The WVSU Journal for Law Advocacy (JLA) is an academic journal committed to the development of legal scholarship for and from the Visayas Region and Southern Philippines. The student-run editorial board adheres to a double-blind peer review process as its editorial policy to determine the quality of submission both from law students and legal practitioners.
JLA’s inaugural issue carries the theme “Electoral Laws and the 2022 Philippine Election” and contains seven carefully selected chapters that provide important legal analyses of electoral issues that limit, if not hostage, the conduct of free and fair elections in the Philippines. In preparation of the journal’s official launch by September 23rd 2022, online versions of the seven stand alone chapters will be shared to the reading public. For this week, JLA will be featuring two chapters written by the Student Editors of JLA and by Dean Jose Mari BFU Tirol.
The first chapter entitled “Back to the Future’s Part: An overview of the recently-concluded 2022 National Elections” provides the reader with both the historical and political context that has shaped election results. Co-authored by the seven student editors of the Journal (Clyde Gacayan, Edson Yap, Kirby Aguaras, Rene Aviles, Vanessa Silla, Theda Gumban & Mike Guillem) this chapter is a recollection of the most important events of the election which were revisited to provide context to the most pressing legal questions that surrounded the polls. This includes the pre-campaign period, where the rules on substitution of candidates have seemingly worked in favor of the Marcos-Duterte tandem. Further, the campaign period, which is regulated by Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9006 or the Fair Elections Act, was marked by legal challenges as to campaign spending and the use of different media platforms, such as social media and ‘Operation Baklas” of the COMELEC, against which the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order as early as March 8, 2022. The May 9 polls, despite having a high voter turnout of 82.6%, were characterized by international observers as not meeting global standards for a free and fair election, as reports of election-related human rights violations surfaced. As early as the evening of election day, the landslide win of the Marcos-Duterte tandem became apparent yet unconvincing to many. What happened thereafter was unprecedented in Philippine electoral history. There were no pre-proclamation controversies nor election contests filed specifically against Marcos Jr., and his inauguration as the 17th President of the Republic of the Philippines went smoothly, overshadowing his family’s legal theatrics to escape liability from the 21-year dictatorial rule of his father, Ferdinand Marcos, Sr..
The student editors, as well as contributing authors of this inaugural issue, hope that readers arrive at a more complete picture of the interplay of law, jurisprudence, and electoral reform in the Philippines. The different chapters of this volume earnestly put together provide at the very least, a diagnosis of each of the key areas of reform in the Philippine electoral system. A total of five more papers will be released online in the next 5 weeks tackling on issues about anti-political dynasty legislation, the party-list system, election-related offenses and rules on substitution. Thereafter, a print copy of the Journal will be made available for distribution.
For inquiries, please email the Journal’s Executive Editor – Clyde Gacayan at [email protected] .
