A book detailing the life of one of the brightest minds in the Philippine Bar
Revealing the significant events that shaped the life of lawyer Estelito Mendoza, Forester of Nations & The Last Resort, it chronicles how his career started when he was tapped by former President Ferdinand Marcos to join his government initially as Solicitor General.
Written by the late Adrian E. Cristobal and former Senator Francisco S. Tatad, the biography also illuminates a critical half century of Philippine political and economic history, which includes details about the Martial Law years and the impeachment trial of former president Joseph "Erap" Estrada, among others.
The title "Forester of Nations" is from the play "The Man for All Seasons," where the lawyer St. Thomas More declared that he could not "navigate the currents and eddies of right and wrong, but in the thickets of the law, I am a forester, where no man alive could follow me."
Quite aptly, Mendoza's career goes deep into the forest of the law as he is widely considered as the most accomplished and most sought-after legal practitioners in the Philippine Bar and legal fraternity.
"Titong [Mendoza's nickname] was a scholar from the start. He accomplished the then formidable task for UP Law students, of maintaining his grades between 1.5 and 1.7 consistently for six years. He graduated [bachelor of laws] cum laude in 1952," said former Supreme Court Justice Hugo Gutierrez, Jr., a bosom friend and classmate of Mendoza.
Forester of Nations & The Last Resort also includes the seemingly remarkable private and public life of the usually reticent lawyer with others outside the intimate circle of family and friends. The book is now available at Fully Booked The Fort, Gateway, Rockwell, Greenbelt 5, Trinoma, and UP Town Center.
Source: TheManila Times
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