USA, WVSU bring home global moot honors

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

Iloilo’s law schools brought pride to the Philippines at the close of the week, with the University of San Agustin College of Law winning a championship and West Visayas State University College of Law finishing first runner-up in its global debut.

On Friday, April 17, Philippine time, the USA Law team emerged as champion in the 19th International Rounds of the Monroe E. Price Media Law Moot Court Competition at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.

The Augustinian team topped 35 teams, including its own, from six regions, with Osgoode Hall Law School of York University in Toronto, Canada, finishing as runner-up.

Team captain and oralist Marco Giorgione Dava, a senior student, was also named 10th Best Oralist.

Dava was joined by fellow oralist Gie Ann Aloro and researchers Kenverly Kirch Duran and Zynnie Zaragosa, who are all sophomore students.

The team advanced as one of seven Asia-Pacific schools that qualified for the international rounds, despite falling to eventual regional champion Singapore Management University during the regional competition.

In a Facebook post, Dava said the team was grateful for the chance to compete on the global stage despite major challenges in funding and preparation.

“The odds were stacked against us. We struggled with funding. We lacked institutional knowledge. Half of the team had to juggle employment with the preparation. We had to face the host university in the semifinals. And there was this overwhelming doubt that a team of one senior and three [sophomore] mooters could even stand a chance,” Dava said.

“We walked into the competition knowing we had the talent and the training to back it up, but to stand among legends who have dominated this craft for years was a humbling reality check. Even with our eyes on the Price, there was always a distinct weight to being the “new kids” making only our 3rd appearance. Each moment was a tug of war between we will win and maybe we just need to feel like we belong for now,” he added.

Anfred Panes, the team’s coach, adviser and moderator of The Parliament, described the victory as historic but said it should also push the team to keep improving.

“This victory marks a historic first for us at the global stage. It affirms our rightful place among the world’s best advocates in media and human rights law,” Panes said in his Facebook post.

“As we bring this championship home, we promise to stay grounded and keep improving, knowing that it never takes just one person to win a trophy. Please continue to pray for us and look forward to our next endeavors,” he added.

The Price Media Law Moot Court was established in 2008 in honor of Professor Monroe E. Price, founder of the Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy at the University of Oxford’s Centre for Socio-Legal Studies.

According to the competition website, the moot court serves as a platform to raise the profile of freedom of expression by encouraging informed debate on major issues involving information flows and technology.

GLOBAL DEBUT

Meanwhile, the WVSU Law team placed first runner-up in its debut year in the 30th Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition, hosted by Stetson University in Gulfport, Florida.

After topping other Southeast Asian universities in the regional rounds in January, the team from the emerging law school advanced to the global finals and lost only to another Philippine team from Ateneo Law School.

Team captain Yan Germinanda, a senior student, was named Best Oralist of the final round and 3rd Best Oralist of the preliminary round.

His teammates were freshmen John Patrick Palquiran, who was also named 9th Best Oralist of the preliminary round, and Jose Luis Emilio Combatir.

WVSU Law Dean Ian Thomas Besana said the team’s performance reflected the hard work and discipline it invested in the competition.

“To our moot team composed of [Germinanda, Palquiran, and Combatir]: your performance was nothing short of legendary. You stepped onto global soil as debutants and walked away as giants earning the respect of fellow competitors. This victory is a testament to the fact that hard work, rigorous discipline, and late-night huddles pay off. You did not just represent a school; you carried the excellence of the WVSU to the world stage. We are incredibly proud of your brilliance, your grit, and your heart,” Besana said.

The Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition is an annual global contest that focuses on issues involving states’ compliance with international environmental law, often intersecting with other areas of international law.