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  The UP Law Stetson Team made it to the Quarterfinals in the International Rounds of the 24th Annual Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition! This is the first time that UP Law has competed in a live online moot court competition. The team likewise had the best-ranked speakers during the three-day tournament. Urania Estrellita Lindo was recognized as the Best Oralist of the Preliminary Rounds while Beatriz Anna Balbacal was awarded 3rd Best Oralist of the Preliminary Rounds.   Due to unique circumstances, the International Rounds were held exclusively via video conferencing for the first time. The competition is…

With the enactment of R.A 11469 or the "Bayanihan to Heal as One Act" constitutional law scholar Prof. Dante Gatmaytan’s opinion was sought by Rappler editor-at-large, Marites Vitug, in an interview on 30 March .  The law passed by Congress on 24 March grants the President limited emergency powers for a period of three months, to oversee the COVID-19  health crisis. The trakeaway from the interview was that the law should help the President facilitate the procurement of all health related needs to combat the COVID-19  crisis.  Professor Gatmaytan explained that the Constitution has provided for such emergency powers, RA…

Emergency Powers in the time of COVID-19 Even as a "public discussion" of whether a grant of emergency powers to the President was called for at this time, Congressional action passed on such authority to the Executive, as reported on 23 March 2020. Two law professors from the UP College of Law were sought out by media for their legal take on the subject. Professor Dante B. Gatmaytan - interviewed on 22 March and Professor Antonio La Vina in an Opinion on 23 March - both argued against the proposal. They both opined that the President has enough authority under…