WVSU, USA Law teams shine in moot courts

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

Law teams from the West Visayas State University (WVSU) and the University of San Agustin (USA) in Iloilo City earned major distinctions in separate regional rounds of two prestigious international moot court competitions held recently in Metro Manila.

One of two teams from WVSU College of Law’s Vox Populi Moot and Debate Circle finished first runner-up in the South East Asian Regional Rounds of the 30th Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition.

The regional rounds were held Jan. 15–17 at the Malcolm Theater of the University of the Philippines College of Law in Diliman.

The WVSU team was composed of Yan Germinanda, Patrick Palquiran and Emilio Combatir, while the school’s second team included Frankie Locsin, Irah Gabayeron and Lei Justine Labrador.

Germinanda was also named the third Best Oralist of the preliminary rounds.

The teams were coached by WVSU College of Law faculty members Prosecutor Federic Regencia, Judge Lowell Madrileño and Atty. Reine Gustilo, along with former Vox Populi prime minister Faith Montalban.

told the Daily Guardian the team adopted a “two-pronged” approach in preparing for the competition.

“We first focused heavily on the research and writing required for the memorials to ensure our legal arguments were sound,” he said.

“Once that foundation was set, we shifted our focus entirely to refining our speeches and oral advocacy skills to ensure we could effectively convey those arguments to the judges,” he added.

He said the team benefited from strong institutional support from the WVSU College of Law.

“We are very fortunate that the WVSU College of Law has always been incredibly supportive of our mooting endeavors,” Germinanda said.

“The administration allows us a specific period to be excused from classes, which guarantees we can allot the necessary time and attention to prepare for the competition without distraction,” he added.

“Because of that institutional support, we make it a priority to ensure our academics aren’t hampered by our extracurriculars, finding the right balance to excel in both aspects,” Germinanda said.

With its second-place finish, the three-member WVSU team will advance to the international rounds to be held in April at Stetson University in Gulfport, Florida, USA.

The University of San Agustin College of Law also posted a strong showing at the Stetson competition, with its team finishing as quarterfinalists.

The USA Law team was composed of Andry Pagsuguiron, Lester John Carnaje, Gabrielle Dominique Yngcong, and Michael Tagudiña, with Pagsuguiron named the fifth Best Oralist in the preliminary rounds.

The Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition is organized by Stetson University College of Law and focuses on the application of international environmental law to disputes between states.

This year’s theme was “Prior Informed Consent and Benefit Sharing in the Context of De-Extinction,” drawing on frameworks such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and the Nagoya Protocol.

Oxford-bound

Another USA College of Law team also qualified for an international moot court event after advancing to the global rounds of the 2025–26 Monroe E. Price Media Law Moot Court Competition.

The team qualified despite losing to eventual Asia-Pacific champion Singapore Management University during the regional rounds held Jan. 11–14 at the Lyceum of the Philippines University in Manila.

Team captain Marco Giorgione Dava, a fourth-year law student, was named fifth Best Oralist during the tournament’s awarding ceremony.

The team also included second-year law students Gie Ann Marie Aloro, Kenverly Kirch Duran, and Zynnie Zaragosa.

Dava told the Daily Guardian that all team members were new to the Price Moot competition.

“Everyone was new to Price Moot so we all had to start from scratch,” he said.

“Our preparation looked like studying the basics, reading all the past memorials, and watching all the championship videos,” he added.

Dava said time constraints posed a major challenge during their preparation.

“Our memorial deadline was on Dec. 15, and our oral rounds were on Jan. 11,” he said.

“We only had less than a month to write, memorize, and deliver our speeches, and we also had to conduct panel sessions throughout the holidays,” he added.

He said the team balanced academic responsibilities with moot court preparation.

“The team always makes sure we set our boundaries,” Dava said.

“We attended classes, practiced after class, and reminded ourselves that moot court and advocacy are academic activities integral to the legal profession,” he added.

Dava said the team is now focusing on preparations for the global rounds in the United Kingdom, including training and funding requirements.

“The registration fees and airfare are quite expensive, so we are looking forward to reaching out to the university administration, alumni, and other sponsors,” he said.

“We have also set a schedule for more trainings to prepare for the global rounds,” he added.

Team coach and USA College of Law faculty member Anfred Panes described the qualification as a reflection of the school’s culture of excellence.

“What makes this journey particularly significant is that half of our four-person team are newbies,” Panes said.

“Only months ago, they were just beginning to find their voices and learn the rules of moot court competitions,” he added.

Panes credited alumni mentors and the Augustinian community for supporting the team.

“This success belongs to the village that raised these advocates,” he said.

Panes said the school aims to surpass its previous achievements in the competition.

“The University of San Agustin has a storied history in the Price Moot, having served as runners-up in the 2022 Asia-Pacific rounds and ranking fifth in the world during the 2023 global rounds,” he said.

“Our aim this year is to surpass our previous achievements and forge an even more indelible mark on the international stage,” he added.

The Monroe E. Price Media Law Moot Court Competition was established in 2008 and is named after the founder of the Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy at the University of Oxford.

The competition is currently organized by the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights at the University of Oxford.

“The Price Media Law Moot Court Programme is more than a moot court,” the competition’s official description states.

“It is a tool for raising the profile of freedom of expression by bringing informed and effective debate on significant issues of information flows and technology to many parts of the world,” it added.