilhelm Soriano of the Human Rights; for Statutory Construction, Atty. Marites Pahate; for the other subject, Logic and Legal Writing and Legal Research we haven't met the professor yet.

I hope all of us in the class, will pass Crim Law after this sem. As for me, I will work hard to get that. Until next time.

Networking

I forgot to tell you about our classmates/bloc mates for the whole year. Yesterday, Kuya AC appointed classroom officers randomly because no one wants to volunteer. So we have beadles for every subject. Beadles are like leaders, no not really leaders but for lack of better term let’s settle with leaders. They are the ones contacted by the professor for announcements and other what-nots. In case there are home works assigned for the class, the beadles will get these from the library and give the whole class copies, well, i don't really know the extent of their humanitarian mission but that was what Kuya AC and the other Kuya told us yesterday.

Good thing I have Audrey with me in Law School. We also have one friend from UP Manila named Cara. While waiting for our prof yesterday, we were talking when:

April: San ka nga pala nakatira?

Cara: Sa gilmore. Isang lrt ride lang.

A: Ah malapit lang pala.

C: Ikaw, san ka nakatira?

A: Dyan sa Altura, kung nakikita mo yung Puregold Sta Mesa, across doon lang.

C: Ah, nadadaanan ko lang pala, kung gusto mo kapag pauwi sabay ka na sa akin kasi minsan sinusundo naman ako.

A: Ha? Sige. (Laugh) Makapag-sige naman ako.

C: Hindi, okay lang talaga kasi di ba may up to 9:30pm tayo, gabi na nun, delikado kaya.

A: Oo nga eh, sige. :)

Cara is nice. Most of our classmates came from UST and San Beda so more likely they will form their own alliances. We have a classmate from UP Cebu and UP Diliman together with a guy from UST. I told Audrey we have to befriend them so we can also form a 6-man alliance because it is difficult to exclude Mr. UST. Admit it, we need every brilliant, nice and fellow UP people by our side. I befriend them because really, we need to create network in Law School. I am a piece of hypocrite if I tell you I just did that because it is a moral thing to do.

The first day

Monday, June 17, 2013 10:31 PM

                Today was the first day in Law School of the 2018 Bar Topnotcher (naks). Originally, our class schedule is 4:30-6:30pm for Statutory Construction and 6:30-8:30 for Persons and Family Relations but we received a text message from Kuya AC informing us that there will be a classroom orientation regardless of our schedule. I didn’t expect that he will be the one facilitating the orientation. Kuya AC is a brod from UPLB EconSoc. He is a member of various organizations in San Beda particularly the Lex Scholaris, something like an Honor Society where only Honor Students are being catered and the International Debate Society, he was even the representative of San Beda in a debate competition sponsored by the ANC and was qualified up to the semi finals against Ateneo. In short, Kuya AC is one of the best Law Students in San Beda and he is now on his 4^th year. I am hoping he be one of the top ten when they get their Bar.

                Going back to my first day, Kuya AC and another Law Student gave us tips on how to survive our first year, well, you cannot really teach a person ways on how to survive but yeah something like that. They even gave us a sample case and used it for a mock recitation where Kuya AC was the mock professor (sorry I don’t know how to address him. haha). Since he knows Audrey and me, we were not called to recite although the sample case was really simple and I’m pretty sure that was very far from the real and actual recitation. We bought three Codals (a compilation of the laws), we have the Revised Penal Code, the Philippine Constitution and the Civil Code for a total of Php 1,318. Yes, that was a lot of money considering these were not even the real reference books, these are just merely Codals.

                The orientation lasted for an hour and a half then we switched classrooms for our Persons class but we left because we were confident that the prof won’t arrive. We are clinging now to the hope that really the professor didn’t arrive because if he did, we were guilty of boycott and punishable by having a grade of 65 or failed for the first recitation and the prof will probably hate us for the rest of our stay in the College.

Ang labo na nga ng buhay ang labo ko pa

Thursday, June 13, 2013 10:30 PM

                Orientation namin kahapon. Masaya naman pero hindi ko pa rin ramdam. Si Kai tinanong sa akin kung kailan ko ba daw matatanggap na sa San Beda na ako.. Hindi ko din alam eh.

Frustration ko ang UP Diliman mula pa nung pumasok ako sa college. Nung hindi ako pumasa, kinuwestyon ko pa kakayahan ko, bakit sila pumasa, ako sa UPLB ‘lang’? Ang problema, hindi naman ako sumubok lumipat. Sinasabi na nila Joey at Kevin noon na tutulungan nila ako lumipat pero hindi ko naman ginawa. Ang labo nga eh, gusto ko pero hindi naman ako gumawa ng paraan. Kaya nung nabigyan ulit ng pagkakataon sana para sa wakas eh makatuntong ng UP Diliman, yung LAE nga, hindi na naman ako pumasa. Paulit ulit na lang.  Pero dahil pwede hanggang tatlong takes sa LAE, may paraan naman para mas lumaki yung chance na pumasa, pwede sana magpahinga muna ako ng isang taon, saka mag review ng tunay tapos mag take ulit, baka nga naman mas malaki na yung chance pumasa kung ganun, pero katulad ng dati, may paraan naman pero hindi ko ginawa.

Kasing labo ng mga desisyon ko ang buhay.

Nagrereklamo ako pero hindi ko naman ginawa lahat ng paraan para makuha yung gusto ko. Siguro nga yung kinatatayuan mo ngayon, deep down, yun rin naman ang gusto mo. Nagkakaron ka lang ng doubts kasi hindi matanggap ng sistema mo na tanggap mo na yung sitwasyon. Ewan, hindi ko alam.

PS: Namove sa 17 ang pasok naming.

Ewan

Tuesday, June 11, 2013 9:18 PM 

                                Tomorrow will be our orientation; I went to San Beda earlier, with my batch mate Audrey who will also be entering San Beda Law and weren’t allowed to enter at first coz Audrey was in a sleeveless blouse, yes ladies and gentlemen, we weren’t allowed to enter coz she was in a sleeveless blouse. Ewan.

 When we were in UP, anyone can enter the campus in any clothing they wish to wear especially in UPLB where fashion exceeds limits. Well, it’s up to you to interpret the last line. Going back, we went there coz we need to get the required shirt which we need to wear tomorrow for the orientation. Did I tell you it costs us 500 pesos and was not even part of the fees we have paid during the enrolment? Ewan.

Speaking of fees, for this sem we have to pay a total of 54k+. In UP, 54k may be good for a year already with dorm fee for more or less seven months.

                We saw a tarpaulin in Beda that welcomes freshmen with the tagline “Heads up because you are now Bedans” and a picture of a guy literally heads up. Ewan.

In UP, I have heard freshmen who laminated their form 5s (assessment form) but during my enrolment in San Beda, enrolment in Law take note, I have seen a guy holding a laminated NSO Certificate of Birth. Ewan.

I am not excited for the orientation tomorrow; I don’t know I don’t feel anything. I am pretty judgmental I know but… I do hope this mentality change soon.

PS: We visited the church inside the school and so far it is the best thing I have seen in Beda.

Monday, June 10, 2013 10:51 PM

                People say that the hardest thing to do is to start, I guess they’re right. This is my first time to post something I wrote in the web for everyone to see, not that everyone is visiting this blog and reading the entries but well, yeah, I’m getting nowhere, I know. I’m a better talker than writer and pardon the writing, I’m no Shakespeare.

                So what do I want? A place where I can express myself, maybe tackle important topics and give my opinions about them, but above all, I want someone to listen to my rants, issues, and everything, as I enter the Law School. Yes, Law School. I am enrolled in the San Beda College of Law for this semester. I haven’t passed the UP Law Aptitude Exam; I was placed in Category B at San Beda, those who still needed to be interviewed before accepted; I don’t have Latin Honors that I could boast everyone around. So, am I ready to enter Law School? Well, I think so, the desire to get something you really want fuels the strength to do everything and push your limits. I just wish that desire is enough…