The Advocati

13/11/2024

OPINION: The project will not just cost the environment but will also author the death and extinction of the cultural practices of the IPs in the community. Our cultural heritage is not worth all the money in this world. It will displace not just the flora and fauna in the area, but also the bones, and bloods drenched to protect the environment, and the history of the IPs who stood up against colonialism and abuse of power by the rich corporations.

Written by Raydan Tangwayan
Graphics by Kent Jobo

Our cultural heritage is not worth all the money in this world. It will displace not just the flora and fauna in the area, but also the bones, and bloods drenched to protect the environment, and the history of the IPs who stood up against colonialism and abuse of power by the rich corporations.

02/11/2024

A Candle to Light the Way: Honoring the Past, Inspiring the Future this All Souls’ Day

Today, on All Souls’ Day, we honor and remember those who have departed, especially those who dedicated their lives to service & justice. We walk in the footsteps of remarkable individuals who not only shaped the law but also inspired generations with their unwavering commitment to truth & integrity. As law students, we strive to continue this legacy, understanding that each case and every principle carries the weight of those who came before us.

Let this day remind us of our shared humanity and the responsibility we bear as future members of the legal community. In honoring the departed, we also recognize the importance of empathy and compassion in our practice of law. Justice is not only a principle; it is an act of service to others—a continuation of the work left to us by those who fought for fairness and dignity for all. As we reflect on their contributions, we are called to use our knowledge and skills to advocate for those whose voices often go unheard.

As we light candles in remembrance, may we also reignite our own commitment to the ideals of justice, integrity, fairness, & freedom. Let us strive to carry forward the values of those who have passed, making their legacy a living part of our journey. In doing so, we honor them not only in memory but in action, dedicating ourselves to a profession—and a life—that seeks to leave a positive and lasting impact on the world.

Words by: Dioscoro Nuñez III
Graphics by: Kent Jobo

28/10/2024

FEATURE: The transition is anything but easy. One is quickly immersed in a world where reading cases and digesting legal texts become part of daily life. The Socratic method reigns - a method designed to keep one sharp, requiring sharp thinking and quick responses.

Graphics by Dan Henly Sales

While the path may be fraught with difficulties, they realize that it is also rich with opportunities for growth and learning.

28/10/2024

𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 | 𝗠𝗦𝗨 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗮𝘄 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗹𝘆

Mindanao State University - College of Law General Santos City Extension held its AY 2024 First Semester General Assembly yesterday, October 27, 2024, at the MSU - CETD Covered Court. The event served as a venue for presenting the COL extension’s updates and plans while showcasing various activities such as yell and talent competitions, in which students actively participated.

𝗣𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘁

In conjunction with the assembly, the COL extension’s Commission on Elections (COMELEC) also held a special election for the first-year representative of the College of Law Students’ Association (CLSA). Ms. Iennor Aubrey Castandiello emerged as the winner, garnering 79 votes (68.7 percent) out of 115 cast. First-year students registered a 66.1 percent voter turnout, with 115 of 174 enrolled students participating.

Meanwhile, a proposal to revise the CLSA Constitution and By-Laws (CBL) by creating a Constitutional Convention was also put to vote. However, the COMELEC reported that the initiative must fail due to insufficient voter turnout, standing only at 39.6 percent or 191 votes cast of 482 enrolled students. Article X, Section 3 of the 2010 CLSA CBL provides that the proposed revision must be concurred by at least two-thirds votes of the studentry.

“𝗠𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗕𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱”

In his inspirational speech, Atty. Martsu Ressan Ladia stressed that the MSU College of Law in its entirety was able to fulfill many dreams as he highlighted the necessity of pushing back against the cease and desist order of the Legal Education Board (LEB). Shared also in the assembly is the Gensan Extension’s plan to join the MSU-Main case assailing the jurisdiction of LEB over the MSU College of Law. Another faculty member, Atty. Gerard Oliver Wang, in his message, implored the students to set aside differences and rally behind the college. Meanwhile, Ms. Jasmine Macadindang, ScL presented the salient policies of the college vis-a-vis its handbook.

Furthermore, the CLSA awarded medals and certificates to all students who participated in different first-semester activities. Eight students received the CLSA Service Award for their notable contributions during volunteer work. Moreover, nine students were identified as CLSA Outstanding Volunteers and another 14 students were recipients of the CLSA Leadership Award for their chairpersonship during the 2024 Bar Operations.

The CLSA presented its semestral report and proposed projects for the college, including the renovation of comfort rooms (CR) and other physical projects, further emphasizing that they are bullish that no additional fees will be collected from the students as they are pursuing partnerships to secure funding.

Report by Richard Ordonez Jr.
Photos by Kaye Angela Sampayan, Murielle Cocjin, Tobit Abao

24/10/2024

𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗗𝗔𝗬 | During World War II, hostility enveloped countries and masses met their demise in a battle for freedom, power, and the future of nations. The war raged across continents, with cities reduced to rubble and millions of lives forever altered by the devastation. It was a struggle not only for territorial control but for ideologies, as democracy clashed with fascism and tyranny. The sacrifices made on the battlefields shaped the course of history, leaving behind a legacy of both triumph and tragedy.

The United Nations emerged as a safeguard against war, born out of the devastation caused by brutal conflicts and the universal yearning for lasting peace. Its birth was driven by the collective desire to prevent future wars and foster cooperation among nations in pursuit of a stable, warless world.

Today, October 24, 2024, marks the 79th year of its existence. In spite of its role to advocate and instill peace and cooperation, the United Nations faces challenges in today’s time, often criticized for its slow decision-making processes and administrative complexity, which can delay timely responses to global crises like humanitarian disasters, wars, or conflicts. Nonetheless, it continues to perform its function in preventing hostility between nations, actively engaging in diplomacy, mediation, and peacekeeping efforts.

In celebrating its 79 years, the United Nations remains an important institution in promoting global peace and unity, dedicated to improving lives and creating a better world for all. It represents our collective efforts toward achieving an ideal world where peace prevails and humanity flourishes.

Words by Bernard Vincent Domantay
Graphics by Kent Jobo

23/10/2024

𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹, 𝗺𝗶𝗱𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟰-𝟭𝟬, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰

17/10/2024

Congratulations to the Jurists who represented MSU College of Law - General Santos City Extension in the recently concluded 2024 MSU - General Santos City Intramurals last October 10-15, 2024.

Despite limited preparation, these Jurists faced the challenge head-on in different events, specifically Basketball, Visayan Vocal Solo, Dramatic Duet, and Individual and Team Quizzes. Thank you for bringing honor and pride to the college and for showing the spirit of a law student: one who always shows up and refuses to yield.

Let next year’s wind carry us forward still one in spirit and victory, for we are One MSU Law.

16/10/2024

𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗦 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 | In the spirit of camaraderie and dedication, the jurists have once again proven that passion knows no bounds. Despite the busy schedules and inadequate time to prepare, they gather together, showing not only their commitment to the pursuit of justice but also their steadfast support for one another.

This intramurals is a testament to the devotion of each student to foster a culture of support and accountability. Each game played and every cheer shared, echoes the values we uphold as a law student. Each moment spent on the field or stage is a story that binds our community together.

Much like in the classroom or courtroom, it is not just about winning but about showing up, giving your all, and standing together in the face of any challenge. It is not just the games, the scores, or the cheers, but the genuine happiness of being present in the moment we are called and needed.

Words by Maya Pangilan
Graphics by Anna Mharize Tano
Photos by Manuel Ordonio IV, Tobit Abao

12/10/2024

𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗦 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 | College of Law power duo delivered the first championship win for the Jurists in the 2024 MSU General Santos Intramurals during the Musical Night competition. Second-year jurists Jehan Stephanie Egao and Althea Pearl Brynn Sapa rendered a harmonious performance of "For Good," besting other contenders in the Dramatic Duet event. Way to go, Jurists!

Graphics by Anna Mharize Tano

11/10/2024

𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞: From vibrant banners to spirited chants, the Mindanao State University - General Santos City campus burst with color and energy during the 2024 Intramurals Parade and the Grand Opening Ceremony of the 51st Foundation Anniversary of the university yesterday, October 10. The Jurists hailing from the MSU College of Law – General Santos City Extension actively joined the said activity.

With the theme, “Advancing Academic Excellence & Global Competitiveness Leading a Transformative, Resilient National Peace University”, this year’s intramurals aim to showcase inclusivity and camaraderie. Slated activities of this weeklong annual event will run until October 15, 2024.

𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗼, 𝗝𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀! 𝗟𝗮𝘄! 𝗟𝗮𝘄! 𝗟𝗮𝘄!

Caption by Angelyra Serapio

10/10/2024

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗟 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗛 𝗗𝗔𝗬 | Mental health has often been brushed aside as insignificant. “It’s just in your head”, they say. Even with the enactment of the Philippine Mental Health Act, stigma around these issues persists.

On October 10, we celebrate World Mental Health Day to raise awareness and foster global efforts for mental health. The study of law is often a tightrope act of balancing the competing demands of mastering law and jurisprudence, as well as work, family, and personal commitments. Most of us raged against the proverbial “you cannot serve two masters at the same time”, and often sacrifice both physical and mental health along the way.

Today, while we affirm the resilience and grit of every law student, we also recognize the importance of fostering a true mental health safe space in our community. We can start small with something as simple as checking in on friends and asking, “How are you?” We don’t need to have it all together, but together, we can help each other thrive. Opening up about mental health is also an important step toward fostering a safe space. The next is listening—truly hearing those who confide in us—and treating their words with confidentiality. Sometimes, no response or advice is necessary; just being present is enough.

Words by Raydan Masangkay Tangwayan
Graphics by Jumari Limjoco

09/10/2024

𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗜𝗡: Classes tomorrow, October 10, are suspended pursuant to Memorandum Order No. 056-2024 signed by the Assistant Dean, to ensure student participation in the parade and the opening ceremony of the 2024 Mindanao State University – General Santos City Intramurals.

“In cooperation with the 2024 Intramurals of MSU-GSC, all students are hereby directed to attend the Parade tomorrow, October 10, 2024, at 2:00 PM in MSU-GSC Tambler Campus. The students are highly encouraged to actively participate during the entire duration of the said activity”, the memo reads.

𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗼, 𝗝𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀!

08/10/2024

𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞: Three (3) faculty members from the Mindanao State University – College of Law General Santos City Extension face the constituents of Mindanao State University – General Santos City in a public forum earlier today relative to the search for the next university Chancellor at the University Gymnasium, Brgy. Fatima, General Santos City.

Atty. Shidik T. Abantas, MDM, LLM, Secretary of the MSU and MSU Board of Regents, Atty. Anthony Dinnes C. Pantua, LLM, Founder-Manager of Pantua Law, and Atty. Mohamad Alia’an A. Abdulatifh, SCL, MPA, Chief of the Legal and Technical Division of the Marawi Compensation Board, all faculty members of the College of Law and qualified aspirants of the chancellorship presented their plans and vision and answered questions from the constituents of the university.

The said forum is a platform for the MSU – General Santos City community to know the eight (8) applicants vying for the chancellorship who will lead and steer the university in the next five years.

Photos by Manuel Ordonio IV

05/10/2024

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗥’𝗦 𝗗𝗔𝗬 | For two hundred forty days in every three hundred sixty-five, we dissipate our time in our second home—school, and we discover life with our second parents—our teachers.

What we are is the nature of home, but who we are is the nurture of school. Our teachers play an encompassing role in shaping us, so today, we honor them for their influential forces of transformation, built from passion, dedication, and care, beyond their duty.

Dear teachers, thank you for taking the time to delve deeper into the ‘why’s’ of the challenges we try to clown. Thank you for cultivating our intellectual spheres to brace us for any storm. Thank you for believing in our dreams that someday we will transform.

Learning is a lifelong process; teaching goes on for a lifetime. We may stand for three hours, but we will not walk out of learning. We may forget the cases, but in our trembling hearts, your teachings will remain. In our minds, engraved is respect for your names.

𝗪𝗲 𝗼𝘄𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀. 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆!

Words by Jenny Rose de Guzman
Graphics by Dan Henly Sales

03/10/2024

𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡 | "With no end in sight, the situation in the Middle East has deteriorated. Most recently, Iran fired at least 180 missiles into Israel and Netanyahu vowed retaliation. These events signal a backsliding from a purported rules-based multilateral international order into one determined by a unilateral calculus of power, contravening the very raison d'etre of the United Nations."

Graphics by Anna Mharize Tano

Coming from a place that is not a stranger to conflict, if there is a lesson from the centuries-long Mindanao problem, it is that war and military action alone cannot make nor keep peace.

21/09/2024

Today marks the 52nd anniversary of the Martial Law declaration by the late dictator, Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., presaging one of the darkest periods of our nation’s history that was characterized by grave suffering and the erosion of our freedoms. The era saw widespread human rights abuses, grand-scale plunder and corruption, and a chilling record of extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and torture. These are not just historical footnotes but painful reminders of the cost of unchecked power.

Five decades later and deep within the administration of the dictator’s namesake, there is still no acknowledgment nor remorse for this dark past. With the attempts to rewrite or obscure this period of history, vigilance becomes our collective solemn duty. We remember the wounds and the unspeakable horrors. We remember the courage of those who stood firm against despotism and the silent suffering of many whose voices were silenced. We remember not only to honor the victims but as resistance against the normalization of tyranny.

We must remember because the greatest threat to freedom is still the shortness of our memory (Olaguer vs. Military Commission, G.R. No. L-54558 May 22, 1987).

𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁. 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻.

Graphics by Kent Jobo

17/09/2024

#𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐎𝐂𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐁𝐚𝐫 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟑

It’s the third day of the Sarimanok’s rise reaching the zenith, carrying its hopes and dreams for Mindanao. Today, you made your final stand towards an enduring mission. Each stroke of the keyboard, flashes of inspiration and courage, every answer, echoes the yearnings of the land of promise for yours is dream and purpose intertwined, a dream sown within a dream.

To our brave aspirants, you made it! After all the restless days, sleepless nights, the sacrifices, and the endless hours of study, you’ve crossed the finish line of one of the hardest battles you’ve ever faced, your most valuable fight. In those quiet moments of struggle, when the world felt heavy and uncertain, you stood firm. Every moment of doubt, every struggle, has led you to this point. You didn’t just survive this test—you conquered it with the strength and resolve that only you could muster. You fought with every breath, not only for your whys, but for the promises you made to yourself—the dream of who you could become.

As you take a deep breath and step back from the arena, know this: the hardest part is over. You’ve given everything you had, and that in itself is a victory. Whatever lies ahead, showing up is proof that you are capable of more than you ever imagined. This is only the beginning of the future you’ve been fighting for.

Now, behold the world, in all its vastness opens before you, and you stand on its threshold, bent but unbroken, moved but more rooted. Whatever comes, you have already carved your name into the very fabric of this moment. Your rise is not a hope or a dream—it is inevitable.

Wherefore, we raise our banner with pride: One in Spirit. One in Victory. One MSU Law.





Video by Thea Garay
Words by Raydan Tangwayan
Voice by Sean David Ruba