Aspiring Bedan lawyers shine in Uber regulation debate

MANILA, Philippines – Six aspiring lawyers from San Beda College – 3 from Mendiola and 3 from Alabang – battled it out in the finals of the first Malacañang-sponsored inter-school debate tournament for freshmen and sophomore law students.

On Friday, December 5, the Manila-based Bedans emerged as champions in a debate over whether the government should regulate mobile-based application Uber as a regular public utility transport entity.

The winning team counter-proposed that Uber, which hit headlines for its largely unregulated use in various countries, must secure a franchise from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

The Mendiola team was composed of law students Karl Antonio, Charles de Belen, and Victor Baguilat.

Invoking the constitutional requirement for equal protection, De Belen argued that Uber is “similar in nature” to public utility vehicles and therefore “must be treated in the same way under the law.”

In the Philippines, Uber partners who are private car owners are not registered transport businesses, a status that effectively exempts them from paying taxes and from the requirements to have a garage and undergo quality control monitoring twice a year, and pay an annual supervision fee. (Q and A: Can Uber and PH taxi owners reach a compromise?)

Uber’s unregulated status creates unfair competition to taxi operators, De Belen said, essentially “circumventing the law” while “punishing those who have undergone the proper legal process for accreditation.”

The tournament was hosted by the Saint Thomas More (STM) Debate and Advocacy Society of the Ateneo Law School in partnership with the Office of the President’s Office of the Political Adviser.

Future pool of lawyer-advocates

The event saw students from the prestigious law schools of Far Eastern University, Adamson University, University of the East, Lyceum of the Philippines, De La Salle University, Ateneo, San Sebastian, and San Beda competing in the eliminations.

STM Debate and Advocacy Society president Diego Santiago said the tournament serves to spread awareness on social issues, encourage critical thought, and enable law students to apply the theories they’ve learned in school to actual policies and policy proposals.

Among the topics debated during the tournament were the banning of an adultery website, the pre-trial detention of defendants in court, an Internet user’s right to be forgotten, and the constitutionality of a mandated quarantine for Filipino returnees from Ebola-hit countries.

Santiago said the range of issues discussed reflected the cause-driven nature of the host organization, which promotes advocacy litigation among its roughly 60 members.

Speakers during the final match also expressed their desire to be lawyer-advocates in the future.

DLSU alumnus Baguilat said he would support indigenous communities in their struggle for access to quality education, while San Beda native Antonio said he felt strongly for poor litigants’ access to quality legal representation.

Importance of debate and critical thought

The winning team was composed of long-time college-level parliamentary debaters prior to entering law school. They all acknowledged how competitive debating influenced their way of thinking.

Baguilat explained that his debate experience taught him to challenge long-standing social beliefs.

“We are born into a rigid system, and we are made to believe that’s reality,” he said, citing the gender binary. “Debate awakened my consciousness that this can be challenged.”

For De Belen, who used to debate competitively for FEU, the craft honed his ability to question his own thoughts and be open to opposition.

Most of the time, he said, we are “not willing to think that we’re wrong.”

University of Santo Tomas alumnus Kim Apple Carvajal of the San Beda Alabang team said debate pushed her to be “more aggressive in invoking” her rights and be “more socially responsible.” 

‘San Beda victory’

Father Rembert Tumbali of the San Beda Institutional Campus Ministry Office was “overwhelmingly happy” with the competition results “as expected.”

He added that the tournament allowed for a “San Beda showcase of raw talents,” given the two Bedan teams reaching the finals.

Asked how he felt about the causes supported by aspiring Bedan lawyers, Tumbali said social advocacy is one of the “hallmarks of Bedan education.” – Rappler.com