MANILA, Philippines – Charmaine Arce Gabelo, 42, had to shelve her dreams to become a lawyer to pursue another profession that will help her make ends meet.
She settled down, started her own family, and worked in the seafaring industry. Many years passed but Gabelo remained determined to become a lawyer, so she took the plunge and enrolled in the Philippine Christian University College of Law in Cavite.
Gabelo’s determination to join the legal profession was further fueled by her desire to do her part to help the marginalized and victims of injustice, whether through corruption or the previous administration’s bloody drug wa.
“Noong nag-stay ako after ko mag-barko, ‘di ba may tokhangan? Tapos ‘yong meron din ‘yong mga distribution na hindi [mabigyan] ‘yong mga mahirap talaga. May mga katanungan tayong ganoon. So ‘yan, corruption and everything. So sabi ko sana, baka may pagkakataon na ibigay ‘yon. Ibig sabihin, magkaroon ako ng pagkakataon na baka makatulong din ako sana,” she said.
(When I stayed after I worked in the ship, there were police drug war killings, right? Then there’s also the unfair treatment of the poor who could not get aid. I’ve had those questions in mind, corruption and everything. So I told myself that maybe I could help. This means, getting the chance to help others as well.)
Gabelo said she gave up her lucrative job and turned down tempting work offers so she can focus on her studies.
Her mother and son accompanied her at the Supreme Court grounds in Manila on the day of the announcement of the 2024 Bar exam results. Gabelo said she wanted to be with her loved ones no matter what the results would be.
On December 13, all of her sacrifices finally paid off as Gabelo joined the 3,962 Bar examinees who hurdled what is considered to be among the hardest qualifying exams for professionals in the country on Friday, December 13.
To those like her who dream of becoming a lawyer but have to set it aside to provide for their families, Gabelo gave this advice: “Kaya ‘yong mga nag-iisip na baka late na kayo, hindi, hindi late. Walang late, basta ibigay mo lang [lahat].“
(So to those who think you’re too late [to achieve your dreams], you’re not. There’s no such thing as being late, as long as you’re all out.)
She said key to achieving one’s dream is putting your whole heart into it.
This year’s exams garnered a passing rate of 37.84%, which was higher than last year’s 36.77%. In a surprise move, the SC en banc voted unanimously to adopt the grade of 74% as the passing rate, instead of the usual 75%, 2024 Bar chairperson Associate Justice Mario Lopez said.
University of the Philippines’ Kyle Christian Tutor topped the exam with a grade of 85.77%, while Ateneo de Manila University dominated the tests after being named as the top school with over 100 candidates in two of the categories: first-time takers and all candidates.
Never give up
Alone in the SC grounds, Jamimah Yusoph Disomangcop fixed her eyes on the big screens that would show whether her stubbornness not to give up will work this time around.
Disomangcop, a law graduate from the Mindanao State University, burst into tears as she saw her name in the list of successful examinees. The first person she called was her mother. They spent the first few minutes of the call crying together.
She did not pass the Bar on her first try, but Disomangcop did not give up. For her second shot at her dreams, she found a way to turn things around and make sure that the odds were in her favor.
“Kung mag-retake man ulit, focus on one material lang, ‘wag na lang po mag-hoarding. ‘Yon ‘yong natutunan ko on my first try po. Hindi kasi ako nag-review noong first, so masyadong hoarding ng mga materials…. So, focus with your review center po,” Disomangcop told reporters.
(If you retake teh exams, focus on only one material and do not hoard. That’s what I learned on my first try. I didn’t review on my first try so I did too much hoarding of materials…. So, focus on your review center.)
The new lawyer is already a registered Shari’ah counsel, which means she already passed the Shari’ah Bar exams. Separate from the regular Bar exams, the Shari’ah Bar is the professional licensure examination covering Islamic law and is now administered by the High Court.
Like Gabelo and Disomangcop, Anne Nicole Dolfo was also full of determination. The love of her family plus her human rights work background inspired the Ateneo law student to pass the 2024 Bar exams.
While in law school, Dolfo was an intern at the Ateneo Human Rights Center, a university-based institution involved in human rights promotion and protection in the Philippines.
“After I was at the Human Rights Center, at talagang siguro nag-deepen lalo ‘yong [aspiration] ko na mag-practice ng law. Kaya inisip ko na lang sa dami ng experience ko, natutunan ko sa Human Rights Center, gusto ko sana magamit ko someday at makatulong someday,” Dolfo said.
(After I was at the Human Rights Center, my aspiration to practice law really deepened. That’s why I thought that with my wealth of experience and knowledge I gained from the Human rights Center, I want to use them to help others someday.)
Gabelo, Disomangcop, and Dolfo will take their oaths as new lawyers and will sign the Roll of Attorneys on January 24, 2025.
Associate Justice Amy Lazaro Javier will serve as the Bar chairperson for the 2024 Bar exams. – Rappler.com