My Speech - UB Honoring of the New Lawyers

To the honorable Dean of the UB College of Law, Atty. Marlumina Bernaldez-Teh / Esteemed Law Professors / my fellow honorees Atty. Elsie Delantar and Atty. Alona Cristal / My friends / Ladies and Gentlemen / Good Evening.

I have waited too long for the day when I would stand before you all and deliver this speech. I have always been a dreamer, and I always dream big dreams. Even before I entered lawschool, I sometimes imagine myself passing the bar. I have rehearsed countless speeches over and over in my mind. It is quite ironic that when the day finally arrives, I could not personally deliver my message. Allow me however to convey my thoughts through Engr. Jonathan Piquero. I have chosen him to represent me tonight because he is my good friend, my kumpare, my brother-in-law and my future compañero. He too had waited to see me stand proud as a lawyer. Pareng Jojo, my sincere thanks. Due to extreme necessity, I have intentionally made a very long speech. Please enjoy your dinner while you listen.

Let me begin by saying that as much as I am flattered and grateful to be given this honor, I would however humbly decline to be honored. I feel that I have yet to deserve it. Therefore, let me instead give back this glory to God and to the people who really deserve the honor. To the following persons, I honor you all tonight:

I would like to honor my father, Victor Tirol Sr., for being my mentor, my provider, my inspiration, and most of all, my friend. He was the one who have seen the better things in me which I myself sometimes failed to see. Dad, tonight I am proud to say that we have finally achieved our dream.

I would like to express my gratitude to my mother, Dr. Freda Olavides Tirol, for giving me the two greatest things only a mother can give : the gift of life and the gift of love. Mom, you had always been my guiding light. Even the darkest storms in my life could not take me away from fulfilling my dream because you were there as my beacon. Thank you mom.

To my wife, the brilliant CPA-Lawyer, Atty. Jessica Gumop-as Tirol, I am eternally grateful for your love and support. I would have given up my dream a long time ago if it were not for you. I have found new strength and courage to face all odds in life because of you. With you by my side, I can do great and even greater things.

To my beloved brother, Dodong Tres, you are my greatest source of inspiration. I believed in myself because you always believed in me.

To my sisters Vida May and Anni Vi, thank you for walking the pathways of life with me. When the going gets tough, we kept going because we held each other in the narrow road towards our aspirations.

To my beloved cousin and friend, Atty. Adri-Anne Montes, I am grateful for all your inspiring words, support and prayers. At last, I have fulfilled my promise to you that one day I will also be a lawyer. We have both started this dream together a long time ago, now it has been finally realized.

I would also pay tribute to our Dean, Atty. Marlumina Teh. Maam, honestly, I would never be a lawyer if not for your constant guidance. Thank you for having deep patience in reminding me to enroll every semester and for making me believe that it is my destiny to be a lawyer.

To my mentors, Atty. Allan Coloma, Judge Jenny Chavez-Marcos, Atty. Greg Austral, Atty. Libeth Varquez, Atty. Fermino Mar, Atty.Zoticho Ochavillo, and to the late Fiscal Mariano Capayas, I give this honor to you all. Thank you for letting me take special exams whenever I fail to take them on time, due to valid reasons only known to me; and for tolerating my absences. I am indeed your worse student. But today, you have turned me into a good lawyer. All other professors in other law school have failed to make such transformation.

I would of course, give my most special thanks to one of my greatest mentors, Fiscal Adriano Montes. My uncle, my confidante, my trainor, and my friend. Tio, your prophecy has come true. When a thousand pages of lawbooks stood before me and my goal, your words of encouragement pushed me to push through.

To Engr. Francisco Pamaran, Dr. Lumin Pamaran, Nomi Pamaran-Cañuto, Francis and Luane, thank you for your constant support and prayers.

To my best friend and cousin, Elcid Tirol, and the rest of the Tirol Family, I am always grateful to you all.

I would like to pay tribute to Ate Alma Piquero, Ate Almie, Kuya Darwin, Mama Pina, Papa Alex and the rest of Gumop-as Family. I am proud to belong to your family.

To all my friends, thank you for your support and prayers. My success is your success.

And lastly, to the University of Bohol College of Law Library, thank you for all the books I have failed to return. One day, I’ll secretly return them when I find the time.

As I end my speech, let me give the aspiring lawyers pieces of advice and words of encouragement. Not to worry, I have written these during my lucid intervals.

First, it is not your intelligence that will make you a lawyer, it is your constant hunger for wisdom.

Second, you can never ever do it on your own. So study hard, and pray even harder.

Third, you must dedicate your goal to God and the persons you love most. When you are too tired to read at

3 A.M.

, or when your hands are trembling with nervousness and fatigue while you are taking your exams, remember the faces of the people who supported you and whom you will support. When you will be ridiculed in your failures, remember that there is a God who will turn the wheel of fate in favor of those who endure the trials.

Finally, Enroll on time, attend your classes religiously, take your exams promptly and comply with all your requirements. Take effort to be good students. My logic is very simple: Any student can be better than me. If I passed the bar, then anyone of you can also be lawyers.

Therefore to the students, I wish you all the luck and I pray for your success.

Once again, tonight I give tribute to all the people who have made me what I am today.

Thank you and good evening.