I agree that what’s happening right now in central Negros is a portent of things to come in Benguet.
Their electric cooperative CENECO will be taken over by a private investor, which has already announced its attrition policy for gradually replacing the rank-and-file with their own people.
As long as I was re-immersing myself in retro-70s and 80s nostalgia in this series of posts about my “City High” years, I thought—why not? An era is not just about stories you can still recall. It’s really also about appreciating your
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Why are people (such as myself) still obsessing about the wreck of this “unsinkable ship” more than 111 years after it slipped into the bottom of the North Atlantic ocean?
I agree that what’s happening right now in central Negros is a portent of things to come in Benguet.
Their electric cooperative CENECO will be taken over by a private investor, which has already announced its attrition policy for gradually replacing the rank-and-file with their own people.
Why are people (such as myself) still obsessing about the wreck of this “unsinkable ship” more than 111 years after it slipped into the bottom of the North Atlantic ocean?
I looked around campus but I didn’t find it. At the last grand alumni homecoming reunion of my high school (Baguio City High School) last May, I went out of my way to look for an old white 1963 Willy’s jeepwagon that
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I’m hearing so much of this “I-told-you-so” and “I-knew-it” kind of reactions to the tragedy that bookended the saga of the Ocean Gate minisub TITAN.
All five of its crew and passengers died in what the US Navy described as a “catastrophic implosion” that may have occurred not too long after the Titan lost communication with its mother ship on Sunday, June 18.
I’m aware that three of the passengers in that stricken submersible Ocean Gate Titan are billionaires. I see no point in naming them because I doubt that you or I know any of them.
Missing for five days now, optimism is dwindling that they could still be found and rescued in time before they run out of breathing oxygen.
I’m aware that three of the passengers in that stricken submersible Ocean Gate Titan are billionaires. I see no point in naming them because I doubt that you or I know any of them.
Missing for five days now, optimism is dwindling that they could still be found and rescued in time before they run out of breathing oxygen.
I think it would be futile to expect that the AGMA would be an occasion to “express their strong opinion” about the wrong way that BENECO’s affairs are going, or even to denounce persons they think are responsible for ruining their cooperative.
No one, least of all the Interim Board appointed by NEA, is interested in their opinion. The enforcers of NEA’s “step-in rights” to interfere with BENECO’ operations have their marching orders, and those are not subject to alteration by the Members’ grievances and sentiments.
I think it would be futile to expect that the AGMA would be an occasion to “express their strong opinion” about the wrong way that BENECO’s affairs are going, or even to denounce persons they think are responsible for ruining their cooperative.
No one, least of all the Interim Board appointed by NEA, is interested in their opinion. The enforcers of NEA’s “step-in rights” to interfere with BENECO’ operations have their marching orders, and those are not subject to alteration by the Members’ grievances and sentiments.
I think it would be futile to expect that the AGMA would be an occasion to “express their strong opinion” about the wrong way that BENECO’s affairs are going, or even to denounce persons they think are responsible for ruining their cooperative.
No one, least of all the Interim Board appointed by NEA, is interested in their opinion. The enforcers of NEA’s “step-in rights” to interfere with BENECO’ operations have their marching orders, and those are not subject to alteration by the Members’ grievances and sentiments.
He’d said again to a friend recently, as he had countless times before, “I never turn my back on my men in battle. I never abandon my people in the middle of a fight.”
Some call it the Magalong urban legend, or the PMA “mistah creed.” Whatever, Benjie has collected shrapnel scars over the years to prove it. Throughout his active tour of duty, he did stand in front of soldiers he commands. He did take a bullet or more for them, and in the flesh too not just in the flak jacket.
I think it would be futile to expect that the AGMA would be an occasion to “express their strong opinion” about the wrong way that BENECO’s affairs are going, or even to denounce persons they think are responsible for ruining their cooperative.
No one, least of all the Interim Board appointed by NEA, is interested in their opinion. The enforcers of NEA’s “step-in rights” to interfere with BENECO’ operations have their marching orders, and those are not subject to alteration by the Members’ grievances and sentiments.
So why did NEA deal more harshly with the Magnificent Seven than Mel?
There is only one reason, and that reason is Mayor Benjie Bañez Magalong (“BBM” a tempting acronym to use, which I’d rather not.)
So why did NEA deal more harshly with the Magnificent Seven than Mel?
There is only one reason, and that reason is Mayor Benjie Bañez Magalong (“BBM” a tempting acronym to use, which I’d rather not.)
So why did NEA deal more harshly with the Magnificent Seven than Mel?
There is only one reason, and that reason is Mayor Benjie Bañez Magalong (“BBM” a tempting acronym to use, which I’d rather not.)
So why did NEA deal more harshly with the Magnificent Seven than Mel?
There is only one reason, and that reason is Mayor Benjie Bañez Magalong (“BBM” a tempting acronym to use, which I’d rather not.)
True, the interim board is a rubberstamp to approve all NEA initiatives, but it needs a rubberstamp of its own to rationalize its own existence—and that is the AGMA.
The only thing that can foil this plan is a massive—and I mean tidal wave massive—opposition by the general membership itself.
True, the interim board is a rubberstamp to approve all NEA initiatives, but it needs a rubberstamp of its own to rationalize its own existence—and that is the AGMA.
The only thing that can foil this plan is a massive—and I mean tidal wave massive—opposition by the general membership itself.
True, the interim board is a rubberstamp to approve all NEA initiatives, but it needs a rubberstamp of its own to rationalize its own existence—and that is the AGMA.
The only thing that can foil this plan is a massive—and I mean tidal wave massive—opposition by the general membership itself.
True, the interim board is a rubberstamp to approve all NEA initiatives, but it needs a rubberstamp of its own to rationalize its own existence—and that is the AGMA.
The only thing that can foil this plan is a massive—and I mean tidal wave massive—opposition by the general membership itself.
The conceptual “hook” that NEA used to inveigle public opinion so that many residents of Baguio and Benguet simply acquiesced to the virtual abolition of the regular BENECO Board was “massive corruption.”
Of course, any talk about fighting corruption will always get strong public support. Unfortunately, corruption is something very easy to allege but very hard to prove.
As far as the MCO’s are concerned, the most prominent and most cantankerous of them, you cannot count on anymore. They all drank the KoolAid.
Now there’s less than three weeks—21 days—to quickly mount a countermove.
BENECO Surrendered its most powerful weapon.
BENECO Controversy Topics
BENECO Surrendered its most powerful weapon.
About the Author The author is a writer and lawyer based in Baguio City, Philippines. Former editor of the Gold Ore and Baguio City Digest, professor of journalism, political science and law at Baguio Colleges Foundation (BCF). He is a photographer and
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It was not NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda’s discretion to set the duration of NEA’s intervention in BENECO’s operation to just six months. In fact, that’s what the law provides, in Sec. 21(d) of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act
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Explore Baguio with a Bike A motorcycle is the best way to explore Baguio City if you have a limited time to do it. Unfortunately, we don’t have rental bike services in this city yet (PLEASE, somebody correct me, I’ll be the
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The Failure of Artificial Intelligence This time they did it—they crossed the red line. Advocates for “artificial intelligence” ended up with egg on their faces after a German tabloid, the weekly Die Aktuelle, published an “interview” of former Formula One world champion
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Preserving CJH One other undeclared role that Camp John Hay served was as an ecological preserve. In 1987 what was thought to be the last mountain cloud rat (locally named “yutyut”) was caught off “Little Mermaid” garden, below Scout Hill by a
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Skating Rink at CJH Indoor rollerskating in Camp John Hay was almost a rite of passage when we were in high school. My classmates and I from Baguio City High School (BCHS) would save up our daily allowance—don’t laugh now but back
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NEA’s Hiring Process Can anybody stop NEA from opening the selection and hiring process for a new BENECO General Manager? The better question is, WHY would anybody want to stop NEA from doing that—hire a new GM through the compliant cooperation of
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Can BENECO Complete its emergency Landing? ADVANCE DISCLOSURE: I make no claim whatsoever that everything I say here are facts. This is to save time for all those sanctimonious fact-twisters out there who I know will go through this article with a
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“Why the sudden interest on Camp John Hay? You’ve been writing about it almost as passionately as you did about BENECO the past several days…” is the most common question I’ve been asked several times lately. “By the way, what happened to
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While Christine and I were doing our regular “cardio” walkaround in Camp John Hay last weekend, I spied on a little sign near Scout Hill that indicated the direction to what it claimed to be the “historical core” of Camp John Hay.
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“The NEA shall immediately step-in and take over from its Board the operations of any ailing electric cooperative. Within a reasonable period after take-over, the NEA may convert the ailing cooperative to either a stock cooperative registered with the CDA or a
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The Philippines was under Spanish colonial rule for 327 years (1571-1898) and under American rule for just 47 years (1898-1946). So the joke goes we spent three centuries in cloistered convent, and less than retirement age in Hollywood. And yet look at
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“The NEA shall immediately step-in and take over from its Board the operations of any ailing electric cooperative. Within a reasonable period after take-over, the NEA may convert the ailing cooperative to either a stock cooperative registered with the CDA or a
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When we were young Boy Scouts in Baguio Central School in the 70s, my schoolmates and I looked forward to October Scouting Month with much anticipation and excitement. Only once a year do we ever get to see what Camp John Hay
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The last movie I watched in Camp John Hay Theater was “Mommie Dearest” starring Faye Dunaway. It was a screen adaptation of actress Joan Crawford’s biography, as retold by her tormented adoptive children Christina and Christopher Crawford. It was one of the
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There were a lot of ‘back stories’ surrounding the complete withdrawal of US forces from the former American military bases in Subic, Clark and Camp John Hay that never made it the front page of newspapers, both national and local. Mostly, the
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It cannot be just “play warrant of arrest” Few will dispute that Russian President Vladimir Putin committed crimes against humanity when he invaded Ukraine. But as horrible as the Russian war against Ukraine has already been, in terms of civilian casualties, it
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September 21, 1972: The Beginning of the Age of Brainwashing September 21, 1972 was a day like any other in my carefree childhood years growing up in a peaceful city like Baguio. I was in the Grade Two, Section 2 class of
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Baguio shouldn’t build skyscrapers The jolting earthquake on July 27, 2022 is causing residents to revisit concerns about survivability in the nation’s summer capital in the event of another ‘killer quake.’ Specifically, it is reviving the question should Baguio City have high-rise
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The MURDER of pine trees goes unabated The practice has NOT stopped. Land developers (there’s another contradiction in terms) wanting to eliminate a big hindrance to their plans are still killing PINE TREES in Baguio City the same effective way they invented:
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We were “toy soldiers” in 1979 I experienced Citizens Army Training (CAT) in high school in 1979 in Baguio City High School (BCHS). I can’t remember if my batchmates and I ever understood that it had anything to do with martial law.
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S1E70 – Redeeming the Institution: BARANGAY The myth of this “Golden Age” of the martial law years has been so thoroughly debunked in social media even the Marcos campaign has virtually dropped it. Instead of a vote-magnet it became a deadweight to
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S1E69 – How dare you doubt PAGASA’s weather forecasts? Good evening class. Please bring out your umbrellas, if you brought one. I am going to go around the classroom and inspect your readiness to cope with inclement weather–like some scattered showers and
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S1E68 – The true essence of the “Rule of Law” Where is Miss Carla Adaawan?” I picked out a particular student because I knew she is from Tabuk City, which is in Kalinga province. This province was particularly significant during martial law
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S1E67 – Exploiting the confusion created by the “fog of war” The action of the National Electrification Administration (NEA) in appointing Ana Maria Rafael as general manager of Benguet Electric Cooperative is illegal because it violates Section 26-B of P.D. 269. That
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S1E66 – I respect your opinion because it’s your God Good, evening class. Tonight I want to talk more about the freedom of thought and of free opinion. You read about it all the time on social media. Everybody demands that you
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S1E65 – You want a TRO? Show me the money! What is the meaning of freedom?” I began the evening’s lecture by asking my students a question for which there is no universal answer. “Imagine this class—we keep saying that laws exist
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S1E64 – Was there really a Golden Age of Philippine agriculture? Miss Joanna Pis-o…from the land of the stonewalled rice terraces of Barlig, Mountain Province, in the central Cordilleras, are you present?” “Yes, sir, present! I certainly correspond to that long geocultural
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S1E3 – Studying all the Queen’s Gambit Moves for Sara There’s so much talk about Sara Duterte becoming president if Bongbong Marcos is disqualified. There’s even a conspiracy theory that this is the reason why the COMELEC is delaying the decision in
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S1E62 – Mandatory military training for all citizens, anyone? Miss Carla Adaawan?” The girl from Tabuk City looked up from oogling at her smartphone at the start of the evening’s class. I don’t know what startled her—that I suddenly called on her
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S1E61- What would Jesus say about electric cooperatives? I walked into the classroom holding nothing in my hands—no classcards, no index cards or lecture notes on yellowpad. I even left my chalkbox and blackboard eraser in the faculty lounge. Instantly I could
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S1E60 – Again I predict BBM will NOT be disqualified For the second time, I will go out on a limb again and say, NO they will not disqualify BongBong Marcos—not even in the three remaining disqualification cases pending before the First
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S1L59 – The Paradox of Loans Tonight, class, I want everybody to get a firm grip of their understanding of the concept of a LOAN. And I don’t just mean your ordinary ‘commodity loan’ like some money you borrow from a bank
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S1L58 – Breaking down the Myth of Super-Untouchable Regulators Why is it not possible to sue the State? This is a question I have often been asked by my students, both in Political Science in the undergraduate program and in the College
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S1L57 ; Public office is a public trust, fake diplomas don’t count Good evening, class…” “Good evening, sir!” my Alpha Section class seemed totally refreshed by the long Christmas break, they looked ready to recite. I, on the other hand, was ready
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S1L56 – COMELEC will not disqualify Bongbong Marcos Of course the COMELEC will not disqualify Bongbong Marcos. He is one of only two viable presidential candidates and, arguably, the front-running one. Yes, there is ground to disqualify him. But I don’t think
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S1L55 – No such thing as a ‘one-man- BENECO Board Hellooo Professor! Happy Three Kings! We didn’t know you liked playing billiards!” I was greeted by some painfully-familiar faces from Alpha Section when I thought I’d try some pool games at a
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S1L54 – The Al Capone Lesson: there’s more than one way to skin a cat Helloooo there, Professor!! Happy New Year! We didn’t know you liked boating!” Déjà vu? This can’t be happening—Deema, Kata, Laarnee, Juan and Jack together again?? And I
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S1L53 – Learning what a “valid appointment” is on a ferriswheel Hello, professor! Happy New Year! We didn’t know you liked riding the ferriswheel!” What are the odds I would find five of my students in the same place, lining up to
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S1L52 – Is it still safe to do banking in Baguio? Some banks have completely lost their bearing and have forgotten many fundamental elements of the contract between them and their depositors. What are some of these basics? To start off, a
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S1L51 – Overseas Absentee Voting Mommy Dionisia! Fancy meeting you here in the mall! Merry Christmas po!” I was so happy to see my oldest student gallivanting around the mall, enjoying the holidays like everybody else. “Merry Christmas, Prof! Are you here
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S1L50 – “The Thirteenth Month Pay” Law Miss Deema Niwala, on your feet…” After looking around the classroom and making sure there was no possibility of any other person answering to the same name, this girl from Tublay finally rose her feet,
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S1L49 – The “Political Question” Doctrine Miss Carla Nalukay-nalipit?” “ADDAAWAN, SIR!!!” “I’m sorry, Miss Addaawan. I keep forgetting…” This is my student from Tabuk City, Kalinga whose name is structured after the Korean ethos of “yin-yang” –her name connotes both presence and
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S1L48 – “Social Activism” introducing Miss Laarnee Iwasan Things didn’t go so bad the last time I used my new ‘policy’ of calling students for recitation LAST NAME first. So I think I’ll stick to that policy. “Is Mister or Miss Iwasan
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S1L47 – The danger of compulsory SIM card registration There’s a grain of truth in the common criticism that congressional investigations done “in aid of legislation” have little to show for real accomplishments in the end. Congress justifies these investigations by saying
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S1L46 – “Place of birth” The debut of twins Glad and Gladys (Joy and Joyce) Why not?” I thought. Alpha Section is a small class, only 25 “survivors” by the midterm, 5 had dropped out since Prelims. I can certainly call the
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S1L45 – “Intellectual Property” The debut of Miss Julyrain Arpeggio I decided to pull a classcard “blind” just to really be able to call on someone with the highest degree of randomness. “Miss Julia Regina Arpeggio?” Wow, I thought, at last a
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S1L44 – “Legitimization through adoption” The debut of Miss Grippa Baligtaran I’ve been thinking—it’s almost midterm and I still have only called about eight people to recite. The rest have been able to “escape”—but not for long! I looked for the classcards
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S1L43 – “Critique of E.O. 156” – Ms. Kata Explains False Syllogism Miss Kata Ngahan, are you in?” “Present in body and spirit, sir!” “Miss Kata, you taught creative writing before didn’t you? I read it in your Facebook…” I braced for
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Deema’s Birthday! – International Human Rights Day is Miss Deema’s birthday The United Nations general assembly created the High Commission on Human Rights and started celebrating December 10 as International Human Rights Day in 1948. That’s the summary of my lecture for
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S1L42 – “Leni and the Android Operating System” Signs that the future has arrived Mr. Jack Makataruz, are you present?” “Present, sir!” my punk -hairstyled student sprung to his feet. “You know, Jack, you give a whole new meaning to the phrase
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S1L41 – Meaning of a Simple Contract, feat. Miss Joanna Pis-O from Barlig When you’re a 58-year old law professor and your students are millennials HALF your age, it can be a challenge to keep up with their language and mannerisms. But
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S1L40 – “What’s a lucid interval?” as distinguished from temporary insanity Good evening ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our class tonight. I will be your instructor and it is my honor to impart some useful information to all of you tonight that,
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S1L39 – “Solutio Indebiti” Miss Deema is a Nurse! I moved to Baguio City in 1967 when I was 3 years old. My mother was a single parent—or not exactly a single parent, I just had a “non-resident” father who came up
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S1L38 – Petition for Change of Name, feat. Miss Joanna Pis-O from Barlig There are times when I’m not so prepared coming to class but I’ve learned the trick of how to deal with that. Have a short lecture in mind, call
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S1L37 – Grilling Lessons from Deema: How to crossexamine without tricks Mister Cabo Buhan, are you alive?” This is my only student with a premed background. He comes from Dagupan City, Pangasinan. “I am over here sir, quietly metabolizing glucose…” He also
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S1L36 – Ethnicity, Nationality, Citizenship, Identity and Domicile, feat. Miss Hannah Maala from Buguias Miss Palindrome, are you around?” Hannah Maala sprung to her feet, she knew right away I was referring to her. “Present, sir!” “Hehehe…Miss Maala, your middle initial written
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S1L35 – Women Empowerment, feat. Miss Carla Addaawan from Tabuk City A law class is an ideal environment to immerse yourself in current events and issues, something I encourage my students to do. Law is dynamic, you don’t study law in a
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S1L34 – The “Regalian Doctrine” and the Modern Colonizers of the iBenguets Juan Dimacaawat, are you present?” “Yes, sir!” “Let’s talk a little history, Mr. Dimacaawat. Imagine that you were already a lawyer in March 16, 1521…” “Sir, no imagination is necessary,
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S1L33 – “Conflict of Interest” Involving a Public Prosecutor This evening class I want to discuss a very controversial and contentious topic: judicial independence and the integrity of the criminal-justice system.” The whole class went, “Ooooooh…!” “Facts—a judge in Cawatan City, which
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S1L32 – The UNCLOS Ruling in favor of the Philippines, introducing Miss Hannah Maala from Buguias Mister Jack Makataruz, tumakder…!” “Yes, sir!” “Facts—three Chinese coast guard vessels intercepted two Philippine boats on the West Philippine Sea. The Chinese boats used high-pressure water
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S1L31 – “Surveys are Self-serving Predictions”, feat. Miss Deema When I’m alone in my office in the afternoon (about 90% of Zoom hearings are held in the morning) I use the “me time” to catch up on the news on the internet.
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S1L30 – The Right of Suffrage and the Duck in the Cockpit, introducing Mr. Hilong Talilong As I’m shuffling classcards for another recitation, I noticed a few classcards that look very new—I suppose there are some students that I have never called
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S1L29 – Blind Items and the law on Libel Blind items are an item again nowadays after President Duterte exploded his “bomb” about a presidential candidate snorting cocaine. In Ilocano there’s a saying “nu sino mangan sili isu magasangan” (or maybe it’s
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S1L28 – The Inherent Defects of Republican Democracy that sent Miss Deema crying Mr. Juan Dimacaawat, will you please count how many of you are here?” After a minute Juan reported, “We are twenty, sir.” “Alright, listen class. I prepared four lectures
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S1L27 – The 3 D’s in Estafa: Deceit, Damage and Discovery, feat. Mommy Dionisia In Baguio City, law classes meet in the evening, from 5:30 to 8:30 pm although I once famously “punished” a class by lecturing until 11:00 PM. Evening classes
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S1L26 – The Doctrine of Forgiveness, feat. Miss Kata Ngahan Miss Kata Ngahan, are you around…?” “I’m present, sir. I never miss your class, it’s a pleasure and a signal pride for me to be sitting here and learning from a consummate
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S1L25 – Lawyers are cool and fashionable, feat. Mohawk-hairstyled Jack Makataruz from Bauko A law class is not always about discussions of legal doctrines and principles. A law class is a dynamic mini-society which is really a microcosm of the community itself.
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S1L24 – Why Lawyers love to say things in Latin, Juan Dimacaawat hits on Miss Deema Niwala Law is general education. That’s why there is really no such thing as the most ideal pre-law preparation. My students come from diverse under-grad backgrounds.
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S1L23 – Admissions and Denials, feat. Miss Deema Niwala Miss Deema Niwala, are you around?” “I’m here, sir. I’m always present. In fact, I always sit in front and you barely take notice of my presence.” This is one of those great
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S1L22 – Basic Criminal Law concepts, feat. Mr. Juan Dimacaawat Mr. Juan Dimacaawat, stand up please…” “Yes, sir!” Something I always admired about this particular law student of mine is he never comes to class with tons of books or notebooks in
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Why banks betray smaller clients over bigger ones Semester 1 Non-class lecture 21 Truth be told, not all of my teachings happen in a classroom situation. Sometimes law students ambush me in the cafeteria and ruin my lunch, or merienda, by asking
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S1L20 – Natural and Juridical Persons Mr. Juan Dimacaawat, are you present?” I surveyed the classroom looking for my favorite law student. He just barely managed go barge into the classroom, sweating like a pig from running to make it in time
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S1L19 – Can a bank just freeze your account? I do legal education in my Facebook account, and on my webpage, but not legal counselling. So for those who have asked me if they should close their bank accounts with BPI, PNB,
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S1L18 – BENECO Lawyers go up against NEA over “Rule of Law” If you ask me what was the first critical blunder of the National Electrification Administration (NEA) in its ill-fated effort to takeover BENECO, it would be this: it underestimated the
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S1L17 – How the public is being hypnotized into surrendering BENECO In the land of the blind, the one-eyed is king. What this old adage means, to me, is that men obtain power because they see what others cannot. A more cynical
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S1L16 – How to guard yourself against cyberlibel, introducing Juan Dimacaawat Mister Juan Dimacaawat, are you around?” My favorite law student is a stocky fellow from Mankayan, Benguet, the son of a retired miner who now owns a welding shop fabricating “ball
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S1L15 – Everything that “Persona Non Grata” Resolution means or does not mean One of the myths that law students are able to dispel quickly is the popular impression that their law professors know everything. They hold them in such high esteem
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S1L14 – The Difference between “power of control” and “supervision”” This is potentially boring stuff unless you’re sick and tired of people who talk like they know everything about electric cooperatives, BENECO, and NEA—but are actually bluffing and just trying to impress
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S1L13 – The Courts: Where trolls and bashers cannot prevail I am biased for litigation, but on a practical level I would do everything to try to avoid going to trial. It’s too costly, stressful and time-consuming. And you never really attain
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S1L12 – How BENECO’s valiant MCO’s are like Masadans, outnumbered but not outfought The siege of Masada was one of the final events in the First Jewish–Roman War which raged from 73 to 74 A.D. On a high plateau above the plains
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S1L11 – Rebellion has no penalty if the rebels win I’m shuffling classcards again for today’s class recitation….Juan Dimacaawat? “Present, sir!” Alright, Mr. Dimacaawat. Please read Art. 135 of your Revised Penal Code. “Any person who promotes, maintains or heads a rebellion
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S1L10 – Desperate NEA Resorts to Red-tagging Mia Magdalena In July 2018, the Philippine government deported 71-year old Australian Missionary nun Sister Patricia Fox, oblivious of the fact she had lived in the Philippines for more than 27 years. She spoke Cebuano,
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S1L9 – Quantifying the Enormous Voting Strength of MCO Power This is an interesting number to ponder: 138,000. That’s the number of member-consumer-owners (MCO’s) of BENECO as of the end of September 2021. Baguio City has 164,125 registered voters. In other words,
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S1L8 – “Trapos” panicked by the rise of MCO Power Now, it’s giving shifty politicos a migraine—this belated awareness that the BENECO member-consumer-owners (MCO’s) just might be an even bigger bailiwick than the INK and the Catholics combined. Politico A: “Naku, patay
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S1L7 – The Most Potent Basis of Consumer power: OWNERSHIP When American Idol Season 1 Champion Kelly Clarkson sang, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” she could very well have been singing about what’s happening in BENECO today. Before NEA launched
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S1L6 – How to interpret law using “Ejusdem Generis” To my law students in the college of law and in the Facebook School of Law: What is meant by “EJUSDEM GENERIS?” It’s a rule in statutory construction—which, by the way, has nothing
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S1L5 – NEA is Applying the Doctrine of “Presumption of Regularity” Totally wrong January (Bar Exam) is just around the corner. We have very little time to cram as much information as we can into our law students’ heads. So for those
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S1L4 – The Failure of Diligence of PNB over BENECO’s Money This is for my law students preparing for the Bar. This is on Banking Laws and Procedures (Debit Transactions): QUESTION: Can BENECO recover the one million pesos withdrawn from its account
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S1L3 – Senate Probe of NEA will expose its Derelect Relevance So there’s going to be a Senate investigation into this worsening anarchy that the National Electrification Administration (NEA) is fomenting in Baguio and Benguet in its hungry grab for BENECO. When
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S1L2 – NEA’s red-tagging strategy will backfire and spook the business community Everyone in Baguio should be alarmed by the red-tagging strategy that NEA has unwisely decided to include in its arsenal of weapons against BENECO. The business community, in particular, should
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S1L1 – How the “Rule of Law” is perverted mimics a pro-wrestling match The best way to understand how the “rule of law” is perverted is to watch any professional wrestling match on YouTube. Pick any match where the two opponents wear
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Pre-Semester Frontier Post 50 (Facebook’s “Artificial Intelligence” Failing to Protect MCO Accounts) Artificial intelligence” (AI) is another one of those contradiction in terms you will inevitably have the pure annoyance of running into these days. All social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube,
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Pre-Semester Frontier Post 49 Persona non grata” literally translates to “an unwelcome person” in Latin. It’s not a crime, so it has no penalty. It’s neither a judgment nor a decision handed down by a court, so it cannot be executed. It
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“Dura Lex Sed Lex”Pre-Semester Non-classroom Lecture 48 Laws would be meaningless without courts. Laws tell you what your rights are. But your rights end where my rights begin. It is the court that draws the line between us. Without that clear separating
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Why Baguio and Benguet people resent NEA’s High-handednessPre-Semester Frontier Post 47 There’s an underlying reason why the brazen attempt of NEA to takeover BENECO is generating so much public outrage, helping galvanize opposition to what many see as a naked power grab—no
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A Day that will life in Infamy for NEAPre-Semester Non-Lecture Analysis 46 That shameful blitzkrieg carried out by NEA in South Drive on October 18, 2021 was not just a shortlived takeover of BENECO’s premises. It was the beginning of a long
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PNB has reasons to be worriedPre-Semester Non-Lecture Analysis 45 If I were PNB Baguio I would be afraid. I would be VERY afraid. They allowed a third party to withdraw ONE MILLION PESOS from an account of a depositor—BENECO—without even informing the
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NEA’s Golden Girl May be Highly-achieved, but she’s still UNQUALIFIEDPre-Semester Non-Lecture Analysis 44 Qualification is a tricky issue. To run for President of the Philippines, you must be at least 40 years old, natural-born Filipino, able to read and write, a registered
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Why it’s crucial for BENECO to elect fresh officers or renew office termsPre-Semester Non-Lecture Analysis 43 Back in those days of my pathetic attempts to go to the gym, one of the guys wore a shirt that said “Your workout is my
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No one can afford to be in the sidelines in this BENECO fight, jwhen just being counted is enoughPre-Semester Non-Lecture Analysis 42 Someone asked me today, “what can I do about this BENECO crisis, especially now that men with guns are involved?”
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What even a little girl can do to help BENECOPre-Semester Non-Lecture Analysis 41 Tito, I feel so helpless and so little, so insignificant. I’m just a kid. What can I do?” Katherine, you’re 14 but you’re not playing computer games. Instead you’re
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Why Turning South Drive into a Hamlet is UNCONSTITUTIONALPre-Semester Non-classroom Lecture 40 This is for my law students preparing for the Bar (but, of course, since it’s a public post all are welcome to read it) A WARRANT—whether it be to effect
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Deputizing the PNP to execute a NON-JUDICIAL or NON-QUASI JUDICIAL ORDER is just PLAIN WRONGPre-Semester Non-Lecture Analysis 39 It might be the last straw to break the camel’s back. Throwing South Drive into a military hamlet sent a blood-curdling message down the
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Why NEA CANNOT just fire anybody in BENECO by mere publication Pre-Semester Non-Lecture Analysis 38 Again this is for my law students preparing for the Bar—and everyone else out there who are in denial of the fact that they are good enough
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I think NEA will try to seize BENECO by Fake People PowerPre-Semester Non-Lecture Analysis 37 In this day and age of social media channeling heightened public awareness, public opinion is no longer an abstract factor in policy formulation. There remain a few
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NEA Cannot use the PNP to perform its rulemaking powers, only it’s adjudicating powerPre-Semester Non-classroom Lecture 36 The National Electrification Administration (NEA) is skating on really very thin ice, if it insists on its handpicked general manager for BENECO. Can NEA use
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NEA validly serving an invalid Order doesn’t make the Order validPre-Semester Non-classroom Lecture 35 My bad, I forget to mention that some of my posts are really intended for our law students that we still can’t meet face-to-face. Even bar review is
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As an ordinary consumer, Laarni Ilagan and BENECO make me proudPre-Semester Non-Lecture Analysis 34 I waited three days before going public on Facebook with my minor gripe about still not having electricity despite the storm being over. At 6:30 AM, well over
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Baguio-Benguet Consumers are Slowly Waking upPre-Semester Non-Lecture Analysis 33 Ordinary people of good conscience are beginning to react to the BENECO crisis. I think it’s because the COVID19 Delta Variant reminds them of it everyday. The NEA variant behaves uncanningly similar. It
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Of the 19 powers given to NEA by RA 10531, the power to appoint a GM is NOT one of them…
Of the 19 powers given to NEA by RA 10531, the power to appoint a GM is NOT one of them…
Of the 19 powers given to NEA by RA 10531, the power to appoint a GM is NOT one of them…
Of the 19 powers given to NEA by RA 10531, the power to appoint a GM is NOT one of them…
Of the 19 powers given to NEA by RA 10531, the power to appoint a GM is NOT one of them…