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Mel Libre October 19, 2004 IF THERE was one thing I noticed about the late Arbet Sta. Ana-Yongco other than her courageous and principled lawyering for the less fortunate in society, it was her court attire. She could really catch one’s attention because she always put on a formal dress made of fine jusi material. I can now surmise that she dressed the way she did to give the respect due the courts and to tell her clients that they were important to her even if they were not as financially able as those in the opposite side. Arbet was one member of the Bar who reminds all of us, both lawyers and non-lawyers, that the legal profession is indeed a noble profession. She reminds us that the legal profession is impressed with public interest, with the administration of justice as the end in view. She reminds us that everyone is equal in the eyes of the law and that justice will be served. Arbet could have sought employment in government where her accountancy and law degrees were much in demand in such offices as the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Commission on Audit or even the National Bureau of Investigation. Or she could have worked in the legal department of a private corporation where she was assured of a high paying salary given every 15th and 30th of each month. But she took the road of private practice, litigation and advocacy. She took the road less taken, the path more risky, the way meant only for the brave. I believe Arbet made her choice out of love for the profession, out of care for the downtrodden, out of the belief that justice still works in our society. She was one whose heart burned with an idealism that oftentimes is lost in many people because of the complexity of the real world where dishonesty, corruption and injustice seem to be accepted as rules rather than as exceptions. Arbet belonged to a class of lawyers who go beyond their call of duty. Though she may not have been nationally popular, which I know she wasn’t aspiring for, she attained recognition for her causes in the way we admire lawyers like Claro M. Recto, Jose W. Diokno, Lorenzo Tanada and Jovito Salonga. Among Cebuano lawyers, she has earned the place where outstanding legal luminaries – like Alfonso Surigao, German Lee, Winnie Geonzon, Esperanza Valenzona, Marcelo Fernan and Hilario Davide, Jr. – belong. Arbet’s death has only awakened us to fight for justice for the victims of prejudice, of abuses, of crimes. It is sad though that one vanguard of justice has fallen – but she will not be forgotten. Rest now, Arbet. You believed that justice prevails. We will not let you down. [ top ] |
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