4 Cebu civil servants make the grade
Four of the 1,174 successful bar examinees – Regal Oliva, Mark Rusel Salomon, Rey Chris Panugaling and Ian Kenneth Lucero – are government employees in Cebu.
Oliva, the city treasurer of Mandaue City, and Solomon, city accountant of Cebu City, were classmates at the University of San Carlos College of Law.
Panugaling heads the Human Resources Development Office of the Cebu City Medical Center while Lucero is a local government operations officer at the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
Oliva is the son of former Cebu City Treasurer Ofelia Oliva.
The 36-year-old Regal took his Political Science and masteral degree in Fiscal Administration at Silliman University in Dumaguete city.
From 2001 to 2007, he worked as the chief of staff of Tacloban City Mayor Alfredo “Bejo” Romualdez. He later joined the Mandaue City government.
Mayor Jonas Cortes designated Oliva as assistant city treasurer in 2008 and then city treasurer in January 2010.
Oliva studied law while working as City Treasurer.
“(I had) sleepless nights, hundreds cups of coffee, liters of energy drinks to stay awake to read my assignments. I didn’t have a lovelife for the past four years,” Oliva recalls.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama was jubilant after he was told that his city accountant, Salomon, and HR chief at CCMC, Panugaling, passed the Bar.
“Wow! I am always happy for people who show hard work because hard work is the most important thing when you are reviewing (for the bar exams), said Rama, who took up law at San Beda College.
CCMC head Gloria Duterte said she is happy for Panugaling, “because we now have somebody (at the hospital) to consult on legal matters.
Duterte said she would like Panugaling to continue to head their HRDO because he is “knowledgeable” in that area.
DILG’s Lucero was still shaking and could not believe he passed the Bar.
His job at the DILG requires him to reach out to barangays to discuss processes of mediation, conciliation and arbitration, but sometimes he’d shy away when someone would ask him if he’s a lawyer.
“Because of my experience, I did my best to pass the Bar. They tell me I talk like a lawyer but now I can finally say I am a lawyer,” he said.
“For us who work for a living to support a family we had to juggle our time between family, work and review. I may not have passed the CPA board exam but I passed the Bar exam. There is always a perfect time for everything,” Lucero said.
Lucero authored two books Raising Barangay Revenues (2012) and Revised Katarungan Pambarangay Law (2011).
SEE FULL LIST OF OCTOBER 2013 BAR PASSERS
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