DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY - COLLEGE OF LAW

RUFINO CAMPUS

TORRES, JOHNELLE ASHLEY B

Ashley Torres

Juris Doctor Program

Throughout our whole lives, each of us needs the light and seeks the truth. Four years of

studying in the field of diplomacy and governance has made me see the extremities of the world

in another perspective, and once I had opened my eyes to the realities of life, I couldn’t close

them. The Philippines has always struggled with various national issues such as high corruption

that restricts the economic efficiency of the country, the debates on Federalism, the extra judicial

killings, the present administrations war on drugs, and the on-going battle of Filipinos against

poverty. Five years from now, I see myself as a professional Lawyer, carrying the Lasallian core

values, challenging a flawed system, and protecting the rights of the Filipino people while

keeping my environmental advocacy intact.

We all have been brought in this world for some reason, and we have our whole life to

wonder what it is and hope to learn. My heart’s desire had never been for me, there was always

an inner sense of duty in me to serve the people. My soul was restless for change and at the

course of my internship in the Department of Justice under the supervision of the Senior

Assistant State Prosecutor, I have come across cases such as the Maguindanaon Massacre

hearing, the Letran Kidnap-for-ransom preliminary investigations and other sensitive cases

handled by the prosecutor. I saw a small part of the lives of different families seeking for justice

and those who also showed guilt and regret that they will carry in their lives from now on. As I

walk on the hallways of the department every day for four months, I was becoming more driven

to be like the heroes who reside in these prosecution rooms. These happenings and the prosecutor

herself have given me hope for a world that I have envisioned, where pure honesty and integrity

is given by everyone. These events that I have experienced during my internship have

encouraged and motivated me to continue to pursue my studies in graduate school. It has given
me a glimpse of the purpose that I have been trying to find since I was young and by taking my

graduate degree in a prestigious institution, it can fulfill my purpose which is to be on a

transparent mission to challenge a flawed system and clear injustices while preparing me for the

future where I devote and pledge to serve the Filipino people.

By partaking in graduate studies and becoming a skilled lawyer, I can use the academic

resources and knowledge that I have learned inside the institution in order to assist the people

seeking for justice. I always believe that we can touch the lives of people in many different ways,

and being a lawyer who can provide assistance to those looking for the truth is like being the

light that the others are always hoping to see, by then we can remind people that Justice does not

only mean we only want to punish those who did not abide by the rules of law, but it also means

that we never want to stop to seek the truth.

Being God centered, I have established a deep warped sense of what is right and wrong

and further acknowledging only what is morally upright. I am empathetic to those who have been

served with injustice and those who experience complexities due to poverty. I am also driven and

passionate about upholding the major values of Humankind: Empathy and Integrity. A good

lawyer is a master in his or her expertise and knows the law well, but I think what makes a great

lawyer is having the compassion and selflessness towards other people.

Given my aspirations, I would like to explore the world of Political dynasties in the

Philippines as to what the law states and what the jurisprudence grants. Concentrated power has

always been the enemy of freedom and we cannot deny that dynasties in the Philippine political

arena are still visible. I want to tackle the advantages and disadvantages, as well as, if it’s a

major source of corruption that results to poverty and inequality amongst Filipino men.