Best Lawyer in Iloilo: My Surprisingly Pleasant Legal Battle Journey with Attorney “Boy”


Alcantara Law Office in Arevalo, Iloilo City

It’s not everyday you get to read positive stories about legal battles in the Philippines, especially coming from a foreigner. But read my story out and you will understand why I have the need to share my story about Attorney Boy with others.


I am an American who has lived in the Philippines years back. After a long while of living in the States, I came back here in 2015 for several reasons, one of which is to settle a looming legal problem that can turn into one of the biggest crisis of my existence.

I will not go into details about my issue but will, instead, share the journey I had with the best lawyer I was fortunate enough to meet.

When I got back to Iloilo City to settle the problem, I didn’t have any luck in getting everyone involved to agree to a settlement. That was when I decided to file a case and seek the best lawyer in town. I searched online and asked around for recommendations.

Unfortunately, the five lawyers I found and met didn’t manage to win my trust. Yes, they were professional, got great background and answered my questions well. The problem was that I didn’t feel any assurance about my case with them and I wasn’t sure of their competence.

And so, my search for a lawyer who I felt was competent enough to win my case continued. Luckily, a colleague of mine recommended a certain Attorney Boy. I immediately visited his law office and I was impressed. His office was professional yet welcoming. The outside area was spacious with lots of books, making it look like a mini library. And, oh, his staff made me feel comfortable right from the start of my visit. And so, I felt very optimistic.

When Attorney Boy and I first met, he had a very professional vibe but one that was warm and friendly. I didn’t feel intimidated by him. And when we started talking, he made sure I understood everything. In short, he was laying everything out in the simplest of terms. As he said, “law doesn’t have to be complicated, it is just common sense.” I felt reassured of his abilities, his competence, and so, I hired him to be my lawyer right then and there.

The way Attorney Boy spoke really connected with me. That’s when I learned that he is not just a lawyer but also a professor of law. He teaches in some of the most popular universities in Iloilo, including Central Philippine University and University of Iloilo. In between our talks regarding my case, he never failed to give me a glimpse of his own life. And that made everything a little less stressful and helped establish the friendship we now have.

As I came to know, Attorney Guillermo Melocoton Alcantara, who I first knew as Attorney Boy, is already 35 years in practice. He studied at Ateneo de Manila University College of Law, with the former Chief Justice Renato Corona as one of his teachers, and graduated in 1977. He passed the Bar in 1983 and immediately went into practice along with the current Congressman of Iloilo City, Jerry Trenas, who was one of his more famous his classmates in Ateneo, along with Pantaleon Alvarez.

Talk about connections with famous people, Attorney Boy definitely doesn’t lack in this department. After all, he is the grandson of the illustrious Crispino Calopez Melocoton, the Mayor of Arevalo, which was the capital of Iloilo in the 1920s, and Rufina Avancena, first cousin of Ramon Avancena, who was a past Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. As a foreigner, I’m proud of my knowledge of the history of Iloilo. Thanks to Attorney Boy.
With this background of his, it wasn’t any wonder why he has so many clients. But of course, he makes time for all of us. Maybe he just has great time management skills that enable him to accommodate us all. But, seriously, whenever I am in need of him, he never failed to set up an immediate appointment.

During the course of my legal battle, between hearings and what not, I frequent Attorney Boy’s law office, where we would tackle solutions to my problem and what happens after my case is won. Yes, we already claimed the win right from the start. And that is what really sealed the deal for me. Attorney Boy treats every case he handles as his own. This made a huge impact on me and dispelled any worry I had.

And so, this made it a little easier for me that I even managed to squeeze in my schedule a little tour of the famous Balay na Bato, which is an amazing heritage house in Iloilo. The place was literally outside Attorney Boy’s office. It was owned by his late grandmother, after all.

However, the long months spent on my case drained me. I knew these things took time. But as the months turned to a year, I got agitated and would continuously consult Attorney Boy for days. Fortunately, he was very patient with me. And we would sit down, find answers about everything regarding my case, and sometimes he would insert an anecdote about his life in between these serious talks. His stories made me laugh and made me impressed, yet again, and it always managed to lighten the mood.

I just had to share the fact that Attorney Boy went to Arevalo Central School in his elementary years, where he learned to fight. According to him, he was a very impatient and hyperactive boy. One incident during his first grade even landed him to the Principal’s office and he got a serious punishment from his very strict father, Rodulfo Greenman Alcantara, who was Iloilo City’s Administrator at the time.

Attorney Boy’s childhood was not a boring one, to say the least. From being a wild child who loves singing and music to spending a year with the Dominican nuns and later becoming a varsity member of his school’s swimming team. He even made it to the national team where they competed abroad and won awards. His achievements are not to be taken lightly.

These stories that he shared with me showed how real he is as a person. And I even got to meet his family during those times I was at his office. His wife, Susan M. Alcantara, is a judge in the municipal trial courts. His family members were just like him, professional yet very approachable. 

Now, after a long year and several more months, my case finally came to an end. And of course, justice was on our side. Thanks to Attorney Boy’s expertise, we won the battle which we rightly deserved.

This case took a lot from me, as what I had expected: time, energy, finances. But what stood out from my experience was that, all we agreed on from the start was all that Attorney boy took. No more, no less, even if I was such a demanding client. He was indeed a man of his words.

Moreover, I thought the time spent on this case will be pure negativity, instead, I found my self actually enjoying everything I learned from Attorney Boy: his background, about Iloilo City and about the law. That is more than what I bargained for. My case was won, I learned a lot, and I earned a new friend.


Let me just throw in these info about Attorney Boy.
  • He is currently the president of Ateneo de Manila college of Law Alumni Foundation Inc. Iloilo Chapter.
  • He is a political lawyer and is the election lawyer of Jerry Trenas, Carina Flores (Oton), and Exequiel Javier (Antique) to name a few.
  • He also handles civil cases, which deals with the family law, property law and sales, obligations and contracts, criminal cases, anti-graft cases, labor cases, transportation law, and all other commercial laws.
  • His clients are mostly from Iloilo, Bacolod, Antique and Guimaras. Among these are Alex So of Sincere Drugstore, Crispin Chua of Northbound Terminal, Steven be of Tristar, all of whom are based in Bacolod. His Iloilo clients include ILECO I, Cable Star, Punta Villa Resort, and more.
These are just some of the facts about my lawyer, and friend, Attorney Guillermo Melocoton Alcantara, otherwise known as Attorney Boy.

Hopefully, I have changed the way people generally look at lawyers, which is mostly negative. Because Attorney Boy is certainly not that.


Feel free to comment or contact me if you have questions. I have somehow become an expert of him. Seriously , though, it will be a pleasure to answer your queries and help you out.



Alcantara Law Office
Atty Boy with Family
Attorney Boy with Parents and Relatives

Comments