I regret that I have to express my disappointment in the manner the article “The website for the Arellanite: Berneguerrero Dot Com” was presented. Aside from the factual inaccuracies made in the final print version, such as –––

1. The last three lines of the second column and the first three lines of the third column provides “Berne leads a group of students who aim to generate collections of quality academic and bar operations materials that would bridge the transitional gap between annotations and full text jurisprudence” (This is erroneous, as the emphasized phrase does not make any sense. To clarify, the OAS aims to generate a collection of academic materials that would bridge the transitional gap between (1) bar operations materials, and (2) annotations and full text jurisprudence. It has no ambition to replace the Bar Operations Commission of the school);
2. The eighth line of the fourth column provides that “Eventually, he formed his own pre-press and web-development company, together with his relatives” (This is false. I did not form the corporation. I am only a part of it as VP for IT Operations. The principal proponent in the corporation is my brother-in-law, that’s why he is the President of the corporation. I only handle its IT requirements, in tandem with another brother-in-law);
3. The list of subjects with alleged available cases relevant to them is erroneous. As of this writing, there are no uploaded cases for Legal research and writing, Ethics, Criminal justice system, Environmental law, Law on human rights, Criminal procedure, Labor standards, Land titles and Deeds, Business organization 1, Civil procedure, and International trade law; contrary to declarations in the first two paragraphs in the subsection “list of subjects” found in the fourth and fifth column of the article. Further, Con(fl)icts of law [sic] and Private international law are one and the same.
4. The sixth to the last line in the sixth column provides “Arellanites, headed by Berne, have been doing great service to their fellow chiefs.” (This is inaccurate. I don’t head Arellanites, but only a group or two. I am not the president of the AUSL student council, and I don’t plan to become one. The statement would have been clear if the names of “Arellanites who do great service to their fellow chiefs” have been mentioned, as was in the approved draft, and not dismissed as “Arellanites, headed by Berne.”)

––– the article overemphasized me as if I am God’s greatest gift to the Arellano Law community. Be it made clear that I am neither a hero nor a saint. I have character flaws, intellectual limitations, and manifest idiosyncrasies like everybody else.

From the very moment of the interview for this article commenced, which was entertained due to alleged popular request from the studentry, it has been reiterated that the academic initiative that I am involved in is not a one-man show. Other people have been partaking and contributing in the efforts to help fellow students go through the rigors of law studies. Among these people are Roma Aspero, Katherine Austria, Ailyn Cortez, Noel Dimaano, Aileen Forteza, Carlyn Marie Bernadette Guerrero, Jonathan Lock, Roberto Lock, Ma. Cristina Ramos, Magin Salipot, Angel Suntay, and Rey Tatad Jr., among others, and we hope to see more. These Arellanites are not headed by me, I am with them. Attributing these initiatives unto me does not help the cause, but rather supplies a handicap; for the least a common endeavor needs is one single individual taking all the credit. Berne Guerrero and berneguerrero.com are merely incidental to the purpose that the present academic initiatives attempt to achieve, else contribute to.

Although I believe that the writer should be given great leeway in developing the article, consideration should be given to test the article’s accuracy and the end perception that it aims to generate, inasmuch as what is written therein does not involve the profile of the writer but that of another person. It would have been different if this were a thought article or a piece with an inspiration theme, where there is less danger in reducing a person into a stereotype. Further, I think the rules on quotations should be followed. A quotation supplied in the article should be a verbatim account of what the interviewee has enunciated, and not merely supplied by splicing part of the main body and paraphrasing the phrase as if given in the first person as a device to emphasize a point that the writer is presenting, as was made in the fourth paragraph of the article.

I hope this letter provides you with a clear picture to understand my position and sentiment on the matter.