UP law students bag for RP third consecutive championship crown in Asia legal competition

The Philippines represented by Filipino students from the University of the Philippines College of Law emerged as the overall champion in the prestigious 2009 Asia Cup International Law Moot Court Competition held in Japan recently, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported Tuesday.

More importantly, the Philippines won the Asia Cup title for the third straight year, bagging its seventh diadem since it started joining the contest in 1999.

The team of UP law students composed of Daniel Sigfreid Corpuz, Marie Michelle Go and Darwin Ocampo received the Foreign Minister’s Award and the Best Memorial Award as well for the best written pleading.

Corpuz and Go also received individual awards as Best Oralist and Third Best Oralist, respectively.

The Asia Cup, according to the Foreign Affairs department, is a prime event in the field of international law moot court competition as it opens outstanding opportunities for good fellowship among the representatives from Asian countries.

“It has also gained growing recognition as international cooperation in the realm of human rights education,” the DFA said in its website posting.

This year’s Asia Cup held on August 24 and 25 was hosted by the foreign ministry of Japan.

The UP College of Law, mentored by UP Law Professor Rowena Daroy-Morales, bested China’s Renmin University, Indonesia’s Padjadjaran University and Parahyangan Catholic University, Japan’s Kyoto University and Tokyo University, Nepal’s Kathmandu School of Law, Singapore’s National University of Singapore, Thailand’s Thammasat University and Vietnam’s Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam.

Students from the state university composed the country’s championship team in 2000, 2003, 2007 and 2009, while students from the Ateneo De Manila University engineered Manila’s title-clinching feats in 1999, 2002 and 2008.

Philippine Consul Gen. Sulpicio Confiado congratulated the team on behalf of Philippine Ambassador to Japan Domingo Siazon Jr. and embassy personnel.

The Philippine Embassy in Japan led by Confiado and Vice Consul Christian de Jesus received the Philippine team on August 27. — Llanesca T. Panti, Manila Times