EULOGY DELIVERED DURING THE FUNERAL VIGIL FOR THE LATE ATTY. PAMPILO N. ENCARNACION HELD ON JUNE 9, 2009 AT 8:00 PM AT PHILAMLIFE VILLAGE PARISH CHURH, LAS PINAS CITY.
With deep sorrow, may I extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved family of our beloved and well respected brother in the legal profession, Atty. Pampilo N. Encarnacion, who had lived a full and happy life as a family man and as an officer of the court, a life filled with the selfless spirit of enlightened public service to the Bar and the community.
Pampi, as we in the Bar fondly call Atty. Encarnacion, was a Founding Member and a Founding Director of the Las Pinas City Bar Association (LPBA), Inc. in March 2001.
Since 2001, prior to his death, Pampi had served our local voluntary Bar Association in various official capacities, such as Treasurer, Auditor, and Vice President.
Prior to his involvement in the local Bar of Las Pinas City in 2001, Pampi had served with dedication as a Director of the Cavite Chapter of the Integrated bar of the Philippines.
Last year, due to his poor health, Pampi begged off when invited to serve as the next Chairman of the Las Pinas City Bar Association.
As we all know, our local Bar Association is currently headed and managed by equally competent and dedicated Bar leaders, Atty. Melvyn Lagasca, as chairman, and Atty. Hilda Clave, as president.
A native of the historical and beautiful town of Kawit, Cavite, Pampi was a respected and honored son of the province of Cavite which he had selflessly served for many years as an advocate of law and justice.
Born in 1937, Pampi first worked for many years as a management executive in a private corporation in Makati before be studied law at the college of law of the prestigious Lyceum of the Philippines, the academic legacy of the Laurel Family to the Filipino nation.
Pampi was admitted to the Bar in 1973 at the age of 36, developed by many years of experience as a businessman, management executive and consultant, and thinker.
At the time of the death of Pampi, our respective law offices were adverse lawyers in major civil cases pending with the Regional Trial Courts of Pasay City and Makati City involving big and prime real properties located on the Zapote-Alabang Road, Las Piñas City.
My law partner, Atty. Myrna Mercader, represented our office in the said cases. Pampi represented the plaintiffs. From time to time, I would read the legal pleadings of Pampi.
I respect Pampi as a member of the Bar, as a legal advocate and litigator, and as a legal writer and thinker.
For one, I was impressed by the elegance, maturity, clarity, and scholarship of the language and written presentations of his court pleadings and the enlightened and comprehensive arguments and citations that supported them.
His mind was always clear and focused when he researched, prepared and wrote his legal pleadings.
His untimely death will deprive our office of the precious opportunity to continue to learn from him.
In the morning of June 2, 2009 last week, which was the day before Pampi was confined, Pampi and I were together at the Hall of Justice of Makati City to attend our separate court hearings. We talked about his health. His 13-year old grandson was with him. If there was one thing that Pampi and I shared as our common denominator, aside from our common love of the law and justice, it is our COPD, or our “chronic obstructive pulmonary disease”, a common disease among overworked trial lawyers that is associated with many years of stress and anxiety.
While waiting for the elevator at the Makati hall of justice, Pampi told me that he was retiring from law practice and that he was just finishing all his pending cases out of a sense of duty and responsibility to his clients who were relying on his wisdom, zeal and loyalty as a litigator to protect their rights and property.
Pampi stated that he needed more private and quality time to rest and recuperate, to smell the flowers, so to speak, and to enjoy the company of his beloved family and grandchildren.
Being a grandfather myself, I felt in my heart the subtle spiritual meanings of his personal nostalgic longings.
The next day, I received a message from Atty. Melvyn Lagasca informing the local Bar of the sudden confinement of Pampi at the intensive care unit of the University of Perpetual Help Rizal Medical Center, Las Pinas City and asking the local Bar to pray for Pampi’s recovery.
Pampi’s death is a great loss to the Philippine Bar.
We, whom Pampi has left behind, need not worry for him.
In the light of the selfless love, unconditional charity and dedicated service that Pampi had shown to his family and his fellowmen while he was still alive, God and Nature will reward and bless him with divine happiness and true liberation from suffering.
Thank you.
Atty. Manuel J. Laserna Jr.
Founder and Consultant
Las Pinas City Bar Association
lcmlaw@gmail.com
http://attylaserna.blogspot.com
http://lcmlaw.multiply.com
