The Foundation University community held a testimonial dinner at the Sofia Soller Sinco Hall recently to honor RTC Judge Eleuterio Chiu (ret.), who recently capped his ten years of service to the University as dean of the College of Law and Jurisprudence (CLJ).
Chiu, an alumnus of the FU College of Law, had received several awards during his stint as RTC Judge. Among his major awards were the Supreme Court Centennial RTC Judge Award for Judicial Excellence and Outstanding Oriental Negrense Award in the field of public service, which was personally handed to him by Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He was also named as an outstanding alumnus of Foundation University.
Chiu joined the FU College of Law starting September 2004 until May 2013. Upon his assumption as Dean, he got the commitment of the University to offer a brand new car for any Foundationite who lands in the top 10 in the Bar Examinations, an offer which stands to this day.
Dr. Mira D. Sinco, university president, lauded her former student for “attracting quality students to enroll in the College and embrace the Foundation University brand.” Dr. Sinco also attested to the patience and devotion of Dean Chiu in encouraging everyone in the CLJ to excel in the practice of law. She cited a particular instance when Dean Chiu flew to Manila by himself during the height of Typhoon Ondoy to be with his students who were taking the Bar examinations. He was in a taxicab which was hopelessly trapped in traffic and floods for several hours until he was eventually rescued by former Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Remollo.
That incident, Dr. Sinco said, exemplified service above self–the highest form of service for a person who truly cares for his students. “Judge Terry Chiu is indeed an exemplary Filipino, an outstanding Negrense and best of all, a true and loyal Foundationite,” said Dr. Sinco.
Lawyer Jose Ramon Quevenco, newly-appointed OIC of the CLJ, also recalled his experiences with Judge Terry and attested to how he has passionately indoctrinated everyone on the need for Spartan-like self-discipline.
“He leads by example. Every day I would see him checking on the faculty to make sure that classes start on time and that students are there,” he said.
Being particular with class attendance, Quevenco said, was one of the things that really amazed him about Judge Terry. “He has always told his students not to miss even one or two days in any subject taken…because they would be defrauding or cheating themselves, not the school.”
Former students of Judge Chiu also had their memorable times with the man whom they look up to with utmost respect. They say the cliché “Actions speak louder than words” really speaks true for the kind of person Judge Chiu has been to each aspiring lawyer in the college. They say that people would get to know Judge Chiu’s character better if you “look at more than what he says; you look at what he does.”
Also present in the celebration was Judge Chiu’s son, Atty. Richard “Ricky” Chiu, who served as the Guest Speaker for the said event, aptly called the Prestige Night. Atty. Richard Chiu was the topnotcher of the 1984 Bar Examinations.
Judge Chiu, in the life he has led and in the model he has established as dean of the CLJ, has given one of the most remembered lessons in the college when he likened the teaching of law to selling rice. “When our students buy, say, 10 kilos of rice, they should get the full 10 kilos and not 9.5 or any other figure because it is through this that the students get the value of what they pay for.” (Paul Edward Bajas)
