What pushed you to pursue law?

It is my passion actually kasi I finished college kinda late back in the day. I pursued
my other interest first before I finished my college degree. I graduated college
(undergrad) at 25/24. All my friends were already working then I said dehado na ko
, Late na. So what I did at that time, I went to law school. And most of my friends
are also, at that time, were still has just graduated from law or was just going to
graduate law. The first 2 na nauna, I was the third who became a lawyer then the
fourth one was the last. So, in short parang most of my friends were lawyers, 2 of
them San Beda, I became a lawyer out of the fact na galing akong college. But
ofcourse, I love to argue, speak. I was fascinated by the profession. All my relatives
are in the paramedical frield, I am the only lawyer in the group. 12 kami mag
pipinsan, so ako lang lawyer. My undergrad was political science, talaga inclined to
law. My grandmother was married to a principal, parehas silang teacher, and they
were poor. We were like bringing baskets of foods. When they retired, they started
planting, they have a small banana plantation. They will send bananas to her sister
who were lawyers. And mga sosyal sila. So nag tatanong ako kung bakit sila
mayaman? Sabi lang ng Lola ko dahil abogado sila. At the same time, ang pagtuturo
also became a part of it. Maybe it was up to my mind, maybe it was the thing to do
so ginawa ko sya.
What was your study habit when you were a law school student?
Well ako kasi Im a night person. I usually study at night. Number 1 know your
strengths, kasi ako I know what my strengths and weaknesses are. My weakness is
im kind of sloppy when it comes to details. So ginagawa ko is I make it to the point
that Im going to place it somewhere where in hindi ko sya mamiss. Because I am
studying with schedule, I always find a way to stick to it. At the end of the day, if I
achieve it, I will always give myself something as a reward. I always have
motivation to study because I will always motivate myself. I never had a back log
when it comes to studies. Pag hindi ako natawag for this day, hindi ako mag skip.
The more you cover the less you cram. So you will not panic, The technique there is
confidence. Ayan marami ako nyan, kung wala kang confidence in law school mas
mabilis kang mag panic sa exams, recitations, finals. Thirdly, kung alam mo yung
strengths mo, you know how to deal with it. Kasi ako magaling akong mag
remember ng cases, so ginagawa ko pag case gagawa ako ng title for that case na
yon, example caseof travelling pandesal. Kasi maingay so pinakain ng pinakain ng
pandesal kaya na stuck sa throat. I never highlighted books kasi I would usually
remember how I see it on the books. Kung sinulatan ko sya ng markers, yun yung
maalala ko yung colors. I respond to color more than to letters. So kung may color,
mas naaalala ko yung color. Ginawa ko sya before pero naalala ko yung color. Yun
lang, kasi yung iba nakiki uso. I dont study on the library it is not advisable kasi ang
daming distractions. I dont compare with other students, kasi nakaka ano sa
confidence. Yung iba kasi tend to exaggerate. I dont believe in discussing cases
kasi sometimes yung iba maingay sya pa yung walang alam. Kaya ako study at
home, pag punta ako ng lib to borrow libro. I dont go to starbucks to study, it is
counter productive. I dont believe in group study, study mo yan study mo yan,
pano pag hindi to magaling. Medyo mapili pa naman ako. I would always trust
myself. Thats why I dont copy others digest I dont copy others notes. Malay mo
kasi yung iba yung appreciation nila for the topic. Lastly is always tend to get the
big picture. Pag nakuwa mon a yung birds eye view nya ma coconnect connect mon
a sya.

Career goals.
Ako wala. Ang problema kasi samin nung san beda, we were caught up in the
moment. Its not really something to look forward to. We were focused on passing
every sem. We were asked the question what would you be when you become a
lawyer? Ako, hindi ko iniisip yon, kasi pano kung what if I dont. Masasaktan lang
ako non di ba. I never even attempted to answer the question ang feelingko kasi
parang premature. Hindi mo kasi alma kung papas ako ng bar or hindi. Pag labas na
pag labas ko ng dlsu you would know naman kung papasa ka. Yun yung problem
satin, because our life in law school sometimes it is too long sometimes it is too
short. You will never know what life will really bring. I like the idea of theres
uncertainty in the certain point. Maganda sya practice for the profession kasi when
you become a lawyer it is a stressful job, it is not ajob for the weak of heart. Kung
gusto mom aging ordinary lawyer pwede idn. If kung gusto mo yung 8 to 5 job na
walang litigation, if you choose to be a trial or go to court, or other field of work, it
becomes stressful. Kasi you have to be relevant, you have to be charming to the
judges or to the courts. Your reputation as a lawyer is always under scrutiny. You
have to have clients. If you dont have those wala kang mapupuntahan. Syempre
you have to have a good pedigree or reputation, kasi you cant advertise e. Our best
advertisement is credentials, what school did you graduated on, ilang takes sa bar.
Tatanongin kasi yan e. Sasabihin nila na its okay, that it is not true. Kasi once you
failed the first time it will always be an issue, it is a big factor if you passed the first
time. But I always tell my students, pag first timers, kailangan walang 2 nd take a.
Pag 2nd take na, wala okay lang yan. But in reality, it will always be a stigma that will
haunt you, it will always be an sissue. Especially if you are applying for a law firm
position. But ofcourse, I would not want all my graudttes in san beda to become a
law associates. Practice mo nay an until the time you go to the field you really want.

Why did you choose your current law specialization.

Initially kasi I was It was sort of an accident for me to choose family law. It is more
exciting and dynamic for me. It talks about relationships, people actual human
experience which is lacking in other areas of law. But of course part of it, I am
parlying to other field of law, we do press relatiinons and advocacises. And yung
mga untapped pa satin. For ex, maraming na nag fafamily law, so marami ng new
lawyers every year who can do the same job as me. You just have to be relevant.
The clients would want somebody who has a name in the job. How do you do that?
You parley into other certain areas. Thats why Ive been open to other advocaices.
Ex. Gender Equality a contradiction to San beda. I want to prioritize the need to be
prioritize. Marami kasing areas satin na hindi napapansin like HIV awareness.
Ngayon I am starting my own law firm na.. Inaayos pa yung bldg. sa BGC on top of
the w bldg..
You are supposed to help the powerless. It is not about themoney, money is only
incidental. Kung nag kakapera ka on one aspect, bigay kas iba. I always did that, if I
get money in this area, I always do pro bono to the cases that I believe na kailangan
gawin na libre. It makes me whole/complete it makes me feel like a little bit of
conscience. Parang hindi maganda sa konsensya mon a you have to that because it
has to be done. As a lawyer you cannot be good all the time, it is an expectation
that other people cannot accept. You have to be the bad guy at some point in your
career. You haveto make hard decision wherein you can hurt other people. But at
the end of the day, because you love the law and it has to be done.

Fullfilling aspects
When you see people who are miserable and you make them happy, it is like poetic
justice. Ill give you one case I handled a case before na yung kalaban ko is a
woman. Kasi ako lagi akong team legal wife, pero this time, it was the law firm who
gave it to me. The man, my client, had a kabit who was already living with him in
another country in brunei with their son. The wife have a daughter, when the man
filed an annulment so wala akong choice to accept. The woman is in denial and
doesnt want the marriage to end. But the man was obviously doesnt love her na.
Iniiwasan na sya. So I was trying the case and I knew that na hindi na sya mahal.
What I did was that I talked to her, and told her na hindi na sya mahal ng asawa mo.
It was unethical thing to do. You are supposed to communicate with the other party
through the lawyer. It was unething thing to my part, nagkataon kasi na my client
and her lawyer was abasnet. So I told her na alam mo hindi ka na mahal ng asawa
mo, iniiwasana ka na nga, why dont move on. All of the sudden tahimik lang sya
and hindi na sya nag pakita and the annulment was done. 4 years later, somebody
added me on fb with a diff family name, so I said who you and then sabi nya sakin
naalala mo pa ba ako ganito ganyan ganyan. Bat iba na family name mo? Hindi ko
na cinontest yung annulment I met someone I am already living in the states Im so
happy ganyan ganyan. Thankful sya, and she kept in touch and masaya sya. I dont
hear from the guy, I dont know what happened to him. At the end of the day
masaya sya sa ginawa ko. Yung brother nya nag ka problem ako nag handle nung
case. Things like that, poetic justice. Kasi minsan hindi moa lam na sasasktan ka na,
pero at the end of the day it comes out, it turned out even it is not in your favor,
pero masaya sya. These are the things that make me believe in the law. Whenever I
have a bad day I look back on this.

Most difficlut case.

Napoles. Really yun lang. It is the most difficuly because it was against public
opinion I was the both lawyer and spokesperson. Wellyung friend kasi relative e.
Hindi naman kami sobrang close friends, we were acquainted by mutual friends.
Pero hindi naman kami friends friends na everyday nag kikita or nag tetext. We
were friends that in a way she talks to me, in a way we get to talk some other time.
The diffuclt part is it was something kasi na hindi mo pwede iwanan kasi wala ng
taong tumutulong sakanya pero hindi mo naman pwedeng tanggapin kasi ang hirap
nung idepensa ng lahat na. Lahat na ng tao is against you. Ako kasi I love the
challenge everytime, thats why I accepted the prefect ng SBCA, when Iaccepted
wala kasi lahat talaga wlanag bar ops walang everything. Nung meron na, na bored
na ko. For the past 8 yeaers, I was enjoying it kasi I was building something, but
when I saw it na it is already moving on its own na kahit wala ako gumagawa na sila
ng sarili nilang ano e. ang ginagawako na lang is tanungin kung buhay pasila e.
Napoles is the hardest kasi nga against public opinion I was also her spokesperson
and I also get remarks from the people. People can be demeaning, people can be
like judgemental na agad. Kahit na sariling mong pera [referring to the house]. Ni
isang singko wala. When I accept a case and do something money is never my
priorit. Kasi I dont have a family to provide, hindi ko kailangan ng limpak limpak na
pera. Pero the experience, I want the challenge the whole nine yards. Gusto ko yung
fulfilling sa puso, fulfilling sa spirit and specially sa utak. Ayoko yung kasong paulit
ulit na lang. Im not a dog na itratrain mon a lang, some people would want that kasi
some people want structure. Pero ako, when I wake up today I do not know what
would happen. When I go to a hearing, I do not know what would happen. Hindi ko
alam baka mapakulong pa ko dahil tinalakan ko yung judge. Ganon, thats the
beauty of what I do at this point.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years

Hopefully alive. I will be still working ofcourse, hopefully not looking old. [about the
firm] syempre naman, sinumulan mo tapos. Ill do private practice pa rin pero Id
still be enjoying what Ill do which is advocating on something that I want and on
what I believe. Syempre legislative advocacises is what I want pero id ont want to
be in public offices, it is not for me. But mas gusto ko yung im the one yung nag
uudyok sakanila na to do something in legislation for the betterment of the peoples
lives. Mas naiinis ako pag may nakikita ko na may naapi. Thats why I voted duterte,
one thing common with duterte and I is naiinis din sya pag may nakikita syang
naapi. Kahit na ako aapihin wag lang ang iba. Kasi pag ako inaapi ako ang tingin ko
sa sarili ko, I dont take it vace value. Usually kasi yung nang aapis is yung mga
kulang sa pansin or yung may mga problema sa sarili. So pag may nakikita akong
ibang naapi I dont take it lightly, so thats why yung mga pro bono case yung mga
kaso na bakit ikaw pa yung kinasuhan yung mga ganon. Minsan may magsasabi na
bat ako nangingialam sa away na to, e naawa ako e. These are the things that I take
on. Okay naman mag payaman, mayaman ka na pero madugas kappa rin. Doon ako
nagagalit. Thats why Im openly against corporate greed. Wala naman masama
kung yung iba is looking for tax abravation. If you are earning million or billions
tapos hindi ka pa mag babayad ng tax. Youll bribe people. That for me is greed. So
yon Im against that. Thats why I do what I do. Somebodys listening, followers.
Where in I raise funds ex kids at home jacket duterte. 2 million for the pnp 8 million
for the dilg. Yung ayumi sa painting, she painted duterte and general bato. I was the
one who spearheaded, kasi pina acution naming yunng painting nya umabot kami
ng 10 mil. At least nakaka tulong kahit papaano.

How do you balance work and social life

The beautiful thing about my work now is it is also my social life. You dont put a line
because no 1 being a lawyer is you have to socialize. Your clients become your
friends. There is no such thing as professional relationship in regard to lawyering for
me. Specially if you really want to engage. You dont just accept you engage. Your
client becomes partly your friend because you cousel them. They have respect for
you, they trust you so you have to be friends. They tell you secret that you cant tell
others. Client confidentialty. It is actually a friendship. So you treat it as friendship
with benefits with konting bayad bayad. Of course if youre really a good lawyer
they wouldnt mind paying you. Not mind the amount you are requesting. But not
because youre friends, but because you are a lwayer. You socialize with the clients
and that is one aspect of being lawyer, kailangan mo talaga makipag sosyalan. But
you should know when you limit. Some lawyers allow their clients to jump over
them kahit na wala na silang buhay. If your clients respects you, they will know their
boundaries. I have clients who knows my house but they dont really come
unannounced. They dont barge in. They ask first. If you just do your job well, if you
dont become complacent with your client.

Tips on success on this field.

Hindi ko din alam. Kasi iba iba naman e. Kasi minsan kung masyado kang booksmart
na lilimit mo yung sarili mo. For example kasi pag sabi it cant be do kasi sabi ng
books na it cant be done parang kasing ang bobo mo kasi una. Never base it on the
book. Lawyer is never even about the books. Lawyer is inf act about knowing the
law, finding a way to apply the law, find a way to justify your advocacy or position
using the law, and change it when it needs to be change. If being a lawyer is about
books, e di dapat wala ng abogado judge na lang, tapos mag babasa na lang. Sabi
sa aklat 88, mali ka, next, kulong. Its not as easy as black and white, it is not as
easy as gray and blue. I always tell my students na this is only the beginning. Yung
iba kasing law students, umabot lang ng 4 th year ang yayabang na. Parang ang taas
taas na angpagtingin sa sarili, ako sinasabi ko sakninla wag masyadong mataas ang
lipad. Kasi pag pasok nila sa law profession, makikita nyo kung gaano palang kayo
kaliit. Masasaktan lang kayo. Marami kayang abogado kaya na bago palaang pero
mayayabang na mag salita parang ang yayabang. CJ hindi naman kagalingan yan e.
For you to be successful, you better have humility. That for me is the trademark of a
successful lawyer. Kasi number one if you dont have humility parang wala lang. I
dont know what if im successful, everybody says that I am. Hindi ko din alam na ito
nap ala yon. Oo, people know me. When I get to court, I get stares from other
lawyers. Ito na baa ng success? For me kasi is have you changed peoples lives?
Ginto ginto yung bahay mo pero yung mga nakapaligid naman sayo puro naman
bulok, so whats the point? For me matutuwa ako na lgbt become lawyers. Yung
mga students ko from before na lgbt are still in touch sa fb. They are example of
people that I had an effect on. Sabi ko this is for me the test of success, if somebody
comes back to me and say sir thank you.