By Farah G. Decano             LAWYERS are affected too by the economy.  The more vulnerable ones are those in private practice as solo practitioners.  Because the costs of maintaining offices, paying wages of staff and purchasing of equipment and supplies rests on the lone shoulders of these lawyers, some had…

By Farah G. Decano             THE prohibitive filing fees in courts surely pose an obstacle to the Filipino’s access to justice, especially the middle class. The so-called poor can always file for free because they may present themselves as pauper litigants while the rich will not mind the expense.  It…

By Farah G. Decano   CONGRATULATIONS to Mayor Belen T. Fernandez, Vice Mayor Bryan “BK” Kua, and their team.  There is no doubt that you can deliver to fruition the vision that Dagupeños collectively dream for our city. *          *          *          * For democracy to be alive, governments must be…

By Farah G. Decano   WE have become a nation of multiple alternate realities. This is mainly due to the algorithm of our social media accounts on which we are dependent for news and opinion. What is wrong with the algorithm?  The information that abounds us is restricted by programmed…

By Farah G. Decano   GOOGLE recently ordered one of its engineers to go on a paid leave.  Blake Lemoine was suspended after he published an article claiming that the Large Language Model (LLM) or chatbot he was developing became sentient.  In other words, he claimed that his invention has…

By Farah G. Decano   THERE is so much buzz circulating in social media nowadays about the recent split of local music industry’s power couple, Moira and Jason.  Weren’t they the same couple who wrote heartwarming love songs together?  Wasn’t their wedding filled with scenic pictures of the groom tearfully…

By Farah G. Decano   THAT the rainy season started early should no longer surprise the Filipinos and their government.  Our country has been battered by numerous atmospheric and tectonic disturbances that this deviation in schedule should not be so much of a concern. It should not be.  Really.  Due…

By Farah G. Decano   THERE are two things certain in this world – death and taxes. Nobody lives forever.  We will all pass on through the process called death.  This will bring about the total shutdown of all our vital organs including our hearts and brains. Taxes are the…

By Farah G. Decano   IN informal settings, I have generally introduced myself using my first name.  I don’t flaunt my title because I prefer to be treated in the same way as others.   I don’t even identify my car with a “lawyer” sticker or plate.  It is just not…

By Farah G. Decano   LET patriotism prevail after the elections.  We must remain good and law-abiding citizens even if we do not agree with the presumptive majority.  This is what democracy is all about – to be given a chance to raise our voices through the ballot. It is…