Chel Diokno: Graduated with honors from La Salle, earned a degree in philosophy from UP-Diliman, studied law at Northern Illinois University in the U.S. where he graduated magna cum laude. Diokno is a civil rights advocate and one of the Philippines' foremost human rights lawyers. He serves as chairman of the Free Legal Assistance Group and is the founding dean of the De La Salle University College of Law.
Gary Alejano: Took up electrical engineering at University of Cebu for two years before joining the Philippine Military Academy where he finished with a degree in naval systems engineering. He has a masters of management degree from the UP Open University and attended the Harvard Kennedy School as well. He was a captain in the Philippine Marines Corps, and is a recipient of the Distinguished Conduct Star for seeing action in various combat missions in Mindanao. He is currently recommended for a Medal of Valor.
Romulo Macalintal: Earned law degree from University of the East. Veteran election lawyer for Arroyo which he later had a falling out of due to disagreements with Arroyo’s views on postponemnet of elections during her term. He serves as Robredo’s chief counsel against the election protest filed by losing VP candidate Bongbong Marcos. Macalintal won a landmark case against Sofitel Hotel which refused to honor the mandated 20-percent discount for senior citizens.
Erin Tañada: A street parliamentarian during Martial Law when was in college at the Ateneo de Manila University. Finished law at Manuel L. Quezon University, passing the bar on his third try. As a congressman of the 4th district of Quezon province, he was at the forefront of the impeachment of then Ombudsman Merciditas Gutierrez for betrayal of public trust. Counted among his advocacies during his time as congressman are his opposition to the 12% increase in VAT, called upon legislators to forego their pork barrel to address the budget dificit, and called for the creation of a congressional commission for the audit of public debt and the repeal of the law on automatic appropriations for debt servicing.
Florin Hilbay: Born in Tondo to a former househelp and an office messenger, he has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Santo Tomas and a law degree from UP-Diliman. He topped the bar in 1999 and earned his Masters of Laws degree from Yale University in 2005. He was a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Boston College, held fellowships at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg, Germany, and at the Asian Law Institute for Comparative Public Law at the National University of Singapore and Silliman University. Hilbay was part of the team that won for the Philippines a landmark case against China in the Permanent Court of Arbitartion.
Samira Gutoc: A Maranao who lives in Marawi City, she is best known for her advocacy in women’s rights in response to the Marawi Seige and its aftermath. She has a bachelor’s degree from the College of Mass Communication in UP-Diliman, a master’s degree from the UP Center for International Studies, a law degree from the Arellano University School of Law, and a fellowship from the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies. She is also a recipient of the United Nations Development Programme N-Peace Award which recognized her advocacies for her fellow Muslims in Mindanao and the Asia-Pacific region.
Mar Roxas: Attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennylvania where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics. Worked as an investment banker in New York City for seven years. During his time as DTI Secretary under Arroyo, Roxas pushed for the ‘palengke’ as the basic unit of the economy, advocating consumer welfare and protection, as well as sound trade and investment policies. Roxas helped create tax incentives for the then fledgling BPO industry to spur its eventual
