By Farah G Decano   LAST December 22, I was thrilled to attend my first graduation as Dean of the College of Law.  I thought to myself that, by attending the ceremonies, I will be honoring the memory of my father who was the first dekano among the Decanos in…

By Farah G. Decano   POPULAR among lawyers and law students, former Dean Chel Diokno was invited as resource speaker on the topic, “Right To Hope,” on December 5, 2022 at the College of Law of the Lyceum Northwestern University in Dagupan City. Encouraged by his meekness and “masa” charm,…

By Farah G. Decano    THE impasse between Mayor Belen Fernandez and the majority bloc of the Sangguniang Panlungsod is taking its toll on the qualified scholars of Dagupan City. Politicking is definitely causing this distress, not only amongst the students but also on their parents.  Some were forced to…

By Farah G. Decano   WHEN I was a law student in the 1990s, I made it a point to drive to Ayala Avenue in Makati during the festive Christmas season to enjoy the fascinating and elaborate light displays. The spectacle of a multitude of blinking lights formed into various…

By Farah G. Decano   TODAY, I received a letter from Executive Judge Mervin Samadan of the Dagupan City Hall of Justice extolling five law externs from the Lyceum-Northwestern College of Law who happened to be observing the procedures in his sala.  He saw the smartly-dressed young men and women…

By Farah G. Decano   LAST Thursday, Senator Raffy Tulfo took Senator Cynthia Villar to task about the alleged indiscriminate conversion of agricultural lots into residential and mixed-use developments.  Coming from a family that develops land into subdivisions, Senator Villar defended their business undertaking and stated that they only target…

By Farah G. Decano   THE COVID pandemic has demonstrated that many things are possible if only we set our minds on making them real.  The alternatives we developed during the height of the contagion were not necessarily inferior to present processes.  Some are, in fact, brilliant.  I am hoping…

By Farah G. Decano   I am all for human rights of the marginalized, including the rights of the LGBT plus communities.   This does not mean, however, that I turn a blind eye towards the heartbreaking reality of wives trapped in loveless marriages because they have been tricked by their…

(First of two parts) By Farah G. Decano   THIS is the famous line of Narda before she becomes Darna.  She calls on her brother, Ding, to toss the mystical stone to her which, when swallowed, will turn her into the famous flying heroine who wore two-piece crimson garments. What…

By Farah G. Decano   WE call the structure that houses several Philippine courts as the Hall of Justice.  These courts are expected to dispense justice. Anything less is prejudicial to either or both of the contending parties.  It is, therefore, the Court Administrator’s task to ensure that each edifice…