Author name: Atty. Dennis Gorecho

  “Enough is enough. Let us now raise our voices louder and demand accountability.” Bayombong Catholic Bishop Jose Elmer  Mangalinao   warned of worsening ecological damage in Nueva Vizcaya as he cited  the environmental conflict  in  Dupax del Norte  due to mining exploration activities by Woggle Corporation. Dupax del Norte is a 3rd-class municipality with 15 barangays, and a mineral-rich area with …

The flawed “consent”  in Nueva Vizcaya mining dispute Read More »

The University of the Philippines College of Law (UP Law) dominated this year’s bar exams with six alumni making it in the top twenty, including Rank One. A total of 5,594 out of 11,420 examinees passed that  represent 48.98% of the total takers who completed all three exam days. The bar exam is a yearly spectacle …

UP Law dominates 2025  bar exams Read More »

The 2025 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF)  highlighted legal and societal issues through films that showed law as a tool for justice and  dignity. The films Bar Boys, Call Me Mother, Manila’s Finest, ImPerfect and Unmarry showcased diverse legal realities focusing on  issues like adoption, human rights, family law, and corruption reflecting the festival’s theme, “A New Era …

MMFF films  on law as tool for justice and dignity Read More »

“Greed is in their hearts” are words  that transformed the  classic Jose Mari Chan’s yuletide song “Christmas in our hearts”  into an anti-corruption piece by the University of the Philippine Symphony Orchestra (UPSO). UPSO, along with UPSO Symphonic Chorus and the UP College of Music Chorus Class serenaded the UP community last December 12, 2025 at the University …

Corruption in their hearts Read More »

Photographs as evidence in court in the Kdrama “Typhoon Family”  triggered memories of my “darkroom” days as chief photographer of the Philippine Collegian of the University of the Philippines Diliman. Typhoon Family  depicts the growth period of a young chief executive officer (CEO ) and the struggles of his family and employees as they strive to protect …

Evidentiary value of photographs Read More »

All that I knew about Gregoria de Jesus is that she was the wife of revolutionary Gat Andres Bonifacio, or Mrs. Andres Bonifacio. Then I recently saw   “Lakambini: Gregoria de Jesus”  when it  was screened at the University of the Philippines Film Center.  It is a 2025 meta-docufiction film directed by Arjanmar Rebeta and Jeffrey Jeturian. The film is …

Gregoria de Jesus as  Lakambini of the  Philippine Revolution Read More »

Music is a movie’s hidden language. The original  soundtrack (OST) of movie or a series acts as a storytelling tool that enhances the audience’s experience by setting the mood, evoking emotions, and providing narrative structure. Korean drama (KDrama) lovers  were serenaded  by Korean singer  Isaac Hong   of   hit OSTs “My Love By My Side” from “When Life Gives You Tangerines”, “Fallin’” …

Music in the success of  K-dramas Read More »

It was  a rainy Thursday evening  in Iloilo City  when  good friend Fiscal Myra Duremdes mentioned over coffee  the death of a female judge due to a motorcycle accident. 41-year-old Carmela Rosario Pasquin,  Presiding Judge  of the Municipal Circuit Trial Court (MCTC) of Pinamungajan-Aloguinsan towns in Cebu Province,  died in a motorcycle mishap on  the morning of  Wednesday, October 22, 2025. Pasquin was  on the way …

Why no car, Judge? Read More »

The  Bud Dajo massacre  in Jolo  was carried out under the command of General Leonard Wood, the same figure who clashed with the Filipino nationalist leadership, including Manuel L. Quezon, as they advocated for independence in the U.S. Wood  is  a key figure in Philippine history:  as   governor of the Moro  province from 1903 to 1906, when the Bud Dajo massacre …

The Bud Dajo massacre: a symbol of Filipino aspirations for self-determination Read More »