Off The Beaten Path

Unknown community school boasts of Bar passers

By Roy Gersalia

Philippine Daily Inquirer

SORSOGON CITY, Philippines – While most, if not all newly-founded law schools take years to have a passer in the tough and prestigious Bar examinations, people in Sorsogon province have more reason to be prouder since the only school who offers the Bachelor of Laws course here have proven its mettle since its founding in 2001.

Conquering odds and taking a great leap had not been that easy especially for a provincial law school as shown by the experience of others.

But despite this, the Aemilianum College Incorporated located at Rizal Street in Barangay Piot, this city, had made quite a number of persons who became lawyers since the first batch of its graduates took the tough exams in 2005.

“Having Bar passers in the first attempt of a law school is a privileged denied to most, if not all law schools,” said Ron Ely Espinosa, an incoming 4th year student.

Year 2005 became what Frenchmen called “Le moment des verite” or moment of truth for the Aemilianum College of Law. In its first try, the Aemilianum College Inc. produced three lawyers in the persons of Atty. Jonathan G. Balintong, Atty. Sergio Domasian and Atty. Enrique J. Renoria.

Balintong and Renoria are now teaching at the College of Law under the able stewardship of Atty. Rofebar Gerona, Dean of the Aemilianum College of Law. Atty. Domasian is now a practicing lawyer in Manila.

Lady luck, shone literally, in year 2006 when the College produced its first woman-lawyer in the person of Atty. Jehan Rebustillo. Atty. Ryan Filgueras also became lawyer in the same year.

Rebustillo encouraged women-students of the College especially during the Bar operations every September to go for “women power” so that many would join her as female lawyer produced by the Aemilinaum College of Law.

Filgueras on the other hand, is now a Comelec (Commision on Elections) lawyer and is now teaching at the Aemilinum College of Law every Saturday and Sunday.

In 2007, Atty. Dante Arcos, who is also teaching at the College hurdled the Bar exams which only about 20% of all the examinees passed. He is currently employed at the Regional Trial Court here and plans to go private practice soon.

And recently, the 2008 Bar exams, the results of which were released only a few weeks ago, another lawyer was produced by the Aemilianum College in the person of Atty. Ronel Marianito.

Now, not only school administrators led by Fr. Abe Arganiosa and Dean Gerona are proud but the whole province as well as more are expected to enroll this coming Academic year said Jackie Villafuerte, an incoming 3^rd year student.

Ahead of Ateneo

A standing joke in the college is that the Aemilianum Law is always next on top and ahead of Ateneo because after Abra College, Aemilianum is next in the alphabetical listings of the Colleges of Law nationwide.

The joke is set to inspire students especially freshmen in the College of Law, said Salvador Mendoza, Law Student Council president.

Weekend classes

The Aemilianum College of Law held its classes only on Saturdays and Sundays, one of the few schools who was permitted by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to operate on a weekend basis.

The scheme was designed to accommodate working students where most of the students in the College of Law here are employed either in government or in private institutions.

And even if the classes are held every weekend, one can finish the Law course in four years time in an affordable tuition, Mendoza said.

Helping Hand

For years now, Congressman Sonny Escudero of the 1st district here have been one of the benefactors for the College. He donated the latest volumes of the Supreme Court Reports Annotated (SCRA) and the Supreme Court Advanced Decisions (SCAD).

His son, Senator Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero used to teach law in the College.

Every September, when the College’s Bar operations are set to go to Manila to help and give their support for the Bar candidates, Governor Sally A. Lee lends the government-owned bus for the students and teachers who are going to attend.

The College also received some pittance from private businesses here and gave them their financial support for the expenses to be incurred for the Bar Operations team.

However, the College, looks forward for the much better improvement of its facilities. Additional Law books, additional computers with Internet and a photocopying machine for the students are needed, said one of the students who refused to be identified.

The name

Since 1985 the Somascan Fathers handles the school. The name became Aemilianum Institute and now the Aemilianum College. This name is taken from the Family name of their founder St. Jerome Emiliani. 

A tale of two villages

SORSOGON CITY, Philippines – What sex is all about.

While a man tried to hang himself due to failure to consummate their marriage with his wife in a village here, another man was complained to authorities by his wife as a victim of being ‘oversexed’ by his husband in another village in Sorsogon town.

In Casiguran town, about 10 kilometers from this city, a newly-wed couple have not successfully consummated their marriage since their wedding a month ago because of the husband’s mother-in-law preventing her daughter to live in one roof with her husband.

In a fit of despair, the man identified to by authorities as Rolly Esmiria, 28 and a resident of Barangay Eskwela, Casiguran town decided to commit suicide by tying a rope at his neck that resulted to a severe wound nearly ending his life.

He was found by his wife and some relatives and was immediately brought to Sorsogon Doctors Hospital for treatment.

Doctors declared him safe but advised to stay for a few more days as the doctors will still observe the severe wound.

It was also reported that wife’s mother is preventing her daughter to visit her daughter’s husband at the hospital.

A few days before the suicide attempt Mayor Esther Hamor was reported to have acted as mediator with Esmiria and his mother-in-law as soon as the story reached the mayor’s office and having known their respective families for years, but failed to convince Esmiria’s mother-in-law.

Meanwhile in St. Magdalena town, a newly-wed wife complained to the police of being oversexed by his husband whom he said tried to have sex with her ten- times-a-day.

Accompanied by her parents, the 21 year-old victim (name withheld) and who is just married with her husband for three months, complained to the local police in Sta. Magdalena town yesterday reporting the sex gusto of her husband whom she cannot bear anymore.

The police, however, are still on its course of investigation and thinking what appropriate case to be filed against the 20 year-old husband who is identified only as “Gardo”.

In a police entry numbered 0969-09, the victim narrated her experience with her husband who he said tried to have sex with her from the wee hours of the morning, before and after lunch and dinner just few minutes from nighttime and thereafter.

She also said that her husband even at snack time tried to have sex with her.

It was the ordeal that she can’t bear anymore why she decided to report it to the local police, a source at the police station said.

Trauma made the victim to report it to the police station, said the same source.