by Kristy Anne Chua, Anna Carmela C. Dela Cruz and John Alfred F. Rabena
The true strength of an organization is measured by its capability to withstand the test of time.
For 50 years, thebarrister has served not only to bring news to students of San Beda, but also to memorialize affairs that have defined Bedan life. Much like the beloved institution, the publication has evolved through the years, putting into record the milestones of San Beda and its students, faculty, and administration. Braving decades of societal and political changes in the country, thebarrister has had an unwavering resolve to serve as the official student publication of the San Beda College of Law, offering a journalistic perspective in the study of law within the institution.
As time progressed, it has not only been a chronicler of the life of Bedan law students, but also an integral part of the Bedan life itself. Generations of law students who have walked the halls of San Beda are familiar with thebarrister—some even became members, while others became subjects of the publication’s news and feature articles. Issues published were anticipated and collected by many of the students, alumni, and even professors of the College of Law. The presence of the organization is felt the moment students enter the red gates of San Beda to the time they pass the Bar exams.
As it marks its 50th year of founding, alumni of thebarrister who are now full-fledged lawyers and respected professors of the college share their experiences with the organization, their memories, and how it has changed through the years.
Days of the Broadsheet
Associate Justice Bernelito R. Fernandez of the Sandiganbayan is one notable alumni.
From 1976 to 1977, he served as Editor-in-Chief of thebarrister. As a full-time law student, he readily accepted the role because he knew he was capable of handling the responsibility..
During his time, he said, publication work was not really a full-time job so he was able to balance his studies with his duties as Editor-in-Chief. The bulk of it was to meet the staff one or two months prior to the release of an issue, and to come up with concepts which would be the main themes of each publication. Unlike the present time where thebarrister issues a magazine-type publication, it was broadsheet newspapers, where usually four or five issues per school year were released according to Justice Fernandez.
In an interview with thebarrister, Justice Fernandez shared two important skills he learned from being a member of the publication—meticulousness and accuracy. According to him, these skills helped greatly in his law studies because he learned to carefully assess the details laid before him. The tools of research he was able to develop made him more proficient in critical analysis. He said that these skills were not only essential in law studies, but also in law practice, especially when one desires to become a litigator.
What he remembers most fondly during his time in thebarrister was the presswork. “Iba kasi ‘yung presswork namin noon kaysa ngayon,” he said. They used to work with what he called “offset printing” where they used negatives and a “big-sized” printing office in Quiapo. Most of the time, the printing office would send them the negatives, which they would then place them in a newspaper format. He said this was the most exciting time during his years with the organization, because this was where he established camaraderie with his staff.
The Clarion Voice of Students
Atty. Joseph Phillip Andres was a working law student in San Beda College of Law.
He gained a lot of experience in the news industry when he worked at ABC-5 as a TV reporter and news anchor. His natural instincts perked when he discovered the announcement of thebarrister inviting students to join the organization.
Atty. Andres officially joined the organization in his sophomore year in 1998 and served thebarrister for three years. Equipped with his skills and experience, he was immediately designated as the Associate Editor. In the following year, he served as the new Editor-in-Chief until he graduated from San Beda.
When asked how he managed to balance his workload as a working law student and an editor in thebarrister, he underscored two words that served as his foundational principles—clarity and alignment.
“It starts with being clear with what you want. Your vision must be defined and clear,” he said. “Then, everything you do must be aligned to that clear goal which you have set for yourself.” These values lingered even after he became a lawyer. He vouched that any goal or dream was achievable as long as the individual was passionate about it.
One of Atty. Andres’ fondest memories in thebarrister was the introduction of human-interest features such as the campus survey where a large number of the population was asked questions like “who are the top five loveliest and the five most handsome in law school?” To his mind, it proved to be successful as a great number of students looked forward to the publications of thebarrister. It “spiced up” the publication which was stereotypically labelled as too academic or cerebral.
As the modality of publication changed due to the pandemic, Atty. Andres reminisced the former days when thebarrister publications were still tangible. He cherished the days when the students were able to bring home the tabloids they published. He remembered when students preserved those articles where they were featured and mentioned, even if it was just in the bylines.
An Instrument of Social Justice
Atty. Jun Marr M. Denila acquired his Bachelor of Laws degree in San Beda as valedictorian of batch 2018. He became a junior writer of thebarrister. He spoke of his duty which involved informing the student body of the issues confronting society including recently-passed laws, consequences, and facts.
Atty. Denila currently works at the Office of the Solicitor General and is also a professorial lecturer in San Beda University.
According to him, he did his co-curricular activities on Sundays, because “balance” was something that he strictly applied. This included his duties as a member of thebarrister.
To be critical with every information provided has been one of his key takeaways as a writer. This particular skill greatly assisted him then and continues to in his current career. It helped him “appreciate the cases by understanding their far-reaching applications in real life.” In one of his articles, he was able to discuss the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which was an agreement to strengthen the alliance between the United States of America and the Philippines, through thorough research.
He observed that not much has changed with thebarrister since not much time has lapsed. The only significant change he found was the necessary activeness of the organization in its social media presence due to the global situation at hand.
When asked about his advice to the current and future members of thebarrister, he expressed a relevant reminder to “continue to speak truth to power.” He emphasized a well-known quote from former Supreme Court Justice JBL Reyes, “No master but law. No guide but conscience. No aim but justice.”
On the other hand, Atty. Denila also gave his advice to all law students reminding them that they should not just be students of the college of law but also of the college of justice. “Laws are generally designed to favor the rich and the powerful […] It should be a lifelong responsibility to make law and justice mean the same,” he expressed.
THE BARRISTER 