A LAW graduate of the University of San Carlos in Cebu City finished third in the nationwide Foundation for Liberty and Prosperity Dissertation Writing Contest.

Ma. Clarisse Loro was recognized for her thesis “Decoding the Digital Frontier: Legal Analysis of Microtargeting, Bots, and AI-powered Election Propaganda in the Philippines.”

The study stemmed from her “frustration and concerns about the current state of Philippine politics and the existing statutory gaps.”

Atty. Renato Galeon mentored Loro for her thesis, which was chosen as one of three winners for the third prize.

Aside from Loro, five other USC Law graduates were named among the 20 finalists, namely:

• Theressa Fely Enriquez, “Deus Ex Machina: An Exploration of Strengthening International Cybersecurity against Targeted Attacks Through Ethical Adversarial AI Aligned with the UN Norms of Responsible State Behavior in Cyberspace;”
• Erin John Esdrilon, “Viral Genetic Resources as Common Heritage of Mankind: Establishing a Legal Framework for the Transnational Sharing of Viral Samples to Bolster Vaccine Production and to Forestall Public Health Emergencies of International Concern;”
• Eunice Theresa Go, “Exploring the Nexus of Mental Health and Restorative Justice: Evaluating the Establishment of Mental Health Courts (MHCs) in the Philippines;”
• Alex Ilagan, “Transsexual in QUALMtumania: Paving the Way for a Unified Registration System Accepting Trans-Identity in the Philippines;” and
• Charisse Regencia, “A Legal Policy Framework for Utilizing Idle and Abandoned Lands toward Climate Change Initiatives.”

The winning theses tackled the concept of “protection of liberty and nurturing of prosperity under the rule of law” as it relates to the practical applications of legal theory and practice, the USC said.