Batas Mauricio .
BY the clear grace and great mercy of God, the Philippines literally and figuratively stole the limelight in the just concluded graduation ceremonies of the Columbia Law School of Columbia University in New York City, USA, on May 20, 2019.
The reason was that, in that graduation that produced Columbia Law School’s Class of 2019, the Philippines became the country with the biggest number of young lawyers (six in all) who individually took and received their master of laws and judicial doctor degrees, with citations and awards on international and comparative law, to boot, from the Ivy League school recognised internationally.
Too, the occasion was made more meaningful and poignant by the presence of former Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice Teresita de Castro, and incumbent Sandiganbayan Justice Theresa Mendoza Arcega and Supreme Court Project Management Office chief Ella del Rosario, and the proud parents and relatives of the graduates.
Photos posted at www.facebook.com/attybatas show the graduates and us their proud parents led by CJ de Castro and other Philippine judiciary officials proudly displaying the Philippine flag at the Columbia Law School grounds right after graduation. This act of patriotism was unduplicated during the graduation by other countries. Thank God in the Name of Jesus, Amen!
The Filipino lawyers who graduated and received their master of laws degree from the Columbia Law School of the Columbia University of New York City in the graduation ceremonies held on school grounds on May 20, 2019 were lawyers Grace Lazaro, Christine de Castro Lejano, the daughter of Chief Justice de Castro, Alexandria Custodio, Lorenzo Martinez IV, and our own daughter, Maria Luisa Domingo Mauricio.
Atty. Lejano is at present a high-ranking official of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, while Atty. Luisa is an incumbent associate solicitor of the Office of the Solicitor General. Atty. Lazaro, Atty. Custodio, and Atty. Martinez are practicing lawyers who either have their own law firms or are partners in other law offices in the Philippines.
They studied under trying and grueling conditions for one whole year, tackling their respective masteral courses from the Columbia Law School. The pictures depicting their triumphant graduation while displaying the Philippine flag can be accessed at the Facebook timeline www.facebook.com/attybatas.
I cannot deny that our God and Savior whose Name is Jesus was the One who allowed the lawyers to realize their dreams of securing their master of laws degrees from the Columbia Law School of the Columbia University of New York. This is particularly true for Atty. Luisa Mauricio, my and Judge Angelina Mauricio’s only child. Yes, it was God who allowed benefits upon benefits to flow through our family to enable Luisa to sustain her masteral studies.
The very first of these benefits was the gracious and generous permission of high officials of the Office of the Solicitor General (where Luisa is working as an associate solicitor) for her to pursue a one-year master of laws degree without taking up a leave of absence. The second is composed of various benefits which came to us from out of nowhere, literally.
Certainly, we are not rich, we do not boast of any substantial wealth. The truth is that, when Luisa started entertaining notions of taking up her masteral course in the US, I started knocking at the door of God’s heart by relentless and unending prayers so He will agree to send us His love, healing, and power, to enable Luisa to achieve her dreams. God amazingly responded, and, as they say, the rest is history–she went through her one-year study and finished her course in time. Yes, thank God in the Name of Jesus, Amen!
E-mail: batasmauricio@yahoo.com, mmauriciojr111@gmail.com
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