By Louise Alexandra Dia, Joy Louise T. Evidente, John Michael M. Opendo, Carlo Alfonso S. Sales, and Maria Jayzamel B. Vista
It is written in the stars, you were born to be a Bedan lawyer.
Bedans have continuously found strength and inspiration in the words of the then-Dean Virgilio B. Jara. They would start and end their journey towards the legal profession in the comfort of fourteen words.
In the stellar universe of the profession, the cosmic writer is no other than the student himself or herself. Charting his or her own destiny, with Ora et Labora (Pray and Work), a Bedan can be anything—even a justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, like these proud lions who heeded the call for excellence.
Justice Hernando, the inspirational dreamer
A motivated dreamer who makes sure he gets the work done, Justice Ramon Paul Layugan Hernando, the 180th Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, had always believed that he would one day become one of the justices of the Supreme Court.
Born in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, Justice Hernando was introduced to the legal profession at an early age by his late father, who was a prosecutor for the province of Cagayan. He thoughtfully recalled that he would usually tag along with his father, who would inform him about the court system.
It was in San Beda College of Law where he took the first step in fulfilling his dream. Just like any other law student, he was not a stranger to the trials of the august institution. He faced the formidable then Dean Jose Sundiang Sr., his teacher in Negotiable Instruments, whom he reckoned prepared him for his career as a Commercial Court Judge, Commercial Law examiner, and now as an honorable Justice of the Supreme Court. He also fondly remembered Atty. Benjamin Aban, the “consummate academician” as he termed, who would continue on with their classes even during blackouts and had only a candle as a source of light. These academic experiences, among others, molded the young Justice for the greater things in store for him.
His determination to become a justice of the High Court would show even before he was admitted to the Bar. A year before he passed the Bar examinations, Justice Hernando had already worked in the Supreme Court as a Confidential Assistant of Justice Edgardo L. Paras. After his admission to the Bar in 1992, he worked as a Court Attorney for the late Supreme Court Justice Florenz Regalado. He then served as a state prosecutor in the Department of Justice in 1998, before he became a presiding judge in the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of San Pablo City, Laguna in 2003 and RTC Judge of Quezon City in 2006. He was appointed as a Court of Appeals (CA) Justice in 2010.
Justice Hernando has achieved many at a young age. At 37, he is one of the youngest appointed RTC Judges. At 43, he is among the youngest appointed CA Justices. He is also one of the youngest post-World War II appointees to the Supreme Court when he was appointed at the age of 52. At 56, he is currently the Court’s youngest Justice, but already the third most Senior Associate Justice and Working Chairperson in the First Division. “My achievement in the Court of Appeals of being the most productive Justice for five straight years, from 2010 to 2014, resulted in my zero-docket by 2014. President Duterte himself told me it was this achievement that led him to appoint me to the Supreme Court,” he shared.
He admitted, however, that the early years in his legal career was difficult. But, he saw the government as an avenue to make a difference. “There is a point in your life, as a professional, when you would really consider finances but my father said [to] carry on and you will find yourself… You will find it very fruitful just as I did,” he shared. “It is in government where you can make a difference in people’s lives.”
Fulfilling another childhood dream, the inspiring Justice taught Civil Law, Remedial Law, and Commercial Law in several law schools, including San Beda, after he passed the Bar. He became a Bar examiner in Commercial Law in 2009, 2011, and 2016.
While it is arduous to have a work-life balance, Justice Hernando opined that the life of a justice is an honor, a privilege, and a sacrifice. His life working in the court and as a lawyer gifted him with humbling experiences and the opportunity to learn every day while helping the country attain a better justice system. He also revealed that to maintain integrity as a lawyer and an officer of the court, one must set an example early on in his or her career. “Lawyers have to make sure that they are very objective. Always work on the basis of merits,” he advised.
Justice Hernando believes that humility and decency are the best values of a Bedan lawyer. As the 2023 Bar Examinations Chairman, he always tells Bar aspirants that high chances of success would always depend on how one is prepared in the battle. “Chance favors the prepared ones,” he stressed.
Justice Hernando continues to uplift aspiring lawyers. In 2022, he was conferred the Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, by San Beda College of Alabang (SBCA). In his motivational message to the SBCA graduates, he said, “Wins can be big or small in scale. But they are achieved due to a conscious effort to win. You may have been graced with a slight stroke of luck, but there are no accidents in true success. You are here not because you have just been lucky. You worked for what you have right now, and you are worth it.”
Justice Lopez, the stellar scholar
Justice Mario Villamor Lopez never imagined that he would become one of the justices of the Supreme Court today—but he dreamt of it. “Imagining is different from dreaming. By dreaming, you do something. By doing something, do your best. Eventually, you will make the impossible possible,” he clarified.
In San Beda College of Law, Justice Lopez considered Criminal Law under Atty. Maximo Amurao, Jr. as the most difficult subject he took. He did not forget how scared he was in the class. However, that fear made him study well that he almost memorized the book of Professor Amurao. His hard work eventually paid off when he got the highest grade in the subject.
Even before becoming a lawyer, Justice Lopez would mark his name as an outstanding student of his time. A scholar during college, he graduated cum laude of his batch in law school and has not stopped becoming the stellar person that he is and was meant to be.
Two months after taking the Bar Examinations, in a full-circle moment, he joined the Supreme Court as a Technical Assistant. When he took the Bar, he shared that he was confident that he would pass but when the results were to be released, he started to doubt himself. “I cannot afford to fail,” he professed. Surprisingly, he was among the Top 30 passers of the 1980 Bar.
Justice Lopez recalled that he aimed to be a judge in Metro Manila; however, he was never appointed. Driven and resolved, he applied for a post in the province and, eventually, was appointed as RTC Judge in Batangas City. He served as the trial court judge for twelve years, particularly from 1994 to 2006.
For his outstanding performance, he received the Judicial Excellence ward in 2005. A year later, he was appointed to the CA. According to him, life has a way of redirecting his plans because, had he been appointed as a judge in Metro Manila, it might have taken him longer to reach the CA.
In 2019, Justice Lopez was appointed as an Associate Justice in the Supreme Court by former President Duterte. He was sworn in as the 185th Associate Justice of the highest court of the land. For him, it is the last cadence of his judicial career and by far, the most difficult due to the gargantuan responsibility in the highest court. Despite this, he still believes maintaining a work-life balance is essential.
Moreover, Justice Lopez also revealed that with every endeavor he does, he always exerts his best. “Hard work without prayer is meaningless, whereas prayer without hardwork is fruitless,” he said. There must be a balance between the two, Ora et Labora. Work hard for it and you will be guided by the Holy Spirit,” he advised.
His recognition as an Outstanding Judge, Best Prosecutor, and Best Professor are pieces of evidence of the burning passion of Justice Lopez in his craft. “As what Aristotle said, we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act but a habit,” he firmly noted.
But, beyond his awards and titles, Justice Lopez is a simple, loving husband with a passion for learning new things. For his pastime, Justice Lopez would watch documentaries and action movies, if not playing bowling or golf with his friends. He would also shop clothes and shoes as a reward to himself. He recalled he used to do the same to reward himself for his achievements in law school.
Justice Gaerlan, beyond the ‘ordinary’
Justice Samuel Hufano Gaerlan is the 187th Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. In 2020, he was appointed by former President Rodrigo Duterte to fill the position of then Justice Diosdado Peralta.
Justice Gaerlan, a BS Zoology graduate, had the epiphany to shift from a career in medicine to law, realizing he could be “of better help to [his] fellow countrymen” who, alongside him, had the “firsthand experience of the ill effects of Martial Law.” Together with this advocacy, his guiding light that led him to the gates of San Beda University (then San Beda College) was his then-girlfriend, now wife. “That was a decision out of love,” he blushed.
Justice Gaerlan described himself as an ordinary student. He shared that he only had short-term goal: to pass every subject until graduation—something most law students can relate to. He took the Bar in 1983 and passed a year after. “I wanted to become a lawyer as soon as possible for my parents to be proud of me,” he said.
After three years in corporate practice, Justice Gaerlan realized that private work was not his calling. Eventually, he joined the Public Attorney’s Office as a labor lawyer where he focused on organizing labor unions. “Being a public defender, I was so happy,” he professed.
Justice Gaerlan then applied for a fiscal position but this was held in abeyance when tragedy strucked his family. During this time, he felt being in a limbo, wishing to go back to his home. While nothing may ever heal one’s grief, Justice Gaerlan relied on his ever-unyielding love for his family.
In 1993, Justice Gaerlan was appointed as the presiding Municipal Trial Court Judge in Bangar, La Union, where he served for eight years. He recalled having 200 pending cases when he first accepted his post. “I was able to unclog my court docket during my stint there,” he said proudly. Justice Gaerlan then served as the RTC Judge in Branch 26 of San Fernando City, La Union in 2001 and in Branch 92 of Quezon City in 2004, and later as a CA Justice in 2009.
Throughout his career, Justice Gaerlan has bagged several awards such as the “Most Outstanding RTC Judge of La Union in 2003” by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, La Union Chapter, and the “Judicial Excellence Award” in 2007 by the Rotary Club. “If you love your job, it is no longer work. It becomes play,” he advised.
Aside from being a judge, Justice Gaerlan has also passion for the academe. As a law professor, he quipped how timid students are in arguing with their professors lest they offend them. He, on the contrary, encouraged students to voice out their opinions because in practice, lawyers are advocates who are convincing the court of their stand. “In law school, it should not only be confined in moot court where you are debating with each other. It should start in the first year in the classroom,” he emphasized.
In a trip down memory lane, Justice Gaerlan has only good things to share during his stay in San Beda. He cherished those moments, especially how San Beda values work and prayer, and closeness within the community. “We have a saying that, if you are a graduate of San Beda, passing the Bar is a term—it is certain to happen,” he said.
As the Vice Chairperson of the Supreme Court Sub-Committee for the Revision of the old Code, Justice Gaerlan spearheaded the talk on the new Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability during the 2nd Law Colloquium: The Dean Emeritus Virgilio B. Jara Series last April 29 at the Jonathan Sy Auditorium. He emphasized the value of lawyers, both present and future, in serving the country. “Together, we will usher change to the legal community, improve the administration of justice, and restore the people’s faith and confidence in the legal profession,” he said during the event.
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For these legal luminaries, Dean Jara’s famous affirmation is nothing but an attestation to the hard work these Justices have put into their illustrious careers and also to San Beda’s tireless pursuit for excellence, which fuels the Lion’s Den with pride.
To quote Justice Gaerlan, saying it with a beaming smile, “There are four Bedans here [in the Supreme Court bench]. We’re all very proud to be Bedans.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Justice Antonio T. Kho, Jr., the 193rd Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, is also a Bedan law alumnus. He was appointed to the High Court in February 2022 after serving his stint in the Commission of Elections as a Commissioner. A native of Jolo in Sulu, he was admitted to the Bar in 1991, the year he graduated, and placed tenth therein. He also served as Undersecretary of the Department of Justice from 2016 to 2018.
We reached out to the office of Justice Kho, but, sadly, due to time and physical constraints, we were unable to conduct an interview with him. Still, we offer a space for His Honor in this story as the roaring Bedan pride in the High Court would not be achieved without him.
THE BARRISTER 