The Antique provincial board has unanimously approved a resolution requesting the Legal Education Board (LEB) to operate a College of Law at the University of Antique Main Campus in Sibalom town.
Vice Governor Edgar D. Denosta sponsored a resolution during their regular session on Thursday asking the LEB, through lawyer Emerson B. Aquende, to open the College of Law, which he said will give an opportunity to poor but brilliant students to take up Bachelor of Laws.
“The University of Antique is the only institution in Antique having university status, hence, capable of offering Bachelor of Laws, especially to the poor but brilliant students from Antique who cannot afford to study at other Universities in Iloilo City,” he said.
He added that students interested to take up LL.B but could not afford the cost of boarding and transportation aside from their tuition could no longer realize their dream of becoming lawyers.
“Antique has produced successful lawyers and bar topnotchers particularly Atty. Irene Mae Berano Alcobilla from San Remigio in the 2014 Bar Examination and Atty. Vicente R. Acsay of Bugasong in the 1951 Bar Examination,” he said.
The province has produced bar topnotchers and is home to other brilliant students, who when given the opportunity, could help address the scarcity of practicing lawyers in the province and speed up the administration of justice, Denosta said.
Meanwhile, Board Member Alfie Jay Niquia, co-sponsor of the resolution, said LEB supervises the Philippine law schools that is why the resolution is addressed to LEB.
“Although we know that it would be quite tedious to have a law school opened but then, this will give opportunity even to those who are employed in the government offices in the province to take up Bachelor of Laws,” he said.
University of Antique president Pablo Crespo Jr. is also eager to have the course opened which will be the first-ever in the province, Denosta added.PNA
