MANILA, Philippines — The University of the Philippines (UP) named the new dean of its College of Law.

The UP Office of the Faculty Regent announced on Thursday, November 30, the appointment of lawyer Darlene Marie Berberabe. The office said the UP board of regents approved Berberabe’s appointment during its 1385th meeting.

Berberabe was chosen over UP College of Law professor Gwen Grecia de Vera, and replaced former UP College of Law Edgardo Carlo Vistan, who was appointed in April as UP Diliman’s 12th chancellor.

Prior to her appointment, Berberabe was a senior lecturer at the UP College of Law. She is also a professorial lecturer on jurisprudence and legal philosophy at the Philippine Judicial Academy.

The new law dean also served as former chief executive officer of the Pag-IBIG fund. It was her time at Pag-IBIG when the fund was accused of being pressured into entering into a deal with a security agency allegedly owned by then-vice president Jejomar Binay. Berberabe denied the allegations.

According to her profile from SM Prime, where she is one of the board directors, Berberabe finished her philosophy degree from UP as summa cum laude and class valedictorian of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy in 1989. She was the first female instructor of Philosophy in UP and later earned her Masters in Philosophy degree.

In 1999, Berberabe graduated as salutatorian of her UP law class. The new UP law dean is the former wife of Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) legend Avelino “Samboy” Lim.

As the new UP law dean, Berberabe will oversee the college of law responsible in producing some of the country’s top lawyers and respected luminaries. The UP College of Law is also consistent in producing topnotchers during Bar exams.

Last year, the UP College of Law produced 11 topnotchers out of 30 named top passers of the 2022 Bar exams. Czar Matthew Dayday, last year’s top passer, was also from UP law.

For her visions for the UP College of Law, Berberabe said she wanted their college to be the leader in legal education in the Philippines and in Asia “by providing superior opportunities to study law and related disciplines in an environment that encourages discourse, collaboration with relevant stakeholders, and critical thinking under rigorous pedagogy.”

Berberabe added she also wanted for UP law to continue its tradition of producing leaders in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the government. — Rappler.com