First blind Bar passer championing PWDs
The adage that for justice to be fair to all, it must be blind to people’s differing situations in life, whether they be rich or poor. This was not lost to Anthony Mark Dulawan Emocling.
Emocling, after all, is said to be the first blind Bar examinee to pass the rigorous tests for those aspiring to become lawyers in the country. Likewise, he’s not from a well-off family and his being a person with a disability has opened him up to discrimination.
But Emocling, who has Ilocano and Ibaloi blood, said he’d give back to people the immense blessing he has received as a newly minted lawyer. He added he’d make his alma mater, the University of Baguio, doubly proud of him, not only an alumni, but in his practice of law.
It was at UB where Emocling took up law and AB Political Science as his college undergraduate degree.
Sightless since age 10 due to detached retinas, Emocling said he got interested in law hearing on radio legal debates. He first wanted to be a cop, but his disability stopped him from realizing that dream, he told Daily Tribune.
A primary challenge he had to hurdle, Emocling said was his need to read tons of materials both as a college and law student. To accomplish this, he said he used a special computer screen-reading software in the computer.
In taking the 2022 bar, the 33-year-old Emocling said the Supreme Court provided a person to assist him at the Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City test site.
He dictated his answers to the assistant while a watcher, also designated by the SC, oversaw his taking the exam, he said.
Emocling profusely thanked his family and friends for their support that allowed him to join the list of the 3,992 2022 Bar passers.
“They never gave up on me. They believed in my abilities (and) that I can do it. I also have good friends who supported my dreams, and they are the ones who helped me in reviews,” he said.
Emocling said he is inclined to champion human rights, especially PWDs like him being disadvantaged by prejudices.