Humor or power tripping?
An alleged message from a law professor to students about some rules for a class alarmed lawyers and other social media users for the manner in which it was conveyed.
Lawyer Nico Quejano last January 26 posted a screengrab of a message which has the head “ATTENTION EVERYONE!!!!! Additional Rules on ITA subject.”
The “ITA subject” may refer to an elective — Institute for Transnational Arbitration. Sources say it is not a major law subject.
The message is as follows, in verbatim:
1. SPECIAL EXAMS (Online) are to be given on the ordinary schedule of this subject. (I am not supporting the general rule as provided by the school, I hereby support the exception in this subject: Legal Basis: Education Freedom (Philippine Constitution, SO DON’T EVER QUESTION ME, UNLESS YOU HAVE A LOT OF MONEY TO CHALLENGE A LAWYER.).
2. Please observe my consultation hour for this subject, I will entertain messages every Monday 12nn–1pm. (MESSAGING OUTSIDE THIS SCHEDULE WILL RESULT TO VEXATION, HARASSMENT, OR ANNOYANCE TO THE PROFESSOR, Violation of Revised Penal Code, Penalty: Arresto Menor 1 day to 1 month of imprisonment).
Quejano commented that such types of lawyers “shouldn’t be allowed to teach.”
Lawyers are the worst. Lawyers like this shouldn't be allowed to teach. Nyeta. pic.twitter.com/Wu3SEexZzp
— Nico Quejano (@nicoquejano) January 26, 2023
It has reached other lawyers, including former Supreme Court spokesperson Ted Te who also teaches in law school.
“A little knowledge, bad grammar, bad punctuation, and a huge chip on the shoulder make for the worst combination. No such thing as ‘educational freedom’ and no such felony as ‘annoyance to the professor’ unless you’re from the George Santos School of Law (sic),” he tweeted.
“Prof, who hurt u?” lawyer Alman-Najar Namla commented in response to the viral screengrab.
“You DESERVE to become a lawyer MORE than this guy!” lawyer Anselmo Rodiel IV, who mentors law students, also commented on his Facebook page.
“That’s why keep on working hard. The legal practice needs a good person like you,” he added, referring to his mentees.
“Law School Buddy,” a page for law school students, also reacted to the supposed message.
“General Rule: Law professors are compassionate,” it said on Facebook.
“XPN: ‘So don’t ever question me, unless you have a lot of money to challenge a lawyer,'” it added with a skull emoji.
The page also shared a quote that it said was spoken by their dean in the College of Law.
“Teaching needs a language of the heart,” the quote reads.
Our dean in the College of Law once said: https://t.co/knh80hd8dn pic.twitter.com/BhFUBGrorG
— Law School Buddy (@lawschool_buddy) January 27, 2023
Other Filipinos implied that the viral message is an indication of how tough law school is.
“To be honest, if iiyak kayo because of that simple rules [sic], baka law school is really not for you,” a Facebook user said with a grinning-with-sweat emoji.
The page responded by saying that it was not about the alleged professor’s rule.
“It’s the manner of conveying the message,” Law School Buddy said.
Some commented that it could be the professor’s attempt to “be funny” to the students.
“I think Atty. [Attorney] prof was just trying to be funny but it was taken the wrong way, hehe,” a Facebook user wrote.
Others think the message was a form of “power tripping.”
“This is power tripping and if teaching is not your thing, just resign?” a Pinoy from Twitter commented.
“Like, this is so unnecessary and no one is forcing you to be a teacher. Also, his miserableness is making me laugh like wdym [what do you mean] imprisonment for 1 day — 1 month for messaging outside the sched [schedule], omg,” the Twitter user added.
Power tripping is defined as “an activity or way of behaving that makes a person feel powerful.”
It is also referred to as “something that a person does for the pleasure of using power to control other people.”
An individual from the legal profession suggested that the attention of the Legal Education Board (LEB) be called regarding the matter.
“They have previously issued a memorandum regarding the conduct of law professors,” Twitter user Marco said.
The LEB was created pursuant to Republic Act 7662, also known as the Legal Education Reform Act of 1993.
The board is mandated to administer the legal education system, supervise, accredit and set accreditation standards for law schools and set minimum standards for law admission and minimum qualifications and compensation of faculty members, among others.
According to LEB’s “Ethical Standards of Conduct for Law Professors,” educators should treat their students with “courtesy and fairness,” “encourage free exchange of ideas” between them and the students, “make every reasonable effort to foster honest academic conduct,” and ensure that their evaluations of students “reflect each student’s true merit.”
They should not “exploit or harass any student or discriminate” them and “insult, degrade, demean or shame any student for any reason,” among others.
Law professors should also refrain from distorting the facts or misrepresenting the ruling of a court in a particular case and “teach or introduce ideologies which are against the law, morals, good customs, public policy or public order.”
It remains unclear whether the alleged message of the professor was serious or if it was an attempt at humor.
