rants at iba pa ⚖

old, dumb, broke law student

[Nikki @macronikki]

Tangina ng mga salot na to. Di na nga bumuboto ng tama, nang-aabala pa sa buhay.

[Guy With A (Hibernating) Blog @GuyWithABlog]

(1) Wala silang permit.
(2) Walang coordination sa LGU (unless meron pero hindi sinasabi).
(3) Hindi ganito trato niyo sa mga rallies na aligned sa progressives and/or left-leaning.
(4) Ilang beses na ginawa ito ng INC.

The only conclusion is takot ang gov't sa kanila.

[rants at iba pa ⚖ @rantsatibp]

i have not started bar prep... I dont wanna be complacent but where r u guys getting the motivation 😭

[Gerry Cacanindin @GerryCacanindin]

Random EDSA rally on a rainy Tuesday work day, disrupting people who need to go to work. Sabi nga, kung ayaw niyo maghanapbuhay, huwag kayong mandamay ng gusto lang maghanapbuhay.

[Nico B. Valderrama @nbvneverquits]

I am close to finalizing the the Last-Minute Tips for the September 2026 Bar Exam on Civil Law by NBV for the #AweSAMbar2026 batch based on the syllabus. It also includes:
- doctrines from cases penned by the 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 Bar Chairpersons, and
- pointers on Civil Law Exam questions asked in the 2023, 2024, and 2025 Bar Exams.

Target release is within the month of July 2026.

[Cₐᵢ ⊙⊝⊜ @caiskee]

I'm sorry but you can't really help but compare the difference sa tolerance ng mga pulis dito sa surprise rally na to vs sa ibang rally na may permit at ina-announce weeks in advance. Nasan yung mga naka shield at body armor lol

[The Professional Heckler™️ @hecklerforever8]

Nagra-rally para suportahan ang corrupt. The consistency of this group. 🙄

[rants at iba pa ⚖ @rantsatibp]

Andun pa ba yung mga perwisyo sa edsa?? Hindi ako makauwi MYGOD

[Ralph | 🫨 @heyralphhey]

Where the hell are the water cannons and the SWAT? Where was the energy during the Luneta rally last year?

[NewsWatch Plus PH @newswatchplusph]

CASTRO: HUWAG MAGPA-REGISTER SA ‘KULTO, KAMPON NG KASAMAAN’

WATCH: Palace press officer Claire Castro ended her press briefing on Monday, June 29, by urging Filipinos not to wish death or harm on others, saying such acts reflect the behavior of a “cult” or “forces of evil.”

“Ang bagong Pilipino ay hindi ipinagdarasal ang kamatayan ng kapwa. Ito ay gawain ng isang kulto, gawain ng kampon ng kasamaan. Huwag po kayong magpa-register sa ganiyang klaseng samahan,” Castro said. | @TristanNodalo

[Amber 🦋 @geeyanii]

Lahat kami sa office ay late today btw. Ganyan kasalot ang INC. Yung mga naghahanap buhay para may maipasahod sa mga inutil sa gobyerno, inaabala. Yung mga nagnanakaw mula sa kaban ng bayan, inaabugaduhan. Nakakasuka.

[Jo March @jomsksk]

nakakatawa lang as per office of the ombudsman hindi daw sila nahirapan mag imbestiga sa plunder case ni Marcoleta kasi lahat ng evidence sa bibig nya lumabas like plsss that's so funny 😭😭😭

[Rodel Taton @rodelriddle]

Notes from the Chairman of the 2026 Bar, SC AJ Samuel H. Gaerlan. Delivered in his speech before the Law graduates of San Sebastian College-Recoletos, Manila.

1️⃣ Passing the Bar is not a Right, but a Period.
It is not something guaranteed. It is a stage that marks readiness to serve, a transition into responsibility. Passing the Bar isn’t the finish line, but the beginning of a lifelong commitment to justice and community.

2️⃣ Dedicate your success.
Think of someone to whom you want to offer your triumph. When the Bar comes, that thought will inspire you to push through and give your best.

3️⃣ Have faith in yourself.
Believe in your preparation, your purpose, and your calling.

#AweSamBar2026
#LawSchool
#Lawjourney
#LawSchoolSpaces
#baexam2026
#FilipinoLawyer

[oƃᴉñʎ @_ynigo]

Putang ina isipin mo yon. Sinakripisyo mo ang sahod mo ngayong araw dahil umabsent ka para sumama sa rally para suportahan yung mga magnanakaw na hundreds of thousands ang sweldo buwan buwan. HAHAHAHAHAHA kain ka dinuguan

[Atty. Aimee Venteroso, CPA @aimeevntrso]

This is outside the coverage of the 2026 Bar Examinations, but I would humbly like to share the updated matrix I prepared based on the one provided by the Supreme Court in People v. Tulagan, G.R. No. 227363, March 12, 2019, incorporating the Court's guidance in Gramatica v. People, G.R. Nos. 260233 & 266039, August 12, 2025.

In Gramatica, the Supreme Court clarified the delineation between the related crimes under the Revised Penal Code (RPC) and Section 5(b) of R.A. No. 7610. It explained that the distinction does not rest solely on the age of the victim, but also whether the minor engages in sexual intercourse or lascivious conduct due to the to being exploited in prostitution or other sexual abuse, and on the presence of apparent consent.

Under the RPC, there is no valid consent due to the victim's incapacity to consent (as in statutory rape or acts of lasciviousness involving a child below 16 years of age, or where the victim is demented), or because of force, intimidation, fraud, deprivation of reason, or grave abuse of authority. In contrast, the offenses punished under Section 5(b) of R.A. No. 7610 involve situations where consent may appear to exist but is, in reality, defective. It contemplates a situation where the minor allows, yields, or participates in the act not through free will but because of the coercion or influence exerted by the adult. Such coercion or influence is distinct from the concepts of force or intimidation under the Revised Penal Code. As the Supreme Court explained, under R.A. No. 7610, the child may seemingly "indulge" in or agree to the sexual conduct, and thus, engaging in sexual acts with a child exploited in prostitution or subjected to sexual abuse remains criminal, notwithstanding the child's apparent consent.

In the Tulagan matrix, I also added a row for AOL under the RPC, since the Supreme Court emphasized in Gramatica that not all acts of lasciviousness against minors aged 12 to under 18 are covered by RA 7610. The latter applies only when minors are subjected to sexual abuse, such as when they “indulge” or give defective consent to the conduct.

In sum, in determining the applicable law, the following must be considered:
1) The age of the victim;
2) Whether the minor engages in sexual intercourse or lascivious conduct due to being exploited in prostitution or other sexual abuse; and
3) Whether there is presence of apparent consent due to coercion and influence which does not amount to force and intimidation under the RPC.

References:
Gramatica v. People: https://t.co/j0Zckc8tfZ
People v. Tulagan: https://t.co/LCVUaYyYHi
RA 11648: https://t.co/UtQQOe9AE8

[volleybagan @volleybagan]

THIS IS THE ATENEO WE ARE LOOKING FOR. THIS IS THE ATENEO WE KNOW. MARAMING SALAMAT, ATENEO DE DAVAO. ⚔️💙

The message is for you, Fr. Bobby. 🫵🏻

[Hernel Tocmo @HernelTocmo]

“Teacher, mag-donate ko dinhi pag madato ko.”

That was Rene Clert Baterbonia’s promise to the first school in Davao City that believed in him.

In 2022, he and his parents traveled from Agusan del Sur to Davao City in the hopes of continuing his education through his talent in sports.

Ananda Marga Special Academic Institution (AMSAI) in Cabantian, Davao City, was among the first schools to recognize Rene Clert’s potential and offer him a full scholarship, despite having been turned down by several schools at the time.

The former beneficiary of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) spent his junior high school years at the institution.

The large stone now placed beneath the memorial tarpaulins once served as Rene Clert’s improvised workout equipment, as there were no weights or barbells available workout.

@ABSCBNNews

[radar PH @radarph_media]

PhilHealth is omnipresent in every Filipino’s payslip, taking money whether workers like it or not. Yet in moments of greatest need, it often feels absent.

That’s what happened in the viral case of Maria Lourdes Sulit. Her husband Marvin contributed for over 25 years. When he died of a brain hematoma, PhilHealth declined to cover their nearly ₱200,000 hospital bill.

The reason: a technicality. He was confined for less than 24 hours. Under PhilHealth Circular No. 2020-0007, inpatient benefits require a 24-hour stay. But Circular No. 2025-0020 allows outpatient emergency benefits in cases ending in death within 24 hours. So which is it, then?

Sulit’s case is yet another crack in a system already under strain.

PhilHealth is mandatory under the Universal Health Care Law. Every Filipino is automatically enrolled, meaning every worker is required to contribute—regardless of income, preference, or private coverage.

And that has long been a point of frustration. Ask any tito, tita, tropa, or kakilala, and a familiar story emerges: PhilHealth often covers only a fraction of the bill. Families still shoulder significant out-of-pocket expenses.

Then come the administrative failures: the delays, the waiting, the stress on top of the hospitalization stresses.

Private health maintenance organizations help fill some of the gap. But even they can only do so much, often still leaving families exposed to catastrophic expenses that the public system is supposed to cushion.

And then, there’s the issue that refuses to go away: corruption.

PhilHealth has been repeatedly drawn into controversies involving anomalous claims, questionable reimbursements, and fund management issues that have reached Congress and the courts.

The latest one involved around ₱60 billion in excess funds—transferred to the national treasury. The Supreme Court later ruled that it’s unconstitutional, questioning whether health funds were being redirected away from their intended purpose.

The money has since been restored to PhilHealth, but its image isn’t getting any better. To many, it remains an agency that collects mandatory contributions, yet Filipinos don't get what they pay for.

Calls to abolish PhilHealth continue to surface. Let Filipinos keep their money. Rely on private insurance or personal means instead.

It’s understandable—especially in cases like Sulit’s—but abolition without replacement risks dismantling the country’s only nationwide health risk pool.

For all its flaws, PhilHealth remains the only attempt at universal coverage at scale. Removing it wouldn’t erase the need for protection.

So the real issue is not just whether to abolish PhilHealth, but what must replace or radically reform it.

Our Asian neighbors have made clearer choices. Thailand funds universal healthcare through general taxation, allowing patients to access care with minimal or no out-of-pocket costs. Malaysia heavily subsidizes public hospitals, keeping treatment affordable and predictable. South Korea operates a hybrid system where mandatory contributions are matched with reliable, structured coverage at the point of care.

The Philippines remains stuck in between: compulsory contributions without guaranteed protection, universal enrollment without universal certainty.

Now, the question is no longer whether PhilHealth should exist. Can it continue in its current form when the gap between contribution and protection remains this wide?

Can Filipinos still afford to pay premiums to a system they cannot rely on in a life-and-death situation?

Otherwise, PhilHealth only gives Filipinos hell.

[Jacob Dulay 🏹 @shotbyjpd_]

what a PR disaster this has been for Ateneo, through their own fault.

You can no longer say Coach Tab's name without the incident.

You can no longer talk about BEBOB without the incident.

Hell, you can no longer talk about Ateneo themselves without bringing up this incident.