| Arnedo S. Valera, Esq. Arlington, Virginia A new breed of community leader |
Arnedo “Nedo” S. Valera was born in Quezon City,
Philippines, but grew up in Kapitolyo, Pasig, Rizal (City). His
local roots can be traced in Bangued, Abra and Sarat, Ilocos
Norte where his father, Atty. Elpidio B. Valera (deceased)
and widowed mother, Concepcion S. Valera were born
respectively. Nedo as he is fondly called is extremely proud
of his public elementary education at Pasig Elementary
School and secondary education from Pasig Catholic
College where he graduated in 1976. Born as an orator
and a public speaker, he has consistently represented his
high school in national competitions and won. He was
declared winner, MR. PILIPINO ’75 in a competition among
several private schools in Metro Manila. Upon graduation,
he entered the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas where
he obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. He was a
consistent “Dean’s Scholar” of the University and has been
very active in several univeristy organizations including the
Philosophy Countil where he was the founder and the first
President. He also represented the University in various
Filipino Oratorical and Declamation Contests in national
competitions and won. Upon his graduation from college
in 1980, he took up law from Ateneo De Manila University
and completed his law degree in May, 1984. He was the
Philippines, but grew up in Kapitolyo, Pasig, Rizal (City). His
local roots can be traced in Bangued, Abra and Sarat, Ilocos
Norte where his father, Atty. Elpidio B. Valera (deceased)
and widowed mother, Concepcion S. Valera were born
respectively. Nedo as he is fondly called is extremely proud
of his public elementary education at Pasig Elementary
School and secondary education from Pasig Catholic
College where he graduated in 1976. Born as an orator
and a public speaker, he has consistently represented his
high school in national competitions and won. He was
declared winner, MR. PILIPINO ’75 in a competition among
several private schools in Metro Manila. Upon graduation,
he entered the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas where
he obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. He was a
consistent “Dean’s Scholar” of the University and has been
very active in several univeristy organizations including the
Philosophy Countil where he was the founder and the first
President. He also represented the University in various
Filipino Oratorical and Declamation Contests in national
competitions and won. Upon his graduation from college
in 1980, he took up law from Ateneo De Manila University
and completed his law degree in May, 1984. He was the
recipient of Gregorio Araneta Scholarship Award for his four years of law education. He was also a
Dean’s lister in his third and fourth years at the law school and was chosen as the Co-Captain of the
Ateneo Senior Debating Team. In his junior year, as the elected Internal Vice President of the Ateneo
Law Student Council, Nedo became active in the parliament of the streets against the Marcos
Dictatorship.
Inspired by the death of Senator Benigno Aquino, he joined several anti-Marcos groups and helped
them in their social and political awareness programs. The more he got involved with the parliament
of the streets, the more he got exposed to the political oppression of the people and the causes of
powerlessness and economic deprivation of the vast majority of the Filipinos.
Immediately after passing the Bar Examinations in 1984, he founded the STRUCTURAL
ALTERNATIVE LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOR GRASSROOTS (SALAG). This is a lawyers’ group that
extends legal assistance to victims of economic and social rights violations. SALAG served the
disadvantaged sectors of the Philippine society from Northern Luzon to Southern Mindanao. He
championed the human rights of rural and urban poor for decent housing and access to basic health
care, farmer’s right to own the land they till and for a comprehensive agrarian reform program, fisher
folks fishing rights and indigenous communities’ basic right to their ancestral lands. He has written
articles on pressing human rights issues. An article entitled”Alternative and Grassroots Lawyering”
was published by the International Commission on Jurists in 1988. In many occasions, he spoke
openly against human rights violations committed by the military and para-military forces against the
civilian population and defended his clients in courts with zeal and determination.
In 1987, as the main counsel of the infamous Mendiola Massacre, he filed a multi million damage
suit against the Philippine Government and some high ranking military officials for the indemnification
of the victims and their families. After the filing of the case, he received death threats from unknown
individuals and a Molotov bomb was thrown in his car. It was during this time that a number of human
rights lawyers have been killed and assassinated. Atty. Valera decided to go to France to attend a
seminar and special training on human rights and International Law at the International Institute of
Human Rights, in Strasbourg, France. With threats to his physical safety and life continuing, he
decided to accept an academic scholarship from Columbia University in New York under the
auspices of Ford Foundation and Asia Foundation. In 1990, he completed his Master’s Degree in
International Affairs with International Law and Human Rights as his field of specialization. He
continued to deliver lectures on the human rights conditions in the Philippine in several Universities
including Harvard University Law School and Columbia University School of International Affairs.
While waiting for his New York Bar Examinations result, he interned at a small law firm in Falls
Church, VA. In 1993, after passing the New York Bar, he organized and immediately started his
private law practice with Immigration, Bankruptcy and Discrimination as the areas of specialization.
Currently, he is a managing partner of the Law Offices of Valera and Associates, an Immigration and
Nationality Law Firm. He is the first Filipino American Lawyer who orally argued cases before the
Federal Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is greatly honored to be admitted to practice at the United
States Supreme Court. His busy law practice does not deter his immigrant rights advocacy and his
passion for human rights. For he is a “lawyer by profession and a human rights activist by heart”. His
vast experience in human rights advocacy has been shown in most of the immigration cases he has
handled involving different nationalities. He has been a well sought speaker in human rights and
immigration law by various groups in Washington D.C. area. He remains as human rights consultant
of several non-governmental organizations in the United States and in the Philippines. He served as
an independent legal consultant on the peace talks between the Philippine Government and the
National Democratic Front which led to the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on Human
Rights. Recently, he served as the Chairperson of Washington Human Rights Forum in the
Philippines; the National Spokesperson of DIWA (An organization that advocates migrant rights in the
U.S) and a member of the Steering Committee and Secretariat of the National Alliance for Concerned
Filipinos which was reconvened during the National Catholics Convocation Forum at the Hyatt
Regency Hotel in Arlington, VA on July 3-4, 2006. He is also hosting a television talk show “DIWA NG
BAYAN” Channel 58 under the sponsorship of MCN Television. Among the professional
organizations he belong are: New York State Bar Association; American Bar Association; American
Immigration Lawyers Association.
At present, Atty. Valera is one of the Executive Directors of MIGRANT HERITAGE COMMISSION, a
service oriented organization that provides legal, financial, health and language access programs to
migrants in the D.C area.
Atty. Valera is married to Elizabeth Evangelista Babiera of Davao and has two sons: Alexander Philip
Valera and Joshua Rafael Valera. Some of his hobbies includes: reading, chess, basketball, playing
darts and of course latin dancing. For Nedo, serving the poor and the disadvantaged sectors of our
society in the best way we can is the noblest human fulfillment in this temporal order. His favorite
quote is from Francis Bacon: “ It is also true greatness if you have in one the frailty of a man and the
security of a God”.
Dean’s lister in his third and fourth years at the law school and was chosen as the Co-Captain of the
Ateneo Senior Debating Team. In his junior year, as the elected Internal Vice President of the Ateneo
Law Student Council, Nedo became active in the parliament of the streets against the Marcos
Dictatorship.
Inspired by the death of Senator Benigno Aquino, he joined several anti-Marcos groups and helped
them in their social and political awareness programs. The more he got involved with the parliament
of the streets, the more he got exposed to the political oppression of the people and the causes of
powerlessness and economic deprivation of the vast majority of the Filipinos.
Immediately after passing the Bar Examinations in 1984, he founded the STRUCTURAL
ALTERNATIVE LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOR GRASSROOTS (SALAG). This is a lawyers’ group that
extends legal assistance to victims of economic and social rights violations. SALAG served the
disadvantaged sectors of the Philippine society from Northern Luzon to Southern Mindanao. He
championed the human rights of rural and urban poor for decent housing and access to basic health
care, farmer’s right to own the land they till and for a comprehensive agrarian reform program, fisher
folks fishing rights and indigenous communities’ basic right to their ancestral lands. He has written
articles on pressing human rights issues. An article entitled”Alternative and Grassroots Lawyering”
was published by the International Commission on Jurists in 1988. In many occasions, he spoke
openly against human rights violations committed by the military and para-military forces against the
civilian population and defended his clients in courts with zeal and determination.
In 1987, as the main counsel of the infamous Mendiola Massacre, he filed a multi million damage
suit against the Philippine Government and some high ranking military officials for the indemnification
of the victims and their families. After the filing of the case, he received death threats from unknown
individuals and a Molotov bomb was thrown in his car. It was during this time that a number of human
rights lawyers have been killed and assassinated. Atty. Valera decided to go to France to attend a
seminar and special training on human rights and International Law at the International Institute of
Human Rights, in Strasbourg, France. With threats to his physical safety and life continuing, he
decided to accept an academic scholarship from Columbia University in New York under the
auspices of Ford Foundation and Asia Foundation. In 1990, he completed his Master’s Degree in
International Affairs with International Law and Human Rights as his field of specialization. He
continued to deliver lectures on the human rights conditions in the Philippine in several Universities
including Harvard University Law School and Columbia University School of International Affairs.
While waiting for his New York Bar Examinations result, he interned at a small law firm in Falls
Church, VA. In 1993, after passing the New York Bar, he organized and immediately started his
private law practice with Immigration, Bankruptcy and Discrimination as the areas of specialization.
Currently, he is a managing partner of the Law Offices of Valera and Associates, an Immigration and
Nationality Law Firm. He is the first Filipino American Lawyer who orally argued cases before the
Federal Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is greatly honored to be admitted to practice at the United
States Supreme Court. His busy law practice does not deter his immigrant rights advocacy and his
passion for human rights. For he is a “lawyer by profession and a human rights activist by heart”. His
vast experience in human rights advocacy has been shown in most of the immigration cases he has
handled involving different nationalities. He has been a well sought speaker in human rights and
immigration law by various groups in Washington D.C. area. He remains as human rights consultant
of several non-governmental organizations in the United States and in the Philippines. He served as
an independent legal consultant on the peace talks between the Philippine Government and the
National Democratic Front which led to the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on Human
Rights. Recently, he served as the Chairperson of Washington Human Rights Forum in the
Philippines; the National Spokesperson of DIWA (An organization that advocates migrant rights in the
U.S) and a member of the Steering Committee and Secretariat of the National Alliance for Concerned
Filipinos which was reconvened during the National Catholics Convocation Forum at the Hyatt
Regency Hotel in Arlington, VA on July 3-4, 2006. He is also hosting a television talk show “DIWA NG
BAYAN” Channel 58 under the sponsorship of MCN Television. Among the professional
organizations he belong are: New York State Bar Association; American Bar Association; American
Immigration Lawyers Association.
At present, Atty. Valera is one of the Executive Directors of MIGRANT HERITAGE COMMISSION, a
service oriented organization that provides legal, financial, health and language access programs to
migrants in the D.C area.
Atty. Valera is married to Elizabeth Evangelista Babiera of Davao and has two sons: Alexander Philip
Valera and Joshua Rafael Valera. Some of his hobbies includes: reading, chess, basketball, playing
darts and of course latin dancing. For Nedo, serving the poor and the disadvantaged sectors of our
society in the best way we can is the noblest human fulfillment in this temporal order. His favorite
quote is from Francis Bacon: “ It is also true greatness if you have in one the frailty of a man and the
security of a God”.
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