By Clarisse P. Marquez and Aneliza T. Tangonan
The eminence of legal practice shines bright in the hands of Atty. Rowell Ilagan, whose brilliance is unparalleled yet whose feet remain firmly planted on the ground. Known to dress with distinct elegance, he is a true Bedan armored with Benedictine principles. “I want to defend people who are entitled to their rights, but there is a special interest for those who are underprivileged,” he shared with thebarrister.
The humble star student
Atty. Ilagan graduated as salutatorian of his batch in 2010. As a law student, he served as the Editor-in-Chief for San Beda Law Journal.
Now, he is one of the esteemed professors of San Beda University–College of Law (SBU-COL). He teaches several subjects such as Land, Titles and Deeds, Evidence, Credit Transactions, and Wills and Succession, among others.
Interestingly, he has a photographic memory. He laughed as he reminisced the days when his classmates would always tease him for finishing the entire syllabus. He persisted in reading all assigned cases in full text and memorizing even trivial matters as a challenge. “Kapag nagbabasa [ako] ng full text, I try to memorize even ‘yung plate number ng sasakyan just to test my memorization skills,” he narrated. His preparation brings him high reward and he considers this as the most valuable weapon in law school. “I always see to it that I am prepared in class. Hindi ako papasok na hindi ko nabasa lahat,” he added.
When he took Criminal Law under the tutelage of distinguished professor Atty. Maximo Amurao, Atty. Ilagan received a score of 68 in his examination. He described it as “being struck like a dagger in his chest.” He knew in his heart that he studied hard for the exam but he still failed. From then on, he doubled his efforts in studying. He discovered and utilized effective study habits and routines, which paved the way for him to excel even more.
His efforts paid off when he was awarded the gold medal, given to students who garnered the highest quality point index, or more commonly known as QPI, with no lower grade than 80, in a batch, during his first year at the College of Law. Among his academic highlights was when he obtained a grade of 98 under Atty. Plaridel Bohol in Torts and Damages.
Surprisingly, this feat was beyond his expectations that he even failed to attend the awarding. “Hindi ko inexpect (na may award ako) [that’s why] hindi na ako umattend. Tapos hinahanap daw ako ng mga professors. Sino ba ‘tong si Ilagan?” he joked.
Atty. Ilagan’s mantra revolves around striking a balance between law school and his social life. For him, there is more to life than law school. He advised that it is important to rest to avoid getting burnt out. He also emphasized to not feel guilty in rewarding yourself whenever you have small victories.
Among Beda’s brightest jewels
Despite Atty. Ilagan’s achievements at such a young age, he remains humble and kind. He shared that beyond excellence, San Beda’s legacy can be attributed to the four pillars of humility, loyalty, determination, and discipline—the same core principles he carries with him in the legal practice.
His first stint in litigation was in Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices or ACCRALAW. There, he chose civil and criminal cases as his areas of expertise. Currently, he is the managing partner of Gargantiel Ilagan & Atanante Law Firm, lecturer at Legal Edge Bar Review Center, incumbent director of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) in Quezon City, and deputy director of the IBP Commission on Bar Discipline.
Atty. Ilagan is quite a media personality, too. He has appeared in several Senate committees and investigations, and has been interviewed by major media outlets on numerous high-profile and complex cases, including the Horacio Castillo III’s hazing case and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation anomaly, where he was also the legal counsel of a dialysis center, to name a few.
Notably, Atty. Ilagan made his name in the 2011 landmark case of Gamboa vs. Teves. He was one of the legal counsels for the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, or PLDT, a party in the case. There, it clarified the definition of “capital” under Section 11, Article 12 of the 1987 Constitution, and required public utilities and partly-nationalized industries to restructure their foreign equity ownership.
Undaunted and equipped with a mind that is as sharp as a steel, Atty. Ilagan revealed that he owes his impressive winning rate to the grueling challenges he experienced inside the Red Lion’s den. “In San Beda, we have to prove our worth. Sanay tayo na nagtatrabaho to get a passing grade. Alam mong pinaghirapan mo. You will protect it, you will value what you earn. That applies in practice, alam mong pinaghirapan mo so gagalingan mo,” he stressed.
As a professor, Atty. Ilagan described his job as fulfilling. He considers this job as his “pay it forward” deeds since San Beda molded him to be the bejeweled lion that he is now. “I just want my students to develop the necessary skills. ‘Yung training and skills mo nade-develop mo habang bata ka—same level of commitment. ‘Yung substantive law, matutunan iyon through discipline.” he advised.
More importantly, he wants to give back to the people who were instrumental to his success by mentoring students at SBU-COL. The great then-Dean Virgilio Jara, who was his favorite law professor, greatly influenced Atty. Ilagan’s pedagogy. More than just knowing or memorizing the provisions and legal concepts, Dean Jara wants his students to understand and correlate the provisions to grasp a holistic view of the law. “It was Dean Jara who pressured me to excel more. I was challenged kasi iba lagi ‘yung tanong niya sakin. Na-test ‘yung critical thinking skills ko and I enjoyed his classes,” Atty. Ilagan recounted.
In addition, Atty. Ilagan advised Bedan students, “Hindi tayo dapat maging feeling entitled just because we are from San Beda. We should always be humbled by our experiences in law school where everyone is on equal footing.”
Indeed, Atty. Ilagan’s character, determination, and discipline deems him worthy to be called as one of San Beda’s brightest jewels in the legal field.
THE BARRISTER 