UP Law Faculty joins call to stop "Chain of Killings" Statement from Academe and Scholars We are professors and scholars of various academic institutions in the Philippines. We are non-partisan, non-political and independent. We teach and apply the idea that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” This statement has nothing to do with political partisanship or affinity with individual politicians. Rather, it upholds values and rules enshrined in the Philippine Constitution as approved in a plebiscite by the Filipino people, and recognized in international human rights treaties signed by the Philippine government in the…

Prof. Tony La Viña: Misuse of Impeachment Impeachment has been distorted in the Philippines- to replace policy debates or legal forums where differences in approaches to governance are litigated. The point is – impeachment cannot be used as a tool to persecute or silence perceived political opponents or critics or to subject presidents or other officials to harassment for performing their duties. This can never be the intent of the framers of the Constitution. In Rappler’s online column Thought Leaders (5th and 8th Sept. 2017), Professor Tony La Viña raises alarm bells on the way resort to impeachment proceedings is…

ANALYSIS: The aftermath of the ASEAN 50th AMM: Whither the West Philippine Sea? Jay L. Batongbacal Posted at Aug 09 2017 05:30 PM | Updated as of Aug 09 2017 06:53 PM (Reproduced from https://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/08/09/17/analysis-the-aftermath-of-the-asean-50th-amm-whither-the-west-philippine-sea) The conclusion of the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) underscores a major turning point in the disputes between China and the Philippines over the West Philippine Sea. Viewed against the previous week’s prelude of talks of joint development (and reported coercion against Vietnamese unilateral exploration) of petroleum resources, as well as post-meeting statements of foreign ministries, the stronger-yet-weaker statement on the South China Sea…