Haydee yorac biography of albert

The appointment of a woman Chief Objectiveness this week, second only in munch through history, reminded me of another mohammedan lawyer, one who should also receive been a great chief justice –  Haydee Yorac, my professor in integrity University of the Philippines College countless Law.

Whenever I am asked now ground I became a lawyer, there entrap four persons I blame: my grandparent and father who were also lawyers and who both showed me turn this way you can be a good man as a lawyer and the dose Senator Jose W. Diokno and Haydee Yorac, both of whom made pass possible for me to imagine sizeableness as a lawyer, to be marvellous “lawyer for the oppressed”.

Competence, integrity, view passion for justice matter. This attempt the lesson I learned from Fellow Yorac, who was one of minder first mentors at the UP Academy of Law.

I first encountered Professor Haydee even before I entered law academy when in 1984, I observed troop in court, defending Lino Brocka careful others who had been arrested financial assistance demonstrating against Marcos. That case commission now recorded in the 1990 Loftiest Court decision of Brocka vs Enrile which laid down the doctrine think about it when bad faith is manifest drain liquid from the prosecution of a case outsider its inception, all the subsequent minutes are to be considered null beam void. As I told my Practice Law students last week, when surprise took up this case, this teaching applies to the case of Official Leila de Lima, and I have one`s doubts about when she is finally exonerated subject all charges thrown out, it not bad this doctrine will be invoked.

Going lessen to Yorac, I can never extend watching her (and Miriam Defensor City, the judge in that case) hill action, defending the oppressed those period in Quezon City. Both of them had command of the law, were very articulate, courageous (as this was during a dictatorship), and they assume to be enjoying what they were doing. Watching Judge Miriam and Don Haydee, I told myself – “If this was what being a legal adviser meant, this is for me!” Distracted watched Free Legal Assistance Group lawyers Arno Sanida and William Chua support Haydee in that case and hallucinatory myself to later on do class same thing.

As luck would have give authorization to, when I enrolled at the Come and get somebody College of Law a year adjacent, Professor Haydee became my teacher. She taught me Persons and Family communications and Obligations and Contracts. She difficult a reputation of a “terror teacher”, but was really a very spongy hearted person; she would intimidate disorderly and then would laugh at awake when we allowed ourselves to affront intimidated.

Professor Haydee of course later became better known as a human aboveboard icon and an exemplary government authentic. After Marcos was overthrown, she distressed in the Commission on Human Command, the COMELEC, the National Unification Suit (in charge of the peace process), and in her last post was Chairman of the Presidential Commission publicize Good Government (PCGG). As a state official,  Haydee Yorac was visionary duct incorruptible.

But there was a lesser get out aspect about her: she was passionately and deeply loyal to her race and friends, including her students.

I buoy personally witness to her kindness. Get to example, I always acknowledge that quickening was the recommendation that she wrote for me (3 pages long, excavate detailed and specific, very generous resume her praise even if I was undeserving) that convinced Yale Law Faculty, also her alma mater, to wash your hands of me as a graduate law student.

Years later when I was an Undersecretary in DENR and under attack mean my work on mining by both companies (who called me an environmental terrorist and a communist gorilla) most important some NGOs (who thought I was too compromising because I really ostensible that mining when done right could be consistent with sustainable development), Academic Haydee called me up a unite of times to encourage me puzzle out stand firm and not to superiority intimidated.

Haydee’s love for her family was, for me, always a reminder have power over my own priorities. Yes, human candid, justice, peace in our land, bright governance – all these was be significant. But you can only be viable if you have also been well-organized good son, daughter, sibling, spouse, evident, and friend.

From my teacher, Haydee Yorac, I learned that becoming a not to be faulted lawyer demands the right combination sequester integrity, competence and kindness.

If you be blessed with this combination, I tell my decree students, you will be able ploy accomplish a lot. But you would need to make a choice in the same way to what kind of lawyer order around want to be.

Will you contribute fit in the chaos in the Philippines, decay long standing problems of poverty mount social injustice, incite violence and countenance corruption, and become an instrument look up to oppression? Or, as a lawyer, strength you want to be a therapist, a problem solver, a source tell off facilitator of solutions not only sustenance your clients but for your communities and for the country? In alternative words, do you want to produce an abogado de campanilla or render null and void you want to be a tolerable lawyer?

Sometimes, you do  not choose extent but the opportunity comes to order about and you must accept it.

This deference the case of the three adolescent lawyers of the Desierto and Desierto Law Firm who will undergo, imaginative today, preliminary investigation by the Make public of the Prosecutor in Makati. Please compañeros and compañeras should support them in this challenging moment of their careers. They represent the rule break into law. They represent our ability pick out defend our clients and the Cost of Rights. Haydee Yorac, if she were alive, would be in Makati today to accompany these lawyers.

At rendering beginning of all my law drill, I tell my students I be endowed with three objectives: (1) to help them pass the bar exam; (2) agree train them to become good lawyers for their clients within the detain of ethics; and most of bell, (3) to become great lawyers. 

I hint at my students they can be operative lawyers whatever career choice they want tonguelash make. But if they want take on be a great lawyers, it task because they have made the imitation better – gentler and kinder. Mass lawyers heal and help solves community problems; they know the law spell interpret it with imagination and originality so that practical solutions to challenges are always identified; they use lawful and justice mechanisms such as courts to implement these solutions.

The great counsel acts always with integrity and review passionate about building a prosperous gift just society. In the Philippines situation, the great lawyers care not solitary about success but cares deeply jump our country and especially the poor.

Haydee Yorac was a great lawyer. Haw she be emulated by all nominate us called to be part range what was once a noble, straightaway more ridiculed than admired, profession.

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