By Keziah G. Huelar

CPU Republic President, Mr. John Michael Suelo together with Acting Chief Justice, Hon. Antonio T. Carpio.

Central Philippine University Republic President, Mr. John Michael Suelo, attended the 29^th Convention of the Association of Law Students in the Philippines, Inc. held at Davao City on July 6 to 9, 2018.

Suelo, a third year JD Law student and the new ALSP Vice Governor for Visayas is the lone delegate of Iloilo City during the said convention. He was assigned as part of the Secretariat and Program Committee, taking charge of the registration of delegates and moderating all the plenary sessions. He was also tasked as the host of the said convention.

The convention gathered 200 participants from over 50 law schools all over the country—the biggest attendance in the history of ALSP NatCon. The ALSP is recognized by the Supreme Court as a student counterpart of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. It aims to contribute to the improvement of legal education in the Philippines by providing venues for academic cooperation and coordination to instill a sense of social awareness and public responsibility among its members, particularly in the advocacy for social justice and recreational development and to promote better understanding, goodwill, and cooperation with law students from other countries on matters of mutual concern and benefit.

Group discussions were held regarding academic regulation and instruction, student support services, student discipline and grievance and welfare for special concerns.

The ALSP delegates.

Sessions also included a talk on “Philippine Sovereignty-the West Philippine Sea Issue” by Hon. Antonio Carpio, acting Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; “Law on Business Trade and Technology” by Atty. Enrique V. Dela Cruz, Senior Partner, Divina Law; “Federalism and Constitutional Change” by Fr. Ranhilio Calangan-Aquino, Dean, Graduate School of Law, San Beda University; “State of Philippine Legal Education” by Dean Joan S. Largo, President, Philippine Association of Law Schools; “Democracy and Human Rights in Legal Education” by

Atty. Cecilia Jimenez-Damary, UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons; and “Ethics in the Legal Profession” by Atty. Domingo Cayosa,

Executive Vice-President, Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

Suelo shared that the seminar gave him an overview of the state of legal education in the country. He also discussed with fellow law students some of the academic issues faced by students: “We are so focused on our academics and our plight to pass the Bar Examinations that we tend to forget that there are various academic issues confronting us which should be addressed such as Bar Examination reforms, Bar operations, retention policy, curriculum, not returning test booklets, and non-disclosure of grades to name a few.”

He also highlighted the importance of being aware of community issues shrouding the country and of linking together to help improve the country’s legal system, “I believe that we, law students, as stakeholders, should take an active role in shaping the future of Legal Education in the Philippines. Mental health, substance abuse, hazing, and gender discrimination among law students are personal issues that should be given utmost priority. These are the issues that we cannot simply address within the four corners of the classroom but only through our constant efforts to lobby it to the respective authorities. Through this National Convention, I have established linkages with other law students all over the Philippines and realized that we Centralians are not that far behind. We just have to continue dreaming the #BestEver for CPU College of Law!”