Law as defined, is a set of rules established to guide our actions.

From the very way we communicate to

our neighbors happily singing their karaoke every Sunday morning to how we return a lost wallet that
we found on the cab going home, the law is everywhere. One can argue that studying the law is like
stepping inside a casket half alive; it is basically drowning yourself in readings. Hundreds of cases and
countless of humiliation await you every day. Never ending list of provisions and doctrines that you
need to religiously acquaint yourself to. But why do people study the law? Why do people spend four to
five years of their lives with this kind of burden? It is for the simple reason that law, whether we like it or
not, is in every aspects of our lives. Law is everywhere. Law maintains the peace and regulates a
community. It is the backbone of our society.

Of the many topics that Dean Mel Sta. Maria has discussed during his introductory session with the FEU
IL Freshmen last Monday, July 20, 2020, the one that caught my attention the most was his distinction
between the good and bad law. Laws, as Dean Mel discussed, are generally good, but one should keep in
mind that there also are bad laws. These are usually laws that were promulgated few ages ago. Laws
that were woven from the ancient beliefs and practices of people who came before us. Dean Mel added
that bad laws can be questioned and overturned, especially when these laws are against our
constitution. As future lawyers, it is our obligation to the people to stand for the right and defend our
freedom when bad laws are implemented. The anti-terror law can perhaps be considered as one of the
greatest and remarkable bad laws that we have at the present time. It is an outright violation of our
freedoms. Freedoms which were granted to us by the constitution. One cannot just keep a blind eye to
what the Anti-Terrorism law may do to us. It suppresses our rights to due process and freedom of
speech. To voice out criticisms and express our dissent. The passage of the Anti-terrorism bill into law in
such a very fast manner and in the middle of a pandemic will make you ask questions; why now? Why
that fast? The Filipino people, both public and private individuals have expressed their opposition to the
passage and eventually the implementation of the said law. Groups of lawyers and people in the
academe have laid facts and presented numerous loopholes of the then ATB. Numerous inconsistencies
of the said law have been pointed out; from how it is poorly written up until how it should have been
properly posted in a newspaper of general circulation, but these were all rejected and set aside. As Dean
Mel lamented on one of his Facebook posts, how can we even trust a law to be of service to the Filipino
People when it cannot even follow simple steps like this? How can we trust this law, when a law that is
supposedly created for the people does not hear and acknowledge what the people is saying? It is of
course the obligation of every Filipino to ask the “whys” and the” hows” but this calls more attention to
the people knowledgeable of the law; our lawyers. It is high time that we question and assert to the
government that silencing people who genuinely speak out is tantamount to scrapping democracy
down. It is high time to remind everyone that dissent is the very core of democracy. Let us not wait until
it’s too late. I also want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Dean Mel, our FEU Law
professors and to everyone who have tirelessly fought against the passage of the bill, thank you. People
like you are inspiration to the young minds and to your successors. You set a good example to the
younger generation of law practitioners that the law should never ever be used to forward personal
wants; that it should always be in service of the people and for the people. The fight against the Anti-
Terrorism law is far from over but please rest assured that We will be fighting with you till the end. This
is a fight worth fighting for.

Quoting Dean Mel, “Lawyering is a noble job.” You get to know the ins and outs of the law. How laws are
created and how are they repelled. But lawyering is no games and funs. It is never for the faint heart.
Lawyering is standing for and defending the people’s rights and freedoms. It is ensuring that no one
abuses and uses the law to forward their personal wants. It is being the watchdog of the society.
Lawyering is a sacrifice; it is a duty.