Mooters from the UP College of Law and the UP Law Debate and Moot Court Union (LDMU) bagged two championships and seven speaker awards in the first half of Academic Year 2019-2020, continuing the College’s long history of excellence in oral and written advocacy.

In August 2019, UP Law bagged the international championship of the 2019 Asia Cup International Law Moot Court Competition in Tokyo, Japan, besting over 70 teams which participated in the qualifying rounds. The team, composed of seniors Marianne Angeli B. Estioco (Team Captain), Abelardo G. Hernandez, Leslie Diane Torres and Anton Miguel Sison, also brought home the third best memorial award. Torres was awarded Best Speaker for the Applicant, while Estioco and Hernandez were recognized as the 2nd and 3rd best speakers for the respondent, respectively.

In November 2019, the College again took home the championship in the 2019 National Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot Court Competition in Manila, Philippines. The team was composed of senior Vanayan Odsey and juniors Barzillai Josh Banogon (Team Captain) and Chinette Montenegro. The team also bagged the second best memorial award. Odsey was awarded as the Best Speaker in the Final Round and 2nd Best Mooter, while Banogon was recognized as the 3rd Best Mooter of the competition.

And in January 2020, the UP Law Stetson Team emerged as finalists in the Stetson International Environmental Law Moot Court Competition – Southeast Asian Regional Rounds. The team is composed of seniors Sheigne Alvir Minano (Team Captain), Urania Lindo and Justin Gacula, and sophomore Beatriz Balbacal. Lindo was hailed as the Best Speaker of the Preliminary Rounds, while Balbacal was recognized as the 3rd Best Speaker of the Preliminary Rounds.

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“We congratulate our teams for their success and we are rooting for our other mooters who will compete later in the season,” says Marianne Estioco, president of the UP LDMU. “Our moot court teams dedicate so much time and effort into training for these competitions. We thank all those who have been instrumental in our success—the College administration, our professors and alumni.”