In a nation of immigrants, there is a dire need to increase the number of immigration lawyers. According to the Law School Admission Council, only one in 25 lawyers is Native American, Hispanic, Asian American or African American.
Fortunately, the Manibog family continues to pass on the legacy and heritage of serving and fighting for the rights of citizens, especially those in the Filipino-American community.
Gonzalo Manibog
Gonzalo Manibog, the first generation Manibog lawyer, is believed to be one of the first if not the first Filipino to be admitted to practice law in the United States, having received Bachelors and Masters of Laws degrees from the University of Indianapolis in 1917. A highly educated man, Gonzalo also became a professor of history, law and Spanish at the University of Kansas before returning to the Philippines. While in Manila, Gonzalo met and married Adela Montilla.
After a few years, the Manibogs immigrated to Hawaii where Gonzalo became a successful lawyer and businessman. With his legal education and background, he soon became a leader of the Filipino community in Hawaii. In addition to running his own law practice, Gonzalo also founded the Philippine Legal Aid Bureau which provided legal aid to Filipino immigrant farm workers.
He also published the Tulong Magazine in the Ilocano dialect, the language of the majority of the Filipino workers in Hawaii at the time. During World War II, Gonzalo led community war bond efforts, rallying the local Hawaiian Filipino community to contribute generously to the war effort. The Honolulu Star Bulletin recognized his achievements when he became the first Filipino named to the newspaper’s prestigious Men of Hawaii list. In 1948, Gonzalo returned to the Philippines, this time with his wife and seven children, intent on bringing change and progress to his homeland.
Monty Manibog
One of Gonzalo’s seven children was G. Monty Manibog, who became the second-generation lawyer in the family. Following his graduation from Hilo High School in Hawaii, Monty went to the Philippines to acquire a Bachelor of Arts degree and his pre-law from the University of the Philippines. After completing his basic education, he relocated to Southern California where he received his Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University School of Law in Los Angeles in 1961. Monty was one of the very first Filipino Americans to pass the California Bar exam in Southern California.
He served for a few years in the US Army’s Psychological Welfare Section in Japan during the Korean War era. His first clients were largely Filipino laborers from the California farms who often paid his fees in tomatoes, grapes, artichokes and other farm products. “I couldn’t quibble about the manner of payment from our old timers who came to me for help, as I was the only one of their kind they felt comfortable with,” remarked Monty.
After his stint in the US Army, Monty worked at the law firm of Velarde & Takasugi, one of the earliest fully minority-owned law partnerships in Los Angeles, reaching out to the Latino and Asian communities. Then, he formed a partnership with attorney Jack Tso, one of the few fully minority-owned law firms in Los Angeles. Jack Tso was eventually appointed as a judge on the Los Angeles County Superior Court, where he served with distinction for many years.
Mr. Manibog continued the law practice which continued to grow and thrive over the years. His practice included personal injury, medical malpractice, work and accident related injuries, family law, probate, criminal defense and immigration and citizenship cases. His firm has evolved into a sophisticated law practice encompassing personal injury, business and civil litigation law and immigration law. His commitment to the community has remained a core value and, in his view, a key ingredient to the firm’s success. The bulk of his practice, however, has been in the field of personal injuries where he has won many millions of dollars and awards for his clients over the years including a number of awards and settlements in excess of one million dollars.
Monty Manibog won all of his deportation cases and appeals before the Board of Immigration Appeals in Washington, DC, and the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal. His landmark case of May T. Retino was a precedent setting case, published in the US Interim Reports. In that case, Ms. Retino, after Manibog’s appeal, gained classification and a green card after her initial petition as a nutritionist was turned down under the then third preference professional classification, paving the way for thousands of other nutritionists from all over the world previously rejected to be reconsidered for permanent status.
Among his thousands of cases, Monty also won acquittal for an elderly Filipino farm laborer, a Bataan Death March survivor, from Federal assault charges filed by a border patrolman who believed the Filipino US veteran was an illegal worker, refusing to recognize a battered US Veteran ID card.
Aside from his prosperous law practice, G. Monty Manibog has been involved with politics not only in his hometown, the City of Monterey Park, but statewide and nationwide as well. His political record is unmatched among Filipino-American politicians. He won the elective office of councilman as a top vote getter in the City of Monterey Park for three times and had served a total of twelve years (1976-88) in the city council. He has the distinction of being the first and only Filipino-American to serve as mayor in Southern California. He served for three terms as Mayor of the City and also three times as Mayor Pro Tem.
During his tenures as Mayor, Monty provided leadership in promoting the city’s Community Redevelopment Program resulting in the construction of the new City Hall complex, police and fire department facilities, Brightwood School cafetorium, gymnasium and community center, expansion of libraries and the building of a modern Senior Citizens Center.
“When Filipinos talk about political aspirations or politics where a Filipino-American may be involved, the name of Monty Manibog comes in the conversation as a role model and inspiration,” commented Melecio H. Jacaban, grand old man of the Filipino communities in America. “Monty is a pride of our people.”
Politically active for almost three decades, Monty has the necessary name recognition in Monterey Park, Alhambra, South El Monte, Montebello and Pico Rivera—the major areas encompassing the 59th Assembly District and the 30th Congressional District.
After serving Monterey Park as mayor, Monty decided to concentrate on his law practice, although he continues to be very much involved in serving the community. “At this time, I would rather help my friends and encourage Filipino-Americans to seek elective position. We are rapidly increasing in number and it is time for us to actively participate as candidate in the political arena of mainstream America,” said Monty.
Monty is a sports fanatic—not as a fan but as a participant. In his days at the University of the Philippines, he was a champion wrestler and a Philippine national gold medalist in both gymnastics and wrestling. In 1952, Monty competed in the World Olympics in Helsinki, Finland representing the Philippines in wrestling. In the 1984 Olympics, he served as US Olympic envoy for the L.A. Olympics Committee to the countries of Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Bhutan. He was a wrestling coach for the Philippine team in Seoul, Korea in the 1988 World Olympics.
Monty’s lovely wife is the former Jean Gingerich from Cincinnati, Ohio and they six children: Monty, Jr., Lisa, Ricky, Lana, Dean and Darren.
Darren Manibog
Monty’s son, Darren,is the third generation Manibog to join the legal profession. He received his Bachelors of Arts degrees, magna cum laude, in International Relations and Political Science from the University of Southern California, where he was a member of the Student Senate. In 1996, Darren received his law degree from the University of California, Boalt Hall School of Law, where he was a founding member and editor of the Asian Law Journal as well as a member of the Moot Court Board and the highly regarded Civil Trial Advocacy Program.
Darren began his career as a civil litigation attorney with the Los Angeles law firm of Allen, Matkins, Leck Gamble & Mallory, LLP. He worked on a variety of cases including commercial real estate, corporate and business litigation matters. In 2000, he spent nine months in Guam where he participated in a $120 million construction defect jury trial.
Since then, Darren Manibog’s practice has evolved into a predominantly plaintiff-oriented practice, included numerous civil trials, arbitrations, mediations and settlements. His primary focus remains on personal injury and business dispute jury trials, as well as workers compensation actions.
Like his father, Darren is an experienced civil trial lawyer, having trained at highly regarded business and consumer litigation firms. His experience ranges from large-scale business and corporate lawsuits involving claims over $100 million to smaller, individual consumer actions for personal injury and workers compensation.
In 2005, Darren joined his father’s practice, and the firm officially changed its name to Manibog & Manibog LLP. Darren also inherited his father’s and grandfather’s legacy of community service, having served as President of the Philippine American Bar Association in 2003 and also as a Board member of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association.
Together, Manibog & Manibog LLP represents over 55 years of litigation experience and a distinguished tradition in representing consumers and their families who have been injured due to the negligence, fraud or other wrongful actions of others. Manibog & Manibog LLP is committed to continuing its legacy of top rate legal service and commitment to the community, a tradition established by Gonzalo Manibog nearly a century ago.
“It’s really been an exciting roller coaster ride during these past 5 decades,” said Monty, “full of satisfaction and enjoyment in serving my clients from all ethnic and cultural backgrounds and from every walk of life. I am pleased that with my youngest son, Darren, our firm has doubled its ability to effectively serve our community.”
Three generations, three great men. The Manibogs’ legacy of great legal service and commitment to the community remains a beacon of inspiration for struggling Filipino-Americans here in the United States. Something that will hopefully, continue on, not only within generations of the Manibog family, but throughout the community as well.
(www.asianjournal.com)
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