A short exercise in Legal Writing

1. Spot the Issue

2. • Atlas Brewery (AB) discovered that distributors of
San Manuel Corp (SMC) in Pampanga had stored
hundred of cases of their empty beer bottles apparently
to deprive AB of bottles to use. On the other hand, SMC
distributors claimed that they were merely retaliating
against similar actions by AB.
• Fred Sanchez, a law student, complained that when
he and friends drank SMC beer one night, they found a
cockroach inside his bottle. He got upset, lost his temper
and threw the bottle at the restaurant owner causing him
injury. The restaurant owner blamed SMC for the
incident and sued SMC. SMC passed the blame to AB
for tampering with their products.
• Fred Sanchez and friends, supported by AB, then
initiated a boycott of SMC products in the provinces.
• What is the case about?

3. How will you analyze this?
• “We hereby donate our portion of the
properties to our mother.”
– as against
• “We hereby donate the portion of our
properties to our mother.”
– as against
• “We hereby donate the portion of our
properties to the mother.”

4. • Protect right to free travel
• In a statement issued on Tuesday, Robredo said the alleged scam
damages the reputation of the Philippines, especially among foreign
tourists. One of the reported victims was American missionary Lane
Michael White, who spent 6 days at the NAIA Terminal 1 police aviation
facility after a bullet was allegedly found in his luggage. White claimed
NAIA personnel attempted to extort P30,000 from him. He was able to go
free after posting P40,000 bail. "Further occurrences of the tanim
bala scam will severely hamper our efforts to bolster tourism since NAIA is
the gateway to the country," said Robredo, in filing House Bill 6245. She
said that aside from extortion, the scam also abridges the constitutionally
guaranteed right to freely travel as it prevents passengers from catching
their flights. Meawhile, transportation authorities are vowing to
investigate the incidents. The National Bureau of Investigation has
also formed a special task force to probe the alleged scam. At least 40
personnel from the Office for Transportation Security are also under
investigation for various complaints. – Katerina Francisco/Rappler.com