His family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances from all walks of life will have their own unique stories of him. And I have mine. Everybody knows that he was once a compulsive cigarette smoker.
He smoked every brand of cigarettes, and I remember him as a
chain smoker. He was my teacher for the Philippine Constitution course back in
college. In the middle of his lectures, he'd sometimes hand me an unlit
cigarette and tell me to go outside to light it for him. I always sat in the
front row—I didn’t want to miss any of his examples, delivered through jokes
that were often a bit mischievous but always tied to the lesson.
He’d usually say, “Bakit hindi mo pa tinapos?” every time I
returned the cigarette, almost burned down to the filter. That was the very
first time I ever tasted a cigarette. Chain smoking means you constantly or
continually smoke, and Atty. Albino Abeleda Arevalo—who liked to be called
“Four As”—would finish one cigarette and immediately light another, barely
pausing between smokes. Even in the classroom, he smoked, something unheard of
today but slightly more permissible back in the late ‘70s. In those days, even
lawyers in the courtroom of San Jose (my birthplace) were allowed to smoke.
Atty. Arevalo was a friend to everyone. He was the teacher,
the poet, the lawyer, the cowboy, the agriculturist, the politician, the cattle
raiser, the political adviser—he was a standout in every corner of our
community. While he may not have been my ideal teacher, what struck me most was
his talent for recalling every event and person in the community, alongside his
deep knowledge of the law and his singular personality. He is an expert in
litigation, as I have seen him in many court trials.
If I learned anything from him, it was the value of being
different. He showed me that what matters most isn’t how you look, but your
guts and character. Whenever we’d bump into him—whether at the airport, the
barbershop, or the grocery store—he’d chat with us like a father, reminding us
of life’s hardships, the value of friendship, and the importance of education.
He’d tell us stories about our family members that happened long before we were
born, effortlessly becoming a walking History Channel and stand-up comic in
one.
As American poet Anthony Liccione wrote, “Life is like a lit
cigarette. The past is ashes, the present is burning, and the future is up in
smoke. Fast as a breath; inhale, exhale.” Atty. Arevalo was born on December
16, 1933, and died on October 25, 2024. He was 90 years old.
Occidental Mindoro has lost one of its most vibrant and
celebrated sons. He will be sorely missed by people of every generation.
You are no longer the 4A that we used to know. Today, you are
our 6A: Attorney Albino Abeleda Arevalo, Always Adored."
Farewell, Sir. May you enjoy your eternal cigs up in heaven.
++++
(Photo from Municipal
Information Office - LGU San Jose, Occidental Mindoro FB page.)
