Tañada-Diokno School of Law

The Tañada-Diokno School of Law is the law school and one of the eight schools of De La Salle University.

Tañada-Diokno School of Law
Former names
De La Salle University College of Law (until 2022)
Tañada-Diokno College of Law (2022-2023)
TypePrivate
Established2009
DeanAtty. Virgilio R. De Los Reyes
Associate Dean for Clinical Legal EducationAtty. Nestor M. Leynes
Location,
Assistant Dean for AdministrationMr. Andylyn M. Simeon
Assistant Dean for Academic AdvisingAtty. Mcgyver L. Doria
Websitehttps://www.dlsu.edu.ph/tdsol/

History

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The school was founded in 2009 on the principles of human rights and civil liberties by human rights Atty. Jose Manuel I. "Chel" Diokno, who is the chairman of the largest human rights group in the Free Legal Assistance Group or FLAG, and classes started in 2010.[1] The mission of the school was to create morally grounded and well-rounded individuals ready to serve the oppressed and take a stand on these issues. This became the blueprint for all subjects in the school regardless of the selected area of study for each student, which was a first in Philippine legal education. The school introduced the practice of using "The Green Notes" to aid students in reviewing for all legal topics in lieu of fraternity and sorority assistance, as such groups were prohibited by the school. Student organizations, however, continue to thrive among the students.

In 2013, the school created the Development Legal Advocacy Center (DLAC), which is the main pillar of its clinical legal education program.

The first COL batch composed of 46 graduate students, took the bar exam in 2014 and gave the University a 56.5 percent passing rate on its first attempt, which was the highest among private institutions.[2]

In the Academic Year 2016-2017, the school moved to the Rufino Campus in Bonifacio Global City, which houses 17 classrooms run on solar power, an auditorium, an arbitration room, and a moot court.[3][4]

In 2019, the school shifted from a thesis Juris Doctor program to a non-thesis Juris Doctor program. In 2021, the school became one of the first five law schools that adopted the Revised Model Curriculum mandated by the Legal Education Board. It was renamed on February 26, 2022, which was Jose W. Diokno's birth centennial, as the Tañada-Diokno College of Law, now the Tañada-Diokno School of Law, in honor of Diokno and Lorenzo Tañada, both senators, nationalists, and De La Salle College high school alumni, while Diokno also took up Commerce and topped the Certified Public Accountants Board Exam in 1940.[5][6]

In 2024, the law school celebrated a milestone, its 10th graduation on October 15. Justice Jhosep Lopez delivered the keynote recognition speech at The Verdure, Henry Sy, Sr. Hall, De La Salle University-Manila.[7]

Board

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Its Board of Advisers is composed of former Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban, and former Justices Florentino Feliciano, Josue Bellosillo, Anselmo T. Reyes, and environmental lawyer and fellow alumnus Atty. Antonio Oposa Jr.[8]

Ka Pepe Diokno Human Rights Award

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2010 recipient Sen. Jovito R. Salonga with Chel Diokno and Bro. Armin Luistro

In 2005, the De La Salle Professional Schools, Inc. Graduate School of Business (DLS-PSI-GSB) handed out the inaugural "Ka Pepe Diokno Human Rights Award", one of the most prestigious human rights awards in the country. This award is partly organized by the school, together with the entire university board and the Jose W. Diokno Foundation.[9] The pioneer Ka Pepe Diokno Human Rights Award was conferred on Voltaire Y. Rosales, Executive Judge of Tanauan, Batangas for his conviction of suspects despite the death threats against him, even giving up his life due to his principles. Subsequent annual awards have been given to recognize persons or groups such as Jovito Salonga, Maria Ressa and Bishop Pablo Virgilio "Ambo " David, who exemplified their commitment to the furtherance of human rights, social justice, and Philippine sovereignty.[10][11]

Winners

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Year Recipient Notes
2005 Voltaire Rosales RTC Judge
2006 Mariani Dimaranan Nun and Founder of the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines
2007 Augusto "Bobbit" Sanchez Secretary of Labor
2010 Jovito Salonga Senate President
2012 Zenaida "Nini" Quezon-Avanceña Founder of the Concerned Women of the Philippines
2012 Francisco B. Cruz Attorney of the "Negros Nine", Ka Pepe Diokno Lifetime Achievement Awardee
2013 Sen. Wigberto "Bobby" Tañada Senator, TOFIL (The Outstanding Filipino) Awardee, Chairman of Bantayog ng mga Bayani
2019 Ambo David Bishop of Kalookan
2019 Maria Ressa Rappler CEO
2020 The Nightcrawlers Journalists on the War on Drugs
2021 Benigno Aquino III President
2021 Antonio Carpio Supreme Court Justice
2021 Conchita Carpio-Morales Supreme Court Justice
2021 Albert del Rosario Foreign Affairs Secretary

In 2008, a special citation was bestowed on non-Filipinos who advocated for the same principles of human rights as Senator Diokno famously masterfully accomplished in international law and in international conventions he personally directed or founded including the SOS-Torture convention, Human Rights Information and Documentation Systems (HURIDOCS), and certain UN Conventions involving democratic issues. A special citation based on the award was then conferred on Dr. Sriprapha Petcharamesree, a political scientist who was Director of the Ph.D. Program in Human Rights and Peace Studies (International) of the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies at a Thai research institute and the Thai Representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, a role she served in until December 2012. In addition, she became Co-Chair of the Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism advocating for effective regional human rights systems in the ASEAN region, which Diokno once similarly accomplished by forming the Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia and its subsequent human rights declaration, the first human rights declaration of its kind in the region's democratic history.[12]

References

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  1. ^ Chiu, Patricia Denise M. "Unique killings, same language, lawyers say of drug war reports". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2019-07-21.
  2. ^ "Nine years on: Reviewing DLSU College of Law". The LaSallian. July 22, 2019.
  3. ^ "DLSU inaugurates law campus in Bonifacio Global City". Inquirer. February 18, 2017.
  4. ^ "DLSU inaugurates new campus in Bonifacio Global City". Rappler. March 1, 2017.
  5. ^ "DLSU names College of Law after patriots Tañada and Diokno". De La Salle University. February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  6. ^ Chel Diokno [@ChelDiokno] (February 25, 2022). "Yes it's true, Edu. Sa ngalan ng pamilyang Diokno, maraming salamat sa De La Salle University, sa mga La Salle Brothers, FSC, sa DLSU Board of Trustees and to everyone who made this happen!!!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. ^ "Justice Jhosep Lopez to DLSU Law Graduates Carry the Torch of Justice by Learning, Serving and Empowering". Supreme Court of the Philippines. October 18, 2024. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  8. ^ DLSU Launches College of Law, 2401, Vol. 40. 13 April 2009
  9. ^ Ramirez, Joanne Mae M. (2005-03-08). "Incorruptible judge gets Pepe Diokno Award". Retrieved 2020-10-22.
  10. ^ Ramirez, Joanne. "incorruptible judge gets Pepe Diokno Award". Philippine Star. Retrieved 2011-07-01.
  11. ^ ""There is no law when society is ruled, not by reason, but by will—worse, by the will of one man." —Sen. Jose W. Diokno". 2018-05-11. Retrieved 2021-02-28.
  12. ^ "Profiles in Prevention: Sriprapha Petcharamesree". 2021.