IMLOS Director on PH-China Loans: “It’s like mortgaging our natural resources, and it is unconstitutional” Chinese academic avers: “the loan agreements are usually accompanied by repayment agreements, which use certain natural resources as collateral; UP academic retorts: “It’s like mortgaging our natural resources, and it is unconstitutional” Professor Jay Batongbacal, Director of the UP Law Center IMLOS (Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea), once again had occasion to express concern about Fil-Sino maritime issues in the West Philippine Sea. His comments were sought on a report in the Global Times, a Chinese newspaper, that the Philippine government would use natural resources as…

UP Law dominates the 2018 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, claims the national title The representatives of the University of the Philippines College of Law were crowned champions at the national round of the 2018 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition held on 22-24 February 2018 at the University of Santo Tomas. UP Law posted a unanimous win as the respondent in the Grand Finals and clinched the title over San Beda University. The victory gives UP Law the right to represent the Philippines in the international rounds, which will be held on 1-7 April…

UP Law expert in Maritime Law consulted by Senate Committee on Science and Technology Professor Jay Batongbacal, Director of IMLOS appeared before the Senate Committee on science and technology in its hearing (26 Feb 2018) on the Chinese naming of seamounts in the Philippine Rise. Dr. Batongbacal, who is known for his expertise on Matitime Law, is regularly consulted in various fora on the presence of China and its galloping developments in the West Philippine Sea. At the Senate hearing he explained the implications of discovery and naming of marine features which may be used by China as the basis for future claims.…

IHR launches three publications on Children's Rights in 2018 opener Celebrating the World Day of Social Justice, the Institute of Human Rights (IHR) started 2018 blazing as it presented the book launch of three publications last February 20, 2008, 11:00 A.M., in the First Floor Lecture Room of Bocobo Hall, U.P. Law Center, Diliman, Quezon City. Holding true to its mission of engaging in relevant and responsive research to contribute to the development of law and policy in the light of the imperatives of human dignity, the IHR through its Director, Professor Elizabeth Aguiling – Pangalangan, proudly launched Comparative Children’s…

NO TO CHA-CHA COALITION LAUNCHED BY A COALITION LED BY TWO FRAMERS OF THE 1987 CONSTITUTION A “No to Cha-Cha Coalition”, led by former Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario P. Davide, Jr. and former COMELEC Chairperson Atty. Christian S. Monsod, was launched last 13 February 2018. During the launch, held at the Malcolm Theater of the UP College of Law in UP Diliman, Quezon City, the coalition presented a host of reasons for rejecting moves to change the Constitution. Former SC Chief Justice Davide, Jr. and Atty. Monsod, both members of the 1986 Constitutional Commission, stated that a shift to…

UP Law Center comments on House Bill No. 6027 seeking the dissolution of marriage based on irreconcilable differences or severe and chronic unhappiness The UP Law Center, upon request from the Committee on Population and Family Relations of the House of Representatives, gave its legal inputs on House Bill No. 6027, noting that several provisions of the bill are either vague or open to misunderstanding and must be clarified. Cited in a Philippine Daily Inquirer news report, the UP Law Center, in its comment, observed that the two grounds for dissolving marriages cited in the bill are ambiguous and could…