Dean Ralph Sarmiento
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Law Professor, Author, Mentor, Coach, Speaker, Bar Reviewer, Computer Programmer, Photographer, Artist | I share lessons on law, learning, leadership, love, and real life.
04/06/2026
Jesus Falcis With all due respect, Sir, research ka muna bago mag-comment so you do not mislead the people.
Check the May 5, 2015 Journal of the Senate, and you will find that the presence of 12 senators was declared a quorum because, out of 24 senators, four were out of the country (Senators Angara, Binay, Poe, and Recto were on official mission abroad)
Likewise, the 2017 decision in Baguilat v. Alvarez supports the framework of my analysis. In interpreting Art. VI, Sec. 16(1) of the 1987 Constitution, the Supreme Court held:
"Under this provision, the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be elected by a majority vote of its entire membership. Said provision also states that the House of Representatives may decide to have officers other than the Speaker, and that the method and manner as to how these officers are chosen is something within its sole control."
I give non-partisan legal analysis based on the Constitution, the law, and jurisprudence, not on mere practice.
Can 12 senators constitute a quorum in a 24-member Senate?
And even if they can, does that automatically mean 12 votes are enough to elect a Senate President Pro Tempore?
That is the big constitutional question behind the June 3 Senate controversy.
Note: This is my personal legal opinion and analysis. It does not reflect the position or stand of any office, institution, or organization with which I am affiliated.
Be kind. Everyone is fighting something they cannot always explain. Rejection. Betrayal. Unpaid bills. Family pressure. Disappointments. Dreams delayed so many times. Name it...
Hindi lahat ng strong, maingay. Yung iba, tahimik lang. Nagtatrabaho. Nag-aalaga ng pamilya. Nagbabayad ng bills. Umiiyak sandali. Tapos laban ulit.
01/06/2026
The practice of law is not about discovering your voice.
It is about shaping one.
A voice that can speak for the silenced.
Stand before power.
Defend the vulnerable.
Challenge injustice.
And still remain faithful to the truth.
Law school is funny.
It breaks your heart using Latin phrases, then expects you to recite the exact case where the pain began.
There are days when the codal feels heavier than your problems.
Then you remember the codal is also one of your problems. Hay naku po!
Law school does not ask, “Are you ready?”
It asks, “Are you still here?”
And oftentimes, that is enough.
A law student’s prayer:
Lord, give me wisdom.
Give me courage.
And if possible, give my professor a sudden urge to lecture instead of recits.
Bad recits are temporary.
The embarrassment fades.
But the lessons stay.
So does the confidence you build.