As a lawyer, he was in the forefront in giving support to the families of the victims of the Maguindanao massacre, a number of them his friends.
At the CenterLaw, where he is the executive director, he handles the media cases like our suit against Mike Arroyo. Also our suit against police and defense officials in the 2007 Manila Peninsula standoff.
He also successfully defended Lt. Artemio Raymundo in the court martial over the latter’s sharing of DVDs on the lifestory of former President Joseph Estrada.
We congratulate Romel for his fellowship from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of France under its “Programme d’invitation des personnalités d’avenir” ( Invitation Program for Personalities of the Future) .
The program, run by the ministry’s Policy Planning Staff (Centre d’analyse et de prévision), selects young prominent personalities ranging from 25 to 40 years of age from all over the world who have spent little or no time in France, but who have a growing influence on their country’s affairs or on their country’s relations with France. With the award, the CenterLaw Executive Director joins the circle of about 220 personalities from Asia and Oceania who had already been granted the fellowship.
“The Program provides future elites with a real knowledge of France, based on contact with people in their professional fields and areas of interests,” said Mr. Didier Ortolland, First Counselor and Deputy Chief of Mission of the French Embassy in Manila.” It also fosters the exchange of ideas and enables participants to forge special relationships with France.”
Romel holds a bachelor’s degrees in communication research (1994) and law (2003) from the University of the Philippines and a master’s in international legal theory from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands (2007, cum laude). He teaches public and private international law at the Lyceum Philippines University College of Law and is a Senior Associate at the Roque and Butuyan Law Offices.
The International Visitor Leadership Program allows the awardee eight to ten days of intensive, customized studies of his own choosing in France, ranging from institutions, international relations, political life to social and economic issues.
The 36-year old native of General Santos City explored the French system of human rights protections and institutions, judiciary, media, transportation and energy sectors during a week-long all-expenses-paid visit to Paris and its neighboring environs from April 11 to 18, 2010.
Congratulations! Keep up the good work.
Congratulations, Atty. Bagares!
Sana’y huwag kang magbabago sa iyong prinsipyo at huwag hayaang lamunin ng sistema ang integridad ng iyong pagkatao. Nabibilang ka sa iilang hindi hinahayaang tapatan ng salapi ang katwiran at hindi napapasisilong sa pananakot ng mga baluktot ang takbo ng utak.
May your tribe increase.
Re: He also successfully defended Lt. Artemio Raymundo in the court martial over the latter’s sharing of DVDs on the lifestory of former President Joseph Estrada.
Salamat and congrats!
Re Lt. Raymundo, he’s back in service. He is assigned at the Marine headquarters in the Armory.
Good to know, Ellen.
Oh, so he was the lawyer of the poor Raymundo… Great job, Counsellor!
Btw, does he speak French?
Funny. In Raymundo’s court martial, some members of the panel were officials that Romel covered when he was a defense reporter. One them was the subject of an unfavorable report by Romel.
In fairness,the official didn’t take it against Romel.
Anna, I haven’t heard Romel speak French. Siyempre naman, I don’t speak French too.