Saturday, August 1, 2015

Kwentong Atty. Amurao


This post is a tribute to my most favorite law professor, Atty. Amurao. He passed away last Thursday. Atty. Amurao was well-known for being one of the most -- if not the most --  feared professor in San Beda Law. He is also one of the most loved and respected. 

Photo Credit: LSG San Beda Law Mendiola

Unlike the others, I’m not going to say that Atty. Amurao taught me how to persevere nor would I say that he instilled in me the discipline needed to study and love the law. He didn’t inculcate in me the importance of getting back up after failing. I already knew all those before I had him as my Criminal Law 2 professor. 

But why do I respect him so much? And why do I feel so heartbroken that he would no longer walk the halls of San Beda? Because I idolize him. He didn’t compromise. From the very first meeting to the last, he was consistent with his ethics and professionalism. His dedication to teaching is immeasurable.

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Lahat naman ng recit sa law school, nakakakaba, pero iba talaga yung kaba sa klase ng isang Atty. Amurao. Yung puso ko parang lalabas sa dibdib ko sa sobrang tibok. At hindi yun nawala. Usually, masasanay ka sa prof at magiging kampante, pero kay Atty. Amurao, hindi. Hanggang huling araw ng klase, malala pa rin yung pagkabog ng puso ko.

Kahit matanda na sya, palagi syang pumapasok. Hindi sya na-late ng more than 15 minutes. Nagbibigay sya ng grade as low as 60, pero kung tuloy-tuloy ang recit mo at wala kang sinabing mali, hindi nya ipagkakait ang 100.
Ilang taon na rin akong nasa law school. Marami na kong recit na nakita na sobrang galing pero hanggang 85 lang ang binibigay na highest ng professor. Hindi ganun si Atty. Amurao. Kung deserve mo ang perfect score, yun ang isusulat nya sa classcard mo.

Kahit may Amurao Notes, tadtad pa rin ng 65, 70 at 75 ang recit grades ko. Nakalimang sunod-sunod na bokyang recit ako sa kanya bago ko nakatikim ng 100. Bago yun, naisip kong di ko kaya. Nagalit ako sa kanya. Pero nung nakatikim ako ng una kong 100, sobrang saya ko! Eventually, na-realize ko na kaya ko. Naintindihan ko na gusto nya lang akong matuto.

Matututo ka talaga sa kanya. Kanina nga, nagbibigay ng eulogy yung isa sa mga Beda profs at nabanggit nya yung Art. 247 ng Revised Penal Code. Alam mo yung article number pa lang, naalala ko na agad yung lessons namin. Kasi sobrang tatatak talaga yung mga recitations sa kanya. Syempre marami na kong nakalimutan, pero sa subject nya talaga ko pinakamaraming naaalala.

Sa ibang prof, swerte na yung matawag ka ng 3 beses sa buong semester. Kay Atty. Amurao, 3 beses bawat meeting. Sa ibang prof, pwede kang magbasa ng libro, maghabol ng aral habang nagkla-klase. Kay Atty. Amurao, kelangan makinig ka sa kanya. Hindi sya umuulit kapag nasabi na nya yung tanong. Kelangan din mabilis ka sumagot kasi huminto ka lang ng mga 3 segundo, magtatawag na sya ng sunod na estudyante.

Madalas nilang sabihing malupit sya, pero kung tutuusin, hindi naman eh. Hindi sya sumisigaw. Hindi sya namamahiya. Reasonable ang mga tanong nya sa recit at sa exam. Kaya lang talaga, pag mali ka sa recit, upo ka kaagad. Pag di maayos ang sagot mo sa essay sa exam, 2 over 10 ang score mo. At least may partial points! Minsan nga sa iba wala.

Malupit ba kung nage-expect ang prof na ibigay mo sa kanya yung tamang sagot sa tanong nya? Mabait si sir. Mahirap lang talaga magtanong. Mataas lang ang standard. At yun ang dahilan kung bakit maraming takot at umiiwas sa klase nya.

Sa totoo lang, hindi ko ma-imagine ang law school life ko nang hindi ko naging prof si Atty. Amurao. The Amurao Experience, so far, is the best part of my law school years. It was the most trying and the most fulfilling time.
I am very honored to have passed his subject -- one of the only two students in our class who did -- and be called an Amurao Baby.

I would never forget our small encounter in the hallway. I would never forget that smile. Hindi sya ngumingiti sa loob ng classroom kaya sobrang pinapahalagahan naming mga naging estudyante nya yung simpleng ngiti nya sa labas.

I know he was old, but I can’t shake the feeling that he was gone too soon. Wala man lang kaming picture together. Hindi ko man lang sa kanya mapagmamalaki yung grade ko sa Criminal Law sa Bar Exam. Alam ko magiging maayos ang score ko sa Criminal Law. I was taught by the best.

Sir, more than anything, thank you for tearing my confidence down so it had nowhere else to go but up. Thank you for reminding me how to turn fear to inspiration, frustration to hardwork. You are one of my heroes. I’ll keep you in my heart. I feel so privileged to have been under your tutelage. Thank you, sir. Rest in His loving arms. 

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