Chief Justice of The Philippines GRP.4

Commission on Higher Education
CALABANGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Barangay Belen Site, Calabanga Camarines Sur
Prepared by: Group 4
Group Leader: Raffy Piolo P. Solis

Group Member: Maria Cristina S. Importante
Jose Segovia
Jessa Macayan
Jhon Francis Tuy
Clarice Gagasa
Cherrylyn Mamayo
Angelica Rivera
Alondra Loreto
Marie Kris Adan
Submitted to:
MR. ANTONIO A. ALTEZA, LIB. MRM

Table of Contents
Chief Justices:
Introduction
CI: Cayetano Arellano………………………………………………………………1-2
CII: Victorino Mapa…………………………………………………………………3-4
CIII: Manuel Araullo………………………………………………………………...5
CIV: Ramon Avancena……………………………………………………………...6-7
CV:Jose Abad Santos……………………………………………………………….8-12
CVI: Jose Yulo………………………………………………………………………13-14
CVII: Manuel Moran……………………………………………………………….15
CVIII: Ricardo Paras……………………………………………………………….16-17
CIX: Cecar Bengzon…………………………………………………………………18
CX: Roberto Concepcion……………………………………………………………19-23
CXI: Querebe Makalintal…………………………………………………………...24-25
CXII: Fred Ruix Castro……………………………………………………………...26-29
CXIII: Enrique Fernando……………………………………………………………30-34
CXIV: Felix Makasiar………………………………………………………………...35-39

CXV: Ramon Aquino…………………………………………………………………40
CXVI: Claudio Teehankee, Sr……………………………………………………….42-43
CXVII: Pedro Yap……………………………………………………………………44
CXVIII: Marcelo Fernan……………………………………………………………45-48
CXIX Andres Narvasa………………………………………………………………49-52
CXX: Hilario Davide Jr…………………………………………………………… 53-57
CXXI: Artemio Panganiban………………………………………………………...58-64
CXXII: Reynato Puno……………………………………………………………….65-69
CXXIII: Renato Corona…………………………………………………………….70-75
CXXIV: Maria Lourdes Sereno…………………………………………………….76-79
CXXV: Teresita de Castro………………………………………………………….80-84
CXXVI: Lucas Bersamin……………………………………………………………85-86
References……………………………………………………………………………87-89
Introduction
In this Content, you may saw how many Chief justices we have from the past and up to present,
their contribution and time of office, However Chief Justice is the chief executive officer of the
Philippines that belong in types of Government the Judiciary system and together with the whole
Supreme Court, exercises administrative supervision over all courts and personnel; moreover, indeed
chief justice can be terminate by Impeachment. The Supreme Court of the Philippines or simply referred
to by its colloquial name as Korte Suprema, is the highest court in the Philippines. The Court was
established by the second Philippine Commission in June 11, 1901 through the enactment of Act No.
136, an Act which had abolished the Real Audiencia de Manila.
The Philippine Department of Justice is under the executive department of the Philippine
government responsible for upholding the rule of law in the Philippines. It is the government's principal
law agency, serving as its legal counsel and prosecution arm. It has its headquarters at the DOJ Building
in Padre Faura Street, Ermita, Manila.
Articles of impeachment are the set of charges drafted against a public official to initiate the
impeachment process. The articles of impeachment do not result in the removal of the official, but
instead require the enacting body to take further action, such as bringing the articles to a vote before the
full body.
A person of a high office must be removed upon impeachment if they have committed a high
misdemeanor, a felony, or treason, they are nevertheless subject to indictment under the law. An
impeachment trial is carried out in the Senate, with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presiding if
the impeachment involves the President. Impeachment can expand beyond senior members of the White
House.
C: I
Cayetano Arellano
(March 2,1847-December 23, 1920)
June 11, 1902- April 12, 1920
18 years, 306 days
Appointed by: William McKinley
Like the Founder of Arellano University,Cayetano S. Arellano, after whom the University is
named, had very humble beginnings and earned his way to the top through assiduous scholarship and
hard. Arellano was born March 2, 1847, in Onion, Bataan, to Don Servando, an adventurous Spanish
peninsular who tried his luck in the Philippines with apparently little success and to a fair damsel of the
place, Do? A Cristy Lonzon. Early on, the boy Cayetano was fascinated by language and the study of
philosophy. His parents, despite lack of resources, managed to send him to San Juan de Letran in
Intramuros, where Cayetano maintained himself as an agraciado or working student. After completing
his secondary course, he enrolled at the University of Sto. Tomas, where he studied Philosophy.
Philology, Theology, and Civil and Canon Law. In preparation for the priesthood.
In 1862, at the tender age of fifteen years, he received the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy;
Five years later, the degree of Bachelor of Theology. For some reason, Cayetano did not enter the
priesthood but instead took up the study of Law, an inclination that manifested itself even when he was
pursuing studies of the priesthood. In 1876, he obtained the degree of Bachelor of Laws.
Arellano then proceeded to practice his profession until the year 1898. At the same time, he
taught law at his alma mater, the University of Sto. Tomas. Students under him who later distinguished
themselves in the profession, such as Francisco Ortigas and Valdomero Arhente, would in, later years
admit that it was a great privilege and a blessing to have been under such a master as Arellano. At about
the time he began his law practice. He met Rosa Bernal, the Daughter of the owners of the boarding
house where Arellano was then staying. They were married after a short courtship.
From 1887 to 1889, Arellano served as City Councilor of Manila. Recognizing his competence,
the government offered him the position of Civil Governor of the City of Manila, which he refused. This
was a time when the country was gripped with revolutionary fervor and this was reason, perhaps, for his
refusal of the appointment.
When the Philippines revolutionary government was established. He was appointed Secretary of
Foreign Affairs. After the war against the United States collapse and with the new master for rhe good
of country. He played a principal role of the marriage and municipal laws and the rules of criminal
procedure.
In 1899 Cayetano Arellano y Lonzon was appointed as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of
the Philippines under the American Civil Government. Cayetano Arellano had occupied a high position
in Aguinaldo’s Government.
Cayetano Arelllano was appointed by William McKinley as Chief Justice and serve for the
Philippines for almost 18 Years of service (June 11-1901-April 12,1920)

CII
Victorino Montano
(February 25, 1855-April 12, 1972)
July 1, 1920-October 31,1921
1 year, 122 days
Appointed by: Woodrow Wilson
Victorino Montano Mapa (February 25, 1855 – April 12, 1927) was an Associate Justice of the
Supreme Court of the Philippines and later, as the second Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the
Philippines under the American colonial Insular Government.
He was homeschooled during his childhood.[2] Later, he earned his Bachelor of Arts
from Colegio de San Juan de Letranand his degree of Bachelor of Laws and Jurisprudence from
the University of Santo Tomas at the age of 25.
He was appointed an Associate Justice of the newly created Supreme Court of the Philippines in
1901, together with Cayetano Arellano and Florentino Torres. He left the Supreme Court to be Secretary
of Finance and Justice in 1913 during which he also served on the Philippine Commission, the upper
house of the Philippine Legislature.
Upon Arellano's retirement in 1920, he was appointed the second Chief Justice. His tenure was
brief, as his frail health forced him to retire early on October 31, 1921. He died on April 12, 1927. On
April 29, or 17 days later, his fellow retired justice, Florentino Torres, also died.
Victorino Mapa High School in Manila and the nearby Line 2 V. Mapa Station are named after him. A
street in Santa Mesa, Victorino Mapa Street, is also named after him.[3] and a School in Mendiola named.
Victorino Mapa High School (VMHS or V. Mapa HS.) in #300 San Rafael St, San Miguel Manila.
C: III
Manuel Araullo
(January 1, 1853- July 26, 1224)
November 1, 1921- July 26, 1924
2 years, 268 days
Appointed by: Warren G. Harding
Manuel Gonzales Araullo was the third Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
He served from November 1, 1921 until his death on July 26, 1924. Araullo earned a Bachelor of Laws
from the University of Santo Tomas, where he became a professor.

C: IV
Ramón Avanceña y Quimson
(April 13, 1872-1957)
April 1, 1925- December 24, 1941
16 years, 267 days
Appointed by: Calvin Coolidge
Ramón Quimson Avanceña (born Ramón Avanceña y Quimson; April 13, 1872 – June 12,
1957) was a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. He served from 1925 to 1941, when
he resigned at the beginning of the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II. He was
from Villa de Arevalo, Iloilo City
He earned his Bachelor of Arts at Colegio de San Juan de Letran and Bachelor of Laws at University of
Santo Tomas.
Ramón Avanceña served as a legal adviser to the Federal Republic of the Visayas, the
revolutionary government of provinces of Iloilo, Capiz and Antique, and was chosen to negotiate with
the American forces on Panay during the Philippine-American War.
During the American Colonial Era, he was appointed as assistant attorney in the Bureau of
Justice. In 1905 he was appointed auxiliary judge. He was Attorney General of the Philippines from
1914 until 1917, when he was appointed to the Supreme Court as an Associate Justice. Upon the death
of Manuel Araullo in 1924, he succeeded as Chief Justice, but he had to wait until 1925 to be formally
appointed.
He was supposed to join Philippine Commonwealth president Manuel L. Quezon in exile during
the onset of the Japanese Occupation, but worried that he would not be together with his family, he
decided to stay put.
His sons, José. Alberto and Jesús, became practicing attorneys.
The Ramon Avancena National High School in Villa de Arevalo, Iloilo City and Ramon Avancena High
School in Quiapo, Manila are named after him.
He became the Philippine Vice President of the Second Republic (Japanese Sponsored) together
with Benigno Aquino Sr.

C: V
José Abad Santps
(February 19, 1886- May 2 1942)
December 24, 1941- May 2, 1942
129 days
Appointed by: Manuel L. Quezon
José Abad Santos (Spanish: [xoˈse aˈβað ˈsantos] : February 19, 1886 – May 2, 1942) was the
fifth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. He briefly served as the Acting President of
the Commonwealth of the Philippines and Acting Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines during World War II, on behalf of President Quezonafter the government went in exile to
the United States. After about two months, he was executed by the Japanese forcesfor refusing to
cooperate during their occupation of the country.
Together with Josefa Llanes-Escoda and Vicente Lim, he is memorialized on the Philippines'
1,000-Peso banknotedepicting Filipinos who fought and died resisting the Japanese occupation of the
Philippines during the Second World War.
José Abad Santos was born in San Fernando, Pampanga, to Vicente Abad Santos and Toribia
Basco. His brother Pedroeventually emerged as a leading socialist leader during the Commonwealth era.
In 1904, he was sent to the United Statesas a government pensioner. He finished a pre-law course at
the Santa Clara College in Santa Clara, California; his Bachelor of Laws at Northwestern
University in Evanston, Illinois; and his Masters of Laws at George Washington University in 1909. He
was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1911 and later served as Assistant Attorney at the Bureau of Justice
from 1913 to 1917.
In 1919, Abad Santos was instrumental in laying the legal groundwork, as well as drafting the
by-laws and constitution of the Philippine Women's University, the country and Asia's first private non-
sectarian women's institute of higher learning. A staunch Methodist, Abad Santos worshiped at Central
United Methodist Church along T.M. Kalaw Street in Ermita, Manila (then known as the Central
Methodist Episcopal Church)
He was later appointed as the first Filipino corporate lawyer of the Philippine National
Bank, Manila Railroad Companyand other government corporations. He went to the Department of
Justice where he became Attorney-General, Undersecretary of Justice Then Secretary of Justice from
1921 to 1923. In July 1923, he resigned as Secretary of Justice together with other department secretaries
as a result of the controversy between Governor-General Leonard Wood and Filipino leaders.
Abad Santos then served as Chief Counsel of the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House
of Representatives of the Philippines. In 1926, he went to the United States as head of the Philippine
Educational Mission. He was again appointed Secretary of Justice in 1928 and re-appointed on July 1,
1931. In 1932, he became an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. He became its Chief Justice on
December 24, 1941. As part of the emergency reorganization of the Commonwealth government, Abad
Santos, in his capacity as Chief Justice, was given the responsibilities previously handled by the
Secretary of Justice (the position of Secretary of Justice was abolished for the duration of the war). Abad
Santos accompanied the Commonwealth government to Corregidor, where on December 30, 1941, he
administered the oath of office to President Quezon and Vice-President Osmeña for the second term
they'd been elected to in November of that year. He also undertook, with Manuel Roxas, the supervision
of the destruction of Commonwealth government currency to prevent its falling into enemy hands.
With the Japanese invasion rapidly advancing to the southern part of the Philippines,
President Manuel L. Quezon was advised by General Douglas MacArthur to establish a government in
exile to the United States, Quezon invited Chief Justice Abad Santos to leave with him. The latter
declined preferring to remain in the Philippines and carry on his work and stay with his family. On
March 17, 1942 the day of Quezon's departure at Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental for the US by way
of Australia, he appointed Abad Santos as the Acting President with full authority to act in the name of,
and on behalf of the President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines and become the Acting
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in some areas unoccupied by the Japanese.
On April 11, 1942, Abad Santos, his son José Jr. (nicknamed Pepito), Col. Benito Valeriano and
two enlisted men were captured by the Japanese in barangay Tubod in Barili, Cebu while traveling by
automobile to Toledo, Cebu.[1] He identified himself as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the
Philippines. He and his son were then taken to a concentration camp in Basak San Nicolas, Cebu City.
When asked to cooperate with the Japanese, he refused. Although he had nothing to do with military
operations, they imputed to him, as acting president, the destruction of the bridges and other public
works in Cebu that had been undertaken by the USAFFE forces to delay the invasion of the island.
The Japanese High Commander Kiyotake Kawaguchi took him and his son aboard a ship on
April 26, 1942, thinking they were heading to Manila. Instead, they arrived on April 28
at Parang, Cotabato (now in Maguindanao). The next day they were brought to Malabang, Lanao,
arriving on April 30. After two days' confinement at Japanese camps, Chief Justice Abad Santos was
called in front of Kawaguchi and was informed about the order of his execution. Before he was shot to
death, he was able to talk to his son Pepito. His last parting words to his son were, "Do not cry, Pepito,
show to these people that you are brave. It is an honor to die for one's country. Not everybody has that
chance." José Abad Santos was executed at 2:00 p.m., on May 2, 1942, under a tall coconut tree near a
river bank. He refused to be blindfolded and refused the last cigarette offered to him.
Later that afternoon of May 2, 1942, two Japanese interpreters took José's son, Pepito, to his
father's grave. It was a small mound—too small, Pepito thought, to hold his father's remains if properly
buried. On top of the grave lay a rock as large as a coconut. Pepito begged that he be allowed to mark
the grave with a cross, but his request was denied.
After the war, an intensive search for the place where José was buried failed. Pepito did not find the hut
and the trees, which would have served as points of reference for locating the grave. The area where the
execution took place had been plowed and planted to root crops.[1]
The date of his execution is often reported as May 2, but as former Supreme Court Justice Ramón
C. Aquino, Abad Santos's biographer put it, "This (May 2) was the date given by Pepito himself during
his testimony at the trials of Generals Yoshihide Hayashi and Kiyotake Kawaguchi. But on the basis of
the testimony of Keiji Fukui, the interpreter during Abad Santos's confinement, supported by notations
in his diary, the date of Abad Santos's execution was definitely ascertained to be at two o'clock on the
afternoon of May 2, 1942.
 When the Philippine Women's University established its primary and secondary
education divisions in 1949, they named the school as Jose Abad Santos Memorial School in honor
of Abad Santos who was a former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the university.
 The Municipality of Trinidad in Davao del Sur province, created in 1948, was renamed as the
Municipality of Jose Abad Santos in his honor in 1954.[3]

 The Abad Santos Avenue is a three-kilometre (1.9-mile), six- to eight-lane divided city street
in Tondo, Manila.
 The Abad Santos station of LRT 1 was named after him
 He is commemorated on the ₱1,000 banknote of the Philippines together with Brigadier
General Vicente Lim and Josefa Llanes Escoda, founder of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines, who
were all killed by the Imperial Japanese Army during the Second World War.
 On 1945, one of the six campuses of Arellano University was built in Pasay City and its name is
derived by his name.
 On 2018, Philippine World War II Memorial Foundation launched a book entitled Honor: The
Legacy of Jose Abad Santos, written by Desiree Ann Cua Benipayo

C:VI
José Yulo
(September 24, 1894- October 27, 1976)
May 7,1942-July 9,1945
3 years, 63days
Appointed by: Japanese Administration
This is both a Filipino and Spanish name. Both family names are Yulo. José Yulo
Yulo (September 24, 1894 – October 27, 1976) was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the
Philippines(May 7, 1942 – July 9, 1945) during the Japanese Occupation and was Speaker of the
Philippine House of Representatives from 1939 until World War II started in 1941. Yulo served in all
of the branches of government: Legislative, as House Speaker and Representative; Executive, as
Secretary of Justice and member of the Cabinet; and the Judiciary as the Chief Magistrate. Associate
Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines (February 5, 1942 – May 2, 1942
José Yulo Yulo was born on September 24, 1894 in Bago, Negros Occidental to Sofronio Yulo
and Segunda Yulo.[1] He obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of the Philippines and
placed third in the Philippine Bar Examination of 1913; however, due to his age, did not practice law
until two years later. He became distinguished as one of the best corporation lawyers in the Philippines.
Appointed as Justice Secretary by Governor-General Frank Murphy and President Manuel L.
Quezon in 1934 and 1935, he was elected to the National Assembly of the Philippines representing the
province of Negros Occidental, becoming its Speaker under the ruling Nacionalista Party on its
convening session in 1939.
The 1935 Philippine Constitution was amended in 1940 changing the unicameral
legislature system into a bicameral system thus the National Assembly was divided into a Senate and
a House of Representatives. Yulo remained as Speaker of the House.
Following the Japanese conquest of the Philippines in 1942, Yulo was selected to be a member of
the Preparatory Committee for Philippine Independence, and the establishment of the Second Philippine
Republic in 1943, Yulo was appointed as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He was the only former
Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines to be subsequently appointed as Chief
Justice.
Despite the difficulties experienced under Japanese occupation, Yulo attempted to maintain the
integrity of the judiciary despite pressure from the Japanese military to sway decisions on certain cases.
Yulo was the presidential candidate of the Philippine Liberal Party in the 1957 presidential elections,
eventually losing to incumbent President Carlos P. Garcia. His running-mate, Pampanga
Representative Diosdado Macapagal, won the vice-presidential race.
Yulo was later appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos as Secretary of Justice in from January 1, 1966
to August 4, 1967.
Yulo died of respiratory failure as a result of atherosclerosis at Makati Medical
Center in Makati at 10:10 AM on October 27, 1976. He was buried in Canlubang, Calamba, Laguna on
October 30, 197

C; VII
Manuel Moran
(October 27, 1893- August 23, 1961)
July 9,1945-March 20 1951
5 years,254 days
Appointed by: Sergio Osmena
Manuel Morán (October 27, 1893 – August 23, 1961) was the Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court of the Philippines from July 9, 1945 until March 20, 1951. He graduated from his Bachelor of
Laws degree at Escuela de Manila, 1913, and was admitted to the bar in 1913.
He started out as an auxiliary judge of Iloilo and Pampanga before being promoted as a full
judge, and later, an Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals. He was appointed as Supreme Court
Associate Justice in 1938 then elevated to the post as Chief Justice in July 1945.
After leaving office, he became the first Philippine Ambassador to Spain and the Holy See.
Hoping to be appointed again to the Supreme Court, he was extended an ad interim appointment of
outgoing president Elpidio Quirino in 1953, but Morán backed out, for he felt that President-
elect Ramón Magsaysay would fill such vacancy. His reinstatement never materialized.
C: VIII
Ricardo Paras Jr.
(February 17, 1891- October 10, 1984)
April 2, 1951- February 17 1961
9 years, 321 days
Appointed by: Elpidio Quirino
Ricardo M. Paras, Jr. (February 17, 1891 – October 10, 1984) was the Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court of the Philippines from April 2, 1951 until February 17, 1961
He graduated his Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines in 1913, and placed
second (after future president Manuel Roxas) in the Bar Examinations that same year. He engaged in
private law practice before being elected in the House of Representatives in 1919. His judicial career
started when he was appointed judge in 1924, and later on appointed in 1936 to the Court of Appeals.
He became an Associate Justice in 1941, and was a member of the wartime judiciary during the Japanese
Occupation. He was appointed Chieft Justice of the Supreme Court ten years later.
Paras made a frugal approach in order to survive and maintain the efficiency of service during
the post-war years. He advocated the elimination of the case backlog, and encouraged speedy
adjudication and deliberation of the cases. His dedication to such advocacy paid off, when there was no
more backlog upon his retirement in 1961.

His son, Edgardo L. Paras, became a member of the Philippine Supreme Court from 1986 to
1992.
According to Justice J.B.L. Reyes, during the deliberations of the People v. Hernandez rebellion
case, Justice Sabino Padilla (who is the brother of the Solicitor General arguing for the Government)
openly accused the Chief Justice (Paras) for being prejudiced against the Government and asking biased
questions during the oral argument. Riled, Paras rebutted, and a heated exchange soon ensued, which
would have worsened had not they restrained themselves.

C: IX
César Fernando Cabrera Bengzon
(May 29, 1896- September 3, 1992)
April 28,1961- May 29 1966
5 years, 31 days
Appointed by: Carlos p. Garcia
César Fernando Cabrera Bengzon (May 29, 1896 – September 3, 1992) was the Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from April 28, 1961 until May 29, 1966. In November
1966, a few months after his retirement, he became the first Filipino to be appointed to
the International Court of Justice.
Bengzon earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Ateneo de Manila in 1915. He graduated his
Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines in 1919, and placed second in the Bar
Examinations that same year.
Starting out as a law clerk, he was promoted to Solicitor General in 1932 and Undersecretary of
Justice under Governor-General (later U.S. Supreme Court Justice) Frank Murphy in 1933. He was later
appointed in 1936 to the Court of Appeals, and became an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in
1945. He left the Supreme Court in 1948 to become Secretary of Justice under President Elpidio Quirino,
but was reinstated a few months later.

C:X
Roberto Concepcion
(June 7, 1903- May 3, 1987)
June 17, 1966- April 18 1973
6 years, 305 days
Appointed by: Carlos P. Garcia
In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Reyes and the surname or
paternal family name is Concepción.
Roberto Reyes Concepción (June 7, 1903 – May 3, 1987) was the Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court of the Philippinesfrom June 17, 1966, until April 18, 1973. He is remembered in the history of the
Philippine Supreme Court for protecting the independence of court, and for having fought decisions
which would have legitimized the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos. In recognition of his
efforts against authoritarian rule, Concepción's name was inscribed on the Wall of Remembrance at
the Bantayog ng mga Bayani in 1994.
Concepción formally left the court in 1973 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age. But in
actual practice, he had left 50 days earlier when he took a leave from the court to express dissent over
the court's decision in the Ratification Cases(Javellana v. Executive Secretary (1973)), which upheld the
1973 Constitution, and paved the way for extending Marcos’ regime.
Concepción was born in Manila on June 7, 1903 to Isidro Concepción and Catalina Reyes.
He was married to Dolores Concepción by whom he had five children: Catalina C. Buena, Carmen V.
Valero, Roberto Jr., Milagros and Jesús
He graduated his Bachelor of Laws with summa cum laude from the University of Santo
Tomas in 1924, then placed first in the bar examinations that same year.
Starting out as a private practitioner, he then worked at the Office of the Solicitor General, from which
he was subsequently appointed as a judge, then a Court of Appeals Justice before being appointed as
Supreme Court Associate Justice in 1954.
Concepción, one of the leaders of the Civil Liberties Union and a Constitutional expert in his own right,
advocated the promotion and protection of civil and individual liberties. His dedication to the Rule of
Law was his hallmark.
As Chief Justice, he paved the way of accepting a more liberal approach regarding the individual
rights and liberties, whether personal or civil. Said acceptance was shown in the admissibility of
evidence, in which the Supreme Court, under his helm, declared that illegally seized evidence is not
admissible (though some jurisdictions, including the U.S., made inadmissible evidence illegally seized
objects earlier on, it was only in 1967 that such evidence in Philippine jurisdiction was deemed
unacceptable).
He was a good administrator of the Court, and followed a systematic approach in the assignment
and organization of the casework.
Concepción wrote the decision in the Ratification Cases which upheld the 1973 Constitution. In
the said decision, he wrote the summary of facts, then his own opinion of the case (which he said that
the 1973 Constitution has not been properly ratified according to law), then proceeded to make the
summary of votes.
The court was divided on the issues raised in the petition: but when the question of whether the
petitioners in the cases are entitled to relief, Concepcion, together with three others answered ‘Yes’,
while six other members denied the relief being sought, thus upholding the 1973 Constitution and made
legitimate the rule of Marcos.
When the decision came out to the public, the last sentence of Concepción's ponencia contained
the following last words:
"This being the vote of the majority, there is no further judicial obstacle to the new Constitution being
considered in force and effect".
It is disputed as to whether or not Concepcion placed the said sentence intentionally, or that
someone intercalated the said words after he signed the decision. In any case, Concepcion wrote "I
dissent" after this sentence.
After leaving the Supreme Court, he became one of the advocates against the ensuing Marcos
regime. Together with former Justice and best friend, J.B.L. Reyes, they encountered cases which
questioned the validity of government acts, especially in the wake of suppressed civil and individual
liberties at that time.
He also found time to return to his alma mater, UST, where he briefly served as dean of its Faculty of
Civil Law.
After the toppling of Marcos from power, Concepción was appointed as one of the
commissioners tasked to draft the 1987 Philippine Constitution. As one of its members, he is responsible
for crafting the contents regarding civil liberties, as well as an added provision in the Executive Powers
of the President, a clause limiting the effects of martial law with respect to the writ of habeas corpus,
based on one of the decided cases of the Supreme Court in which he wrote. As chairman of the Judiciary
Committee, he was responsible for introducing provisions designed to strengthen the independence of
the judiciary, which was clearly abused by the Marcos regime.
People v. Hernandez (99 Phil. Reports 515, 1956): the Supreme Court, through then Associate Justice
Concepcion, ruled that rebellion cannot be complexed with other crimes, such as murder and arson.
Rebellion in itself would include and absorb the said crimes, thus granting the accused his right to bail.
Stonehill v. Diokno (G.R. No. L-19550, June 19, 1967; 20 SCRA 383): It was ruled that the articles
that were seized illegally by the government cannot be used as admissible evidence, thus adopting
the fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine in Philippine jurisdiction. It abrogated the principle established
in an earlier case (Moncado v. People's Court, 80 Phil. Reports 1). During the time between the Moncado
and Stonehill decisions, Concepcion dissented in every case which would uphold the admissibility
illegally seized evidence, citing the U.S. cases of Weeks v. U.S. (232 U.S. 383, 1920) and Elkins v. U.S.
(364 U.S. 206, 1960). Said case also established the definition of probable cause, which requires that
allegations should be specific in the description of the offense or crime committed, as well as to the
evidence subject of the search warrant.
Lansang v. Garcia (G.R. No. L-33964, December 11, 1971; 42 SCRA 448): The Supreme Court,
through Concepcion, while it upheld the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus by Marcos, declared
that the Judiciary has the authority to inquire to the factual basis of such suspension, and that the
suspension is to be annulled if no legal ground would be established. This doctrine is now established
by the 1987 Philippine Constitution as it is included in one of its provisions.

Javellana v. Executive Secretary (G.R. No. L-36142, March 31, 1973; 50 SCRA 30): Concepción's
last ponencia, he formally delivered the summary of votes in upholding the 1973 Philippine
Constitution, but delivered in his own opinion his disapproval that the said Constitution was in effect
and ratified properly by the Filipino people.

C: XI
Querube Makalintal
(December 22, 1910- November 8,2002)
October 21, 1973- December 22, 1975
3 years, 104 days
Appointed by: Carlos P. Garcia
Querube Cortinas Makalintal (December 22, 1910 – November 8, 2002) was the Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from Oct. 31, 1973 until December 22, 1975 and
Speaker of the Interim Batasang Pambansa from June 12, 1978 to June 30, 1984.
Makalintal was a member of the Upsilon Sigma Phi fraternity. Makalintal served as Solicitor
General, before being appointed as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court by President Diosdado
Macapagal in 1962. After reaching the compulsory retirement age of 65 under the 1973 Constitution, he
served as Speaker of the Interim Batasang Pambansa from 1978 to 1984.
Makalintal, together with Justice Fred Ruiz Castro, was the ‘swing vote’ in the Ratification
Cases which upheld the 1973 Constitution, which paved the way of extending Marcos’ regime. When
the question of whether the petitioners are entitled to relief, the two justices answered ‘No’, thus
upholding the 1973 Constitution and made legitimate the rule of Marcos and his power.
In the cases denying Benigno Aquino, Jr. of his privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, the
decision of the High Court was not a traditional sense of consensus on both the conclusions and the
reasons for the conclusions. Makalintal, as Chief Justice, delivered the summary of votes, and explained
the reason why there was no collegial opinion by the Court. He said, among others, that the justices of
the Supreme Court are conscious of "the future verdict of history" upon their stand.
Benigno Aquino, Jr. warned of such verdict of history, as he aptly said, "Today, you are my
judges. Tomorrow, history will judge you."

C: XII
Fred Ruiz Castro
(September 2, 1914- April 19, 1979)
January 5, 1976- April 19,1979
3 years, 104 days
Appointed by:Ferdinand Marcos
Fred Ruiz Castro (September 2, 1914 – April 19, 1979) was the Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court of the Philippinesfrom January 5, 1976 until his death on April 19, 1979 while on an official trip
to India.
He was born to Dr. Santos Foronda Castro and Engracia Acosta Ruiz at Laoag, Ilocos Norte, the
9th of 13 children. He attended elementary school in his hometown and in Angeles, Pampanga. He
finished high school in three years at the University of the Philippines (U.P.) in 1930. Justice Castro
then obtained his Associates in Arts from the U.P. College of Liberal Arts in 1932, and LL. B from the
U.P. College of Law in 1936, passing the bar examinations the same year. The following year of 1937,
he earned a Ph.B in English, cum laude. Justice Castro was a scholar, student, leader, debater, poet,
writer, and editor-in-chief of the Philippine Collegian, 1935-1936.

Justice Castro was married to Natividad Hizon. Their children are Fred Ruiz Castro, Jr., Rowena
Cristina Benipayo, Carlos Delano Castro, Frieda Teresita Castro (deceased), and Melisande Veronica
Poblador (deceased).
“The Judicial, Public Administration and Uniformed services today and all younger Filipinos
should derive inspiration from the exemplary life and story of Fred Ruiz Castro.” - Fidel V. Ramos,
President of the Philippines 1992-1998
“With mingled emotions of joy and sorrow, we present this gavel to you, through your beloved widow
with the utmost esteem and respect and with abiding affection and admiration. This gavel will belong to
everyone, it will belong to our people; it will belong, as you yourself, belong to the ages.” – Ameurfina
A. Melencio Herrera, Justice of the Supreme Court 1979 to 1992.
“He was born a leader of men. His decisions were both groundbreaking and decisive…he never
let emotion or public sentiment cloud his judicial decisions…an attitude normally expected of a judge,
but at that time seems admirable give a martial law regine, when public figures were besieged by all
kinds of pressure from the powers-that-be.” – Edgard J. Angara, Senator of the Republic, 1987-1998.
“Chief Justice Fred Ruiz Castro was a consummate patriot. He loved his country, fought for its
freedom, upheld its laws and wrote poems about his extraordinary experiences. Truly, he is a person
worthy of emulation.” – Adolfo S. Azcuna, Justice of the Supreme Court, 2002-2009.
“I passed the bar examination practically the same time Justice Castro assumed the post as Chief
Justice…this can compare to the elation of a priest who has been ordained at the time of a great
Pope…Here was a man renowned for his nationalism…A man lives forever when we remember him.”
– Roberto P. Laurel, President of the Lyceum Philippines.

“Chief Justice Castro was truly a legal luminary of the High Court without whom the current state of
the legal profession would not be the same. Indeed, the Philippine Legal Profession was blessed and
fortunate to have been under the leadership of such a learned and insightful man.” – Teodoro D. Regala,
Sr.
Castro was Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, until he was
appointed Executive Secretary by President Ramon Magsaysay in 1954. He became an Associate Justice
for the Court of appeals from 1956-1966 until he became Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on
May 29, 1966.
Castro was considered one of the advocates for the integration of the Philippine Bar, paving the
way for the establishment of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in the 1970s. He is also behind the
creation of the Supreme Court Reports Annotated, which is currently the voluminous source of decisions
of the Supreme Court used by practitioners and law students.
Castro, together with Justice Querube Makalintal, was the ‘swing vote’ in the Ratification
Cases which upheld the 1973 Constitution, which paved the way of extending Marcos’ regime. When
the question of whether the petitioners are entitled to relief, the two justices answered ‘No’, thus
upholding the 1973 Constitution and made legitimate the rule of Marcos and his power.
Castro approved of the Martial Law years, as reflected in his decisions / opinions and public
statements. In one of the cases involving the writ of habeas corpus of Marcos critic Benigno Aquino,
Jr., he said, in a concurring opinion, that the declaration of Martial Law automatically suspends the
application of the said writ, thus effectively depriving the former senator of such privilege.
In a speech to the 8th World Peace Through Law Conference held in Manila, Castro proclaimed:
“Martial law is known to the west as the drastic solution to a violent situation... In the Philippines, this
primary purpose remains, but it has been enlarged to embrace also the extirpation of the ills and
conditions which spawned the riot, the anarchy and the rebellion!”
C: XIII
Enrique Fernando
(July 25, 1915- October 13, 2004)
July 2, 1976-April 19, 1979
6 years, 22 days
Appointed by: Ferdinand Marcos
Enrique Medina Fernando (July 25, 1915 – October 13, 2004) was the 13th Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court of the Philippines. A noted constitutionalist and law professor, he served in
the Supreme Court for 18 years, including 6 years as Chief Justice.
Fernando was born in Malate, Manila. He obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree at
the University of the Philippines College of Law, graduating magna cum laude in 1938. Shortly after
admission to the bar, he joined the faculty of his alma mater, where he taught as a full-time member of
the faculty until 1953, and as a professorial lecturer for decades afterwards. He was eventually appointed
as the George A. Malcolm Professor of Constitutional Law. Later, he would also teach constitutional
law at the Lyceum of the Philippines.Fernando was feared for his rather tyrannical manner in the
classroom,] yet many of his law students would emerge as Supreme Court justices or prominent
practitioners in their own right.

In 1947, he was admitted by the Yale Law School as the first Filipino Sterling Fellow, earning
his Master of Law degree the following year.
Fernando was appointed as a Code Commissioner in 1953 and served in that capacity until 1964.
In the 1950s, he served as a Presidential adviser to PresidentsRamon Magsaysay and Carlos P. Garcia.
He likewise engaged in an extensive private practice prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court.
Among his law partners was Senator Lorenzo Tañada, with whom he would co-author a
popular hornbook on constitutional law. In his lifetime, Fernando would author several books on
constitutional and administrative law.
In 1966, Fernando was appointed as Presidential Legal Counsel by Ferdinand Marcos. The
following year, he was named as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court by Marcos appointed.
If not for the death of Chief Justice Fred Ruiz Castro in 1979, Fernando would have had the opportunity
to become the Chief Justice only in 1984, after Castro reached the mandatory retirement age of 70, and
serving for only 1 year until his own retirement. However, Castro died suddenly of a heart attack on
April 19, 1979, and Fernando, by then the most senior of the Associate Justices, was promoted by
Marcos as Chief Justice.
At the time of his appointment to the Court, Fernando was already recognized as one of the
country's leading authorities on constitutional law, and as an ardent civil libertarian and active member
of the Civil Liberties Union founded by his colleague on the Court, J.B.L. Reyes. He was especially
noted for his mastery of American jurisprudence on republicanism and individual rights. He would have
ample opportunity to expound on these subjects during his 17-year tenure on the Court.
In Morfe v. Mutuc, 130 Phil. 415 (1968), Fernando wrote for the Court that an anti-graft law
requiring the periodic submission by public officials of their statements of assets and liabilities did not
infringe on the officer's right to liberty under the due process clause, or on the right to privacy.
Nonetheless, Morfe marked the first time the Philippine Supreme Court recognized the existence of a
constitutional right to privacy as "accorded recognition independently of its identification with liberty;
in itself, it is fully deserving of constitutional protection."The then-recent United States Supreme
Court ruling in Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479 (1965) was favorably cited.
Fernando was also a persistent proponent of the clear and present danger test as the only
acceptable limitation on the right to free expression, as expressed in his ponencia in Gonzales v.
COMELEC, 137 Phil. 471 (1969), and his dissent in Badoy v. Ferrer, 35 SCRA 285 (1970).
Along with Claudio Teehankee, Sr., Fernando was the longest serving of the Justices appointed
during the 20-year rule of Ferdinand Marcos. However, unlike Teehankee who progressively became a
consistent dissenter to the martial-law rule of Marcos, Fernando frequently voted to affirm challenged
acts of the martial law regime. Even though Fernando often qualified his opinions to voice concerns
about potential violations of the Bill of Rights, his voting record, as well as his relatively lengthy tenure
as Chief Justice during martial law tied him closely with the Marcos regime, and to a Supreme Court
perceived as a "lackey of Malacañang". This reputation was further enhanced when Fernando was
photographed holding an umbrella to the then First Lady Imelda Marcos, a seeming act of chivalry many
considered it inappropriate for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. [5] Critically, Justice Isagani
Cruz observed that "as Chief Justice, Fernando emphasized that one of the important functions of the
judiciary was the 'legitimizing' function. This was to be the stand-by excuse of the Court under him
whenever it had to sustain the acts of President Marcos."
In 1982, controversy arose after reports that in the bar examinations held that year, the test
booklets had been rechecked in order to confer a passing grade to the son of one of the Justices who had
initially flunked. The rechecking was reportedly permitted by Fernando. Justice Ameurfina Melencio-
Herrera complained of the action, and the story broke in the media. As a result, all the members of the
Court, including Fernando, submitted their resignations to President Marcos, who later rejected all but
two of the resignations.
Shortly after the murder of opposition leader Benigno Aquino, Jr. in 1983, Marcos named Fernando to
head a fact-finding commission tasked with investigating the assassination. The appointment drew
controversy due to concerns that the it violated the constitutional separation of powers, and also out of
concerns that a commission headed by a man so closely identified to the Marcos regime would not be
sufficiently independent. Fernando promptly resigned, and retired Court of Appeals Justice Corazon
Juliano-Agrava was appointed to head what became known as the Agrava Fact Finding Commission.
Fernando's lengthy service in the Court ended in 1985, when he reached the compulsory
retirement age of 70. Marcos would be toppled from power the following year, and Fernando's most
prominent rival Teehankee would be named Chief Justice by Corazon Aquino.
Fernando remained in active practice until shortly before his death at the age 89 in 2004. His expertise
as amicus curiae was sought by the Court in the controversial case of Manila Prince Hotel v. GSIS, 267
SCRA 408 (1997).
Fernando is buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
 Brief Survey of Administrative Law Including Public Officers and Election Law (with Emma
Quisumbing Fernando, 1950)
 Constitution of the Philippines (with Lorenzo Tañada, 1952–1953)
 Law of Public Administration (with Emma Quisumbing Fernando, 1954)
 Labor and Social Legislation (with Gil R. Carlos, 1964)
 The Power of Judicial Review (1968)

 Bill of Rights (1970)
 Jose P. Laurel on the Constitution (1972)
 Bill of Rights and the Revised Constitution (1973)
 American Constitutional Influence in Asia: Its Impact on the Philippine Legal System (1976)
 Perspectives on Human Rights: The Philippines in a Period of Crisis and Transition (1979)
 Cases on the Bill of Rights (1981)
 Cases and Text in Constitutional Law (1984)
 Separation of Powers: The Three Departments of the Philippine Government (1985)

C: XIV
Felix Makasiar
(November 20, 1925- February 19, 1992)
July 25, 1985-November 19, 1985
117 days
In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Valencia and the surname
or paternal family name is Makasiar
Félix Valencia Makasiar (November 20, 1915 – February 19, 1992) was the 14th Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, serving in that capacity for four months in 1985. His 85-day
stint as Chief Justice, abbreviated only because of the rule requiring mandatory retirement upon reaching
the age of 70, was the second-shortest such tenure in Philippine history. Prior to his promotion as Chief
Justice, Makasiar had served for 15 years as an Associate Justice.
Makasiar was born in Siaton, Negros Oriental on November 20, 1915 to Agustín Makasiar and
Petra Valencia. He finished his primary and secondary education in his home province. He completed
his undergraduate studies at the Far Eastern University, and enrolled at the University of the Philippines
College of Law, where he obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree, cum laude, in 1939. He later obtained
a Master of Laws degree from the University of Santo Tomas.

Upon passing the bar in 1939, Makasiar joined the government service as an attorney with
the Department of Justice. He would not leave the government service until his retirement from the
Supreme Court in 1985. Makasiar rose in the ranks, beginning with a stint with the Office of the Solicitor
General, then as a trial court judge beginning in 1954. He was appointed Solicitor-General and
Undersecretary of the Department of Justice from 1968 to 1970, and as Secretary of Justice from May
until August 1970, at which time he was appointed as Associate Justice to the Supreme Court.
Prior to his appointment to the High Court, Makasiar also worked as a law professor in several
universities, including the Manuel L. Quezon University and the San Beda College.
He was married to Teofista F. Santos of Rizal with whom he had six children: Loretta M. Sicat,
Rosella Jean M. Puno, Barry, Gary, Cynthia and Eleanore Lynn M. Paez.
Makasiar served a total of 15 years on the Court, all within the term of his appointer and law school
classmate. PresidentFerdinand E. Marcos. He became chairman of the Judiciary Code Committee, the
Vice-Chairman of the Committee on the Revised Rules of Court, and the first chairman of the Sharia bar
examinations inaugurated in 1984.
The most prominent issues during Makasiar's tenure on the Court concerned the validity of the
acts of the martial law regime began by Marcos in 1972. On those issues, Makasiar had been described
as a loyal ally of Marcos and a consistent supporter of the President's New Society policies.[3] He was
among the Justices who voted to affirm the validity of the 1973 Constitution in the seminal case
of Javellana v. Executive Secretary, 50 SCRA 33 (1973).[4] More prominently, in Aquino v.
COMELEC, 62 SCRA 33 (1975), Makasiar wrote for the Court as it denied petitions
for prohibition which maintained that Marcos, whose original term as President expired 2 years earlier,
held no legal office nor lawful authority. Relying on Javellana and Aquino v. Ponce-Enrile (which
affirmed the validity of the 1972 proclamation of martial law), Makasiar wrote that Marcos was the de
jureincumbent President of the Philippines.
In questions concerning labor law and social justice, Makasiar's opinions for the Court reflected
sympathies to the common man, and would sometimes resort in rebuke to injustices as reflected by the
facts of the case. For example, in Carbonell v. CA, 69 SCRA 99(1976),
Hence, Carbonell's prior purchase of the land was made in good faith. Her good faith subsisted and
continued to exist when she recorded her adverse claim four (4) days prior to the registration of Infante's
deed of sale. Carbonell's good faith did not cease after Poncio told her on January 31, 1955 of his second
sale of the same lot to Infante, Because of that information, Carbonell wanted an audience with Infante,
which desire underscores Carbonell's good faith. With an aristocratic disdain unworthy of the good
breeding of a good Christian and good neighbor, Infante snubbed Carbonell like a leper and refused to
see her. So Carbonell did the next best thing to protect her right — she registered her adverse claim on
February 8, 1955. Under the circumstances, this recording of her adverse claim should be deemed to
have been done in good faith and should emphasize Infante's bad faith when she registered her deed of
sale four (4) days later on February 12, 1955.
In Menez v. ECC, G.R. L-48488, April 25, 1980, a case involving the upholding of a teacher’s
compensation due to occupational disease, Makasiar expounded at length on the plight of public school
teachers:
Rheumatoid arthritis and pneumonitis can be considered as such occupational diseases. All public
high school teachers, like herein petitioner, admittedly the most underpaid but overworked employees
of the government, are subject to emotional strains and stresses, dealing as they do with intractable
teenagers especially young boys, and harassed as they are by various extra-curricular or non- academic
assignments, aside from preparing lesson plans until late at night, if they are not badgered by very
demanding superiors. In the case of the petitioner, her emotional tension is heightened by the fact that
the high school in which she teaches is situated in a tough area - Binondo district, which is inhabited by
thugs and other criminal elements and further aggravated by the heavy pollution and congestion therein
as well as the stinking smell of the dirty Estero de la Reina nearby. Women, like herein petitioner, are
most vulnerable to such unhealthy conditions. The pitiful situation of all public school teachers is further
accentuated by poor diet for they can ill-afford nutritious food. xxx In her work, petitioner also has to
contend with the natural elements, like the inclement weather — heavy rains, typhoons — as well as
dust — and disease-ridden surroundings peculiar to an insanitary slum area. xxx These unwholesome
conditions are "normal and consistently present in" or are the "hazards peculiar to" the occupation of a
public high school teacher. It is therefore evident that rheumatoid arthritis and pneumonitis are the
"natural incidents" of petitioner's occupation as such public high school teacher. xxx It must be borne in
mind that petitioner was a teacher of the Raja Soliman High School which is located in the heart of
Binondo District. She was constantly exposed to the heavily polluted air and congestion (squatter's
area) characteristic of the area. She was not only exposed to the elements - varying degrees of
temperature throughout the day and night - but also had to withstand long hours of standing while
performing her teaching job. Likewise, she had to regularly negotiate long trips from her home in
Project 2, Quirino District, Quezon City (her residence) to said high school in Binondo, scampering
from one ride to another, rain or shine, and sweating in the process.
Makasiar's appointment as Chief Justice by President Marcos on July 25, 1985, replacing Enrique
Fernando, was deemed as controversial.] Had the tradition of seniority been observed by
Marcos, Claudio Teehankee, who was appointed to the Court nearly two years prior to Makasiar, would
have been elevated as Chief Justice. However, Teehankee had constantly voted to nullify the actions of
the martial law regime, in contrast to the more favorable positions of Makasiar.
During Makasiar's brief tenure as Chief Justice, the Supreme Court issued two notable rulings
favorable to the Marcos government.In Galman v. Pamaran, 138 SCRA 294 (1985), the Court ruled in
favor of the defendants in the pending murder trial of Benigno Aquino, Jr. after they sought
the exclusion of their earlier testimonies before the Agrava Board previously tasked with investigating
the Aquino assassination.[9] In Ilagan v. Enrile, 139 SCRA 349(1985), the Court refused to act on
petitions for habeas corpus filed in behalf of 3 lawyers who had been arrested and detained without
warrants of arrest, ruling that the petitions were mooted by the subsequent filing of criminal informations
for rebellion against the lawyers.
Makasiar retired from the Supreme Court upon reaching the age of 70 in November 1985. He died
7 years later, on February 19, 1992 in Manila

C: XV
Ramon Aquino
(August 31,1917- March 31,1993)
November 20, 1985- March 6,1987
1 year, 106 days
Ramon C. Aquino (August 31, 1917 – March 31, 1993) was the 15th Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court of the Philippines. He was appointed on November 20, 1985, the last Chief Justice
appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos. He was born on August 31, 1917 in Lemery, Batangas. He
obtained his Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines in 1939 and placed sixth in the
1939 bar exam, with a grade of 89.1%.
He was the husband of Carolina Griño-Aquino, who is also a Bar topnotcher, and who would be
later appointed as associate justice during the Aquino administration in 1988. [1] Grino-Aquino served as
an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from February 2, 1988 until her retirement on October 22,
1993.[1]
He was a law professor and author of several books in civil, criminal and commercial laws. He
held several government positions before being appointed as Associate Justice to the Philippine Supreme
Court on October 29, 1973.
He resigned on March 6, 1987, following the request of the new Aquino government.
C: XVI
Claudio Teehankee, Sr.
(April 18, 1918- November 27, 1989)
April 2, 1987- April 18, 1988
1 year, 16 days
Appointed by: Corazon Aquino
Claudio Teehankee, CCLH (April 18, 1918 – November 27, 1989) was the 16th Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from 1987 to 1988. He was also the most senior
associate justice and chairman of the First Division of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
Teehankee was born on April 18, 1918 in Manila, Philippines.
His father, José Tee Han Kee (simplified Chinese: 郑汉淇; traditional Chinese: 鄭漢淇
; pinyin: Zhèng Hànqí; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tīⁿ Hàn-kî), immigrated to the Philippines in 1901
from Fujian province in China. He was a close associate and friend of Sun Yat-Sen, and was active in
the struggle to liberate China from the Qing dynasty. [1]
Teehankee was married to Pilar D. Javier with whom he had nine children. He received
his A.B. summa cum laude in 1938 and LL.B. summa cum laude in 1940 from the Ateneo de Manila.
He also garnered first place in the 1940 bar examination with an average of 94.35 percent.
He became Secretary of Justice under the Marcos administration in 1967 before being appointed as
associate justice in 1968.
After his retirement, he was appointed as the Philippine Ambassador to the United Nations,
where he died of cancer in Manhattan, New York on November 27, 1989. He is interred at the Libingan
ng mga Bayani.
Political scientist Julio C. Teehankee is his nephew.
He was known as the court's "activist" justice because of his dissenting opinions in many vital
cases affecting the Marcos administration. He was the lone dissenter in many cases, such as the High
Tribunal's decision upholding the constitutionality of the Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980. He also
dissented in policies which would seem to curtail the basic liberties of people. For a time, Teehankee
and Justice Cecilia Muñoz-Palma would dissent together. After Muñoz-Palma's retirement, he was
joined by Associate Justice Vicente Abad Santos in dissenting.
It was this activism that made Marcos 'by-pass' him twice for the position of Chief Justice (the
most senior associate justice is most likely to succeed after the retirement of the Chief Justice) in 1985.
It was after the removal of Marcos that he was appointed Chief Justice by Corazon Aquino in 1987.
He died of natural causes in New York City on November 27, 1989. He is buried at the Libingan
ng mga Bayani (Heroes' Cemetery) in Taguig City, Philippines

C: XVII
Pedro Yap
(July 1, 1918- November 20, 2003)
April 19, 1988- June 30, 1988
72 days
Pedro Yap (July 1, 1918 – November 20, 2003) was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of
the Philippines in 1988. He briefly served for two and a half months from April 19, 1988 to June 30,
1988, the shortest in history until that record was surpassed by Chief Justice Teresita de Castro.
Yap, a bar topnocher, served as secretary of the United Nations Human Rights Commission and
was one of the 16 delegates who refused to sign the 1973 Philippine Constitution. He was appointed to
the Presidential Commission on Good Government in 1986 before being appointed associate justice.
He was a law professor specialized in International Law.

C: XVIII
Marcelo Fernan
(October 24, 1926- July 11 1999)
July 1, 1988- December 6, 1991
3 years, 158 days
Marcelo "Celing" Briones Fernán (October 24, 1926 – July 11, 1999) was a Filipino lawyer and
political figure. He is the only Filipino to have served as both Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and
as Senate President. He is also the third Filipino to have headed both the judicial and legislative branches
of government, after Querube Makalintal who served as Chief Justice and Speaker of the Batasang
Pambansa in the 1970s, and José Yulo, who served as Chief Justice and Speaker of the House of
Representatives before 1946.
Marcelo Briones Fernan was born in Cebu City on October 24, 1927. He was married to Eloisa
Nolasco with whom he had nine children.
As a student, Fernan gained distinction as an outstanding youth leader and scholar. He served as
President of the Student Council Association of the Philippines, and was elected Member of the
International Honor Societies of Phi Kappa and Pi Gamma Mu.He graduated among the top ten of his
class from the College of Law of the University of the Philippines in 1952. The following year, he
obtained his Master of Law from the Harvard University in the United States.
He likewise led an active civic and social life as President of the Cebu Jaycees Role Club of Cebu
West, Cebu Country Club, chairman and President of the Cebu Newspaper Workers Foundation, Inc.
He was an Associate and later Professorial Lecturer at the University of the Philippines in Cebu,
Dean of the College of Law of the University of San Jose – Recoletos now Dean Emeritus, Chairman
of the Board of Trustees of the University of San Carlos, Secretary General of the Academy of American
and International Law Alumni Association and Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Fellow of the
International Academy of Trial Lawyer Associations for Asia and the Pacific (LAWASIA) Human
Rights Standing Committee, Chairman of the LAWASIA Judicial Section, President of the Fulbright
Scholars Association, President of the Philippine Society of International Law, Chairman of the
Philippine National Committee of the Asean Law Association and member of the Governing Council,
President of the ASEAN Law Association, President of the Fellows on Asia Foundation and Trustee of
the Southwestern Legal Foundation in Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.
He received awards in civic, legal and educational fields among which are Most Outstanding Law
Practitioner in Cebu City; Most Outstanding UP Alumnus in Civic Affair in Cebu City; Most
Outstanding JCI Senator in the Philippines in the Field of Education; The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL)
Awardee, Most Outstanding Alumnus of Abellana National School, U.P. Professional Achievement
Awardee in the Field of Law, U.P. Cebu Achievement Awardee as Legal Teacher and Practitioner, Most
Distinguished Alumnus from the College of Law, University of the Philippines, 1999 Most
Distinguished Alumnus from the University of the Philippines Alumni Association, First Recipient of
the Southwest Legal Foundation’s Robert G. Storey International Award for Leadership and First
Recipient at the “ Public Award “ of the President Sergio Omeña Memorial Foundation.
He was conferred the titles General Brother of the Agustinian Recollect Order and Knight of the
Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
He was the Most Outstanding Cebuano awardee. Next to the late President Sergio Osmeña, he was
the second Cebuano in history to be given such highly exclusive and revered recognition.
He received Honorary Doctorate Degrees from the University of San Carlos Cebu City, University
of San Jose Recoletos, Cebu City; Centro Escolar University, Member of Angeles University
Foundation, Angeles City; De La Salle University, Manila and University of the Philippines-Visayas.
He entered the government service as member of the Cebu City Planning Board. Later, he became
a member of the Cebu Provincial Board, delegate to the Constitutional Convention and Assemblyman
(Assistant Minority Leader) in the Batasang Pambansa.
He was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court and served as Chairman of the Supreme
Court Committee on the Revision of the Rules of Court and Chairman of the House Electoral Tribunal.
He served as the nineteenth Chief Justice of the Republic and was Chairman of the Judicial and Bar
Council and the Judiciary Planning and Implementation Office. During his term as Chief Justice, several
bold judicial reforms were instituted, among them the judicial orientation and career enrichment
program, updating of the Code of Judicial Conduct and the continuous trial program.
In 1995, Fernan was elected as Senator of the Tenth Congress. He became the Assistant Majority
Leader and Chairman of the following Senate Committees Justice and Human rights, Labor,
Employment and Human Resources Development and Ethics and Privileges.

As Senator, he authored highly significant laws, among these are: Republic Act 8246 or the Court
of Appeals Regionalization Act, RA 8493 or the Speedy Trial Act of 1998, RA 8557 of the Philippine
Judicial Academy, RA 8525 or the Adopt-a-School Act of 1997 and RA 8558 or the Underground Mine
Workers Act.
He also sponsored RA 8247 or the Alien Social Integration Act of 1995. RA 8282 or the Social
Security Act of 1997, and RA 8369 or the Family Courts Acts of 1997.
At the opening of the Eleventh Congress, Fernan was nominated and elected as President of the
Senate and concurrently, Chairman of the Commission on Appointments. During his term as Senate
President, the Senate passed the Clean Air Act, the Visiting Force Agreement and the General
Appropriations Act of 1999.
Fernan resigned from Senate Presidency on June 28, 1999 due to his failing health. Senator Fernan
passed away on July 11, 1999 and was laid to rest at the Cebu Memorial Park, Cebu City. His death
was deeply mourned all over the country.
Fernan holds the record as the only Filipino to head both the Judicial and Legislature, as Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court and as Senate President, respectively.
;
C: XIX
Andres Narvasa
(November 30, 1928- October 31, 2013
December 8, 1991- November 30, 1998
6 years, 357 days
Andres dela Rosa Narvasa (November 30, 1928 – October 31, 2013) was the Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court of the Philippines from December 1, 1991 to November 30, 1998.
He served as Chairman of the Preparatory Commission for Constitutional Reform, a special agency
tasked to look into potentially positive modifications in the Philippine Constitution, from 1999 to 2000.
During his youth, Narvasa managed to excel in both academics and athletics. He was the captain
of the University of Santo Tomas Intramural Basketball Team, as well as the top student of his class at
the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law.
Narvasa graduated elementary at Colegio de San Juan de Letran, 1938 (salutatorian), and secondary
school at the Arellano High School, 1945 (valedictorian). He earned his Bachelor of Laws, University
of Santo Tomas, 1951 (magna cum laude), his Doctor of Laws (honoris causa), Pamantasan ng Lungsod
ng Maynila, April 15, 1992, Doctor of Laws (honoris causa), University of Santo Tomas, November 21,
1992, and Doctor of Laws (honoris causa), Angeles University Foundation, April 1, 1993.
Narvasa graduated magna cum laude from the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law,
and placed second in the 1951 Philippine Bar Examinations, with a bar rating of 91.6%
Narvasa taught at the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law. Soon, he became a full
professor of law, and eventually Dean of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law|Faculty
of Civil Law.
Narvasa started as Law Practitioner in 1952, as Head, Andres R. Narvasa & Associates. He then
became Professor of Law, 1952, Bar Reviewer, 1959, Legal Counsel, University of Santo Tomas, 1973,
Dean, Faculty of Civil Law, University of Santo Tomas, 1967–1973, Vice-Rector for Student Affairs,
University of Santo Tomas, 1969–1972, Member of the Board of Trustees, University of Santo Tomas,
1974 and President of the Faculty Club, University of Santo Tomas, 1969.
Narvasa was appointed as the general counsel for the Agrava Fact-finding Commission, formed
by then President Ferdinand Marcos and tasked to investigate the death of former senator and staunch
Marcos critic Benigno Aquino, Jr.. The Commission was chaired by former Philippine Court of
Appeals Associate Justice Corazon Juliano Agrava. As general counsel, Narvasa meticulously pieced
together evidence to point out the military in the Aquino-Galman murders.
President Corazon Aquino appointed Narvasa as Associate Justice of the Philippine Supreme
Court on April 10, 1986. Narvasa served as Associate Justice until his appointment as Chief Justice on
December 1, 1991, also by President Aquino.
Narvasa administered the Oath of Office during the inaugurations of Philippine Presidents Fidel
V. Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada.
After his retirement in 1998, he was appointed by then President Joseph Ejercito Estrada to serve as
Chairman of the Preparatory Commission for Constitutional Reform, an independent commission

formed to study the basic charter and suggest potentially positive modifications. He served in this
capacity from 1999 to 2000.
In November 2000, Narvasa became counsel for President Joseph Ejercito Estrada in his
impeachment proceedings before the Philippine Senate.
On the 24th anniversary of the death of Benigno Aquino, Jr., Narvasa, 78, pleaded that Filipinos should
close the book on the assassination of Aquino and that the 14 soldiers incarcerated should now be freed
- “they have suffered enough;‘It’s finished. Since retiring, he plays golf twice a week, and enjoys being
with his 15 grandchildren. He presently gives legal advice to ousted President Joseph Ejercito Estrada.
Narvasa considers the Ninoy murder, still a mystery.
Married to Janina Yuseco, Narvasa has six children: Andres, Jr., Raymundo, Gregorio II,
Socorro, Martin, and Regina. Narvasa's son, Andres, Jr., is the current PBA Commissioner. Another
son, Gregorio II, served as commissioner for both PBL and MBA, but now concentrates on practicing
law. Narvasa and son, Gregorio, run the Fortun Narvasa & Salazar Law Office in partnership with
Sigfrid A. Fortun and Roderick R.C. Salazar III.
Award of Distinction, University of Santo Tomas, February 28. 1972
Award for Outstanding Achievements in Legal Education, Faculty of Civil Law, University of
Santo Tomas, September 2, 1981
Appreciation Certificate, UST College of Nursing, 1970
Certificate of Appreciation and Recognition, 1st Summer Seminar on Educational Management,
University of Santo Tomas, May 1972
Appreciation Certificate, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Santo Tomas, August
11, 1973 Plaque of Appreciation, Faculty Association of UST, October 18, 1978
Award for Meritorious Service, Faculty of Civil Law, September 2, 1981 & September 4, 1982
Plaque of Appreciation, 1953 Law Class of UST, March 26, 1983
Award as Most Outstanding Honor Graduate for 1983–1984 for exemplary public service, July
28, 1984
Plaque of Merit as Most Outstanding Alumnus of Faculty of Civil Law, UST Alumni
Foundation, Inc., September 1, 1984
Papal Award Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, May 1977
Human Rights Award, Concerned Women of the Philippines, December 9, 1984
Ninoy Aquino Movement for Freedom, Justice, Peace and Democracy of the United States of
America, August 1985
Knight Grand Cross of Rizal, June 19, 1992
Outstanding Manilan ’93, 422nd Araw ng Maynila Executive Committee, June 24, 1993
C: XX
Hilario Gelbolingo Davide Jr
(December 20, 1935)
November 30, 1998- December 20, 2005
7 years, 20 days
Appointed by: Joseph Estrada
Hilario Gelbolingo Davide Jr., GCSS, (born December 20, 1935) is a
former Ambassador/Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of
the Philippines to the United Nations in New York City.
He was the 20th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines and head of the Judicial
Branch of government from November 1998 to December 2005. As the highest judicial officer, he
presided over the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
On June 30, 2010, President Noynoy Aquino announced that Davide will head a truth commission that
will investigate important issues in the country.
He sixth of seven siblings, Davide was born in Barangay Colawin, in Argao, Cebu to Hilario P.
Davide Sr. (1904–2006), a retired Schools Division Superintendent, and Josefa L. Gelbolingo, a former
public school teacher.
He completed his primary education at Argao Central Elementary School and secondary
education at Abellana Vocational High School. In college, he went to the country's premier state
university, the University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City where he earned his Associate in
Arts in 1955, his Bachelor of Science in Jurisprudence in 1958, and his Bachelor of Laws degree in
1959. He took and passed the bar examinations given that same year.
From 1959 to 1963, Davide worked as private secretary to the vice-governor and later governor
of the province of Cebu.
From 1962 to 1968, he was a faculty member of the College of Law of Southwestern
University in Cebu City. This university, three decades later, would confer on him a degree of Doctor
of Laws (Honoris Causa) in 1999.
Davide's first opportunity to get into the national scene was when he was elected as Delegate of
the 4th District of Cebuto the 1971 Constitutional Convention (CONCON). He became Chairman of the
Committee on Duties and Obligations of Citizens and Ethics of Public Officials. He was among three
delegates who introduced the most number of reform proposals. The reforms adopted under the
Constitutional Convention were, however, short-lived. Public unrest over deteriorating economic
conditions and the suppression of political rights, as well as the desire of then-President Ferdinand
Marcos to perpetuate himself in power, heralded the declaration of martial law in 1972.
In 1978, he was elected assemblyman for Cebu in the Interim Batasang Pambansa under the
opposition party Pusyon Bisaya and became one of martial law's staunch critics. As an oppositionist in
the ruling party-dominated legislative body, he was its first Minority Floor Leader. He filed the most
number of bills of national significance, as well as resolutions to lift martial law. He also sought
legislative investigations of graft and corruption in government and reported violations of human rights.
After the overthrow of the Marcos regime through the People Power revolt in February 1986,
then-President Corazon C. Aquino convened the Philippine Constitutional Commission of 1986 and
appointed Davide as one of its 50 Commissioners.

In February 1988, President Aquino appointed Davide as Chairman of the Commission on
Elections (COMELEC). He was the principal sponsor of the COMELEC's Rules of Procedure.
However, his stint in the COMELEC was cut short when President Aquino appointed him as
Chairman of the Presidential Fact-Finding Commission to investigate the December 1, 1989 coup
attempt in which military rebels meant to oust President Aquino. This presidential commission was
tasked to conduct an investigation on the rebellion and the possible involvement of military and civilian
officials and private persons. Furthermore, Congress passed Republic Act No. 6832 that enhanced the
presidential commission's power through a broader Fact-Finding Commission to conduct a thorough
investigation of the failed coup d’ etat and recommend measures to prevent the occurrence of similar
attempts at a violent seizure of power.
On January 24, 1991, Davide was appointed by then-President Aquino as Associate Justice of
the Supreme Court. From January 2, 1996 to August 30, 1997, he sat as a member of the Senate Electoral
Tribunal. He was also the Working Chairman of the Court's Third Division from January 2, 1996 to
September 7, 1997, and Chairman of the House of Representative Electoral Tribunal from September 1,
1997 to November 30, 1998.
On November 30, 1998, he was appointed by President Joseph Estrada as the 20th Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court of the Philippines. He took his oath of office at the new Bonifacio Shrine in the City of
Manila. He became known as the Centennial and Millennial Chief Justice.
He was the presiding judge in the impeachment trial against then-President Estrada in December
2000. When the popular protests spilled into the streets, his timely intervention on behalf of "the welfare
and will of the people" by administering the oath of office as President to then-Vice-President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo.
By declaring her the constitutional successor, it averted potential violence and military takeover
of power, and brought the crisis to an end. Although the moral authorityof the Supreme Court carried
the day, Davide's action was further bolstered by a precedent setting Supreme Court decision, effectively
putting an end to the question of the legitimacy of Vice-President Arroyo's succession to power.
Davide retired as chief magistrate on December 20, 2005 after he reached the mandatory
retirement age of 70.
However, on January 24, 2006, President Arroyo appointed him as Senior Presidential Adviser
on Electoral Reforms during a Council of State meeting convened by the President. He recommended
measures and policies to the President that would help reform the country's electoral system.
In 2011 Davide was awarded one of the highest honours of the Holy See - the Knight Grand
Cross of the Pontifical Order of St. Sylvester by decree of Pope Benedict XVI.
Hilario Davide is the recipient of many awards. In 2002, he was conferred the Ramon Magsaysay
Award for Government Service—a singular honor that is the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Prize. He
was recognized for his life of principled citizenship and his profound service to democracy and the rule
of law in the Philippines.
Apart from the Magsaysay Award, he is also the recipient of the 2005 Most Distinguished Alumnus
Award given by the University of the Philippines Alumni Association; the 2003 Man of the Year Award
by the Philippine Free Press; the 2000 Filipino of the Year Award by the Philippine Daily Inquirer; the
2001 Rule of Law Award; the 1999 The Outstanding Filipino Award in Environmental Law; the 2003
Chief Justice Roberto Concepcion Award for Legal Aid by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines; and 13
honorary degrees in doctoral in law and humanities.

In August 2006, he was conferred the ABA International Rule of Law Award in recognition of
his extraordinary leadership in advancing the Rule of Law by the American Bar Association (ABA)
Rule of Law Initiative on the occasion of the ABA's 2006 Annual Convention.
Hilario G. Davide Jr. serves as an Honorary Co-Chair for the World Justice Project. The World
Justice Project works to lead a global, multidisciplinary effort to strengthen the Rule of Law for the
development of communities of opportunity and equity.
Hilario G. Davide Jr. serves as an Honorary Co-Chair for the World Justice Project. The World
Justice Project works to lead a global, multidisciplinary effort to strengthen the Rule of Law for the
development of communities of opportunity and equity.

C: XXI
Artemio Villaseñor Panganiban Jr.
(December 7, 1937)
December 20,2005-December 7, 2007
1 year, 352 days
Appointed by: Glorio Arroyo
Artemio Villaseñor Panganiban Jr. (born December 7, 1937) is the 21st Supreme Court Chief
Justice of the Philippines.
Panganiban was born on December 7, 1937 in Manila to a poor family. His parents were Artemio
Panganiban Sr. and Patricia Villaseñor He graduated with "Honorable Mention" at the Juan Luna
Elementary School in 1950. He also finished with "Honorable Mention" at the Victorino Mapa High
School in 1954.
Art was granted a University of the Philippines scholarship, but failed to enroll because his
impoverished parents could not afford the then 15-centavo bus ride between Diliman and the family's
small rented apartment in Cataluna Street, Sampaloc, Manila. (Nonetheless he was bestowed in 1998
the membership in the UP Chapter of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society) He earned a degree of Associate
in Arts “With Highest Honors,” at the Far Eastern University in 1956. He earned a degree of Bachelor
of Laws, and graduated cum laude also at the Far Eastern University in 1960. Prior to his graduation, he
was named as the 1959 "most outstanding student" of Far Eastern University. At the 1960 Philippine
Bar Examination, he placed 6th, with a rating of 89.55% In 1997, he was given an honorary doctorate
degree in law by the University of Iloilo. He was a founder and past president of the National Union of
Students of the Philippines from 1958 to 1959 and Legal consultant to the education secretary and to the
National Board of Education from 1963 to 1965. Art was also conferred the Doctor of Laws (Honoris
Causa), by Far Eastern University, in 2002, by University of Cebu, in 2006, by Angeles University, in
2006, and by the Bulacan State University, in 2006.
Panganiban started as an Associate Lawyer and apprentice of Jovito Salonga at the Salonga,
Ordoñez and Associates Law Office from 1961 to 1963. In 1963, he formed his own law firm PABLAW
(Panganiban, Benitez, Parlade, Africa and Barinaga Law Offices), which he headed until he joined the
Supreme Court in 1995. He also became the vice president of the Legal Management Council of the
Philippines from 1976 to 1977. He was the Vice President for Legal Affairs and General
Counsel, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), 1991–1995. He was Chief Legal
Counsel of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), 1991–1995, and the only
Filipino appointed by Pope John Paul II to the Pontifical Council for the Laity. He was Legal Counsel
of the Manila Archdiocesan and Parochial Schools Association – MAPSA from May 7, 1993 – October
9, 1995. He was Chair of Workshop on Administration of Justice, Multi-Sectoral Conference convened
to discuss the first 100-day and first 1,000-day programs of President Fidel Ramos, held on June 13,
1992 and on October 17, 1992 respectively.
He taught law and political science at the Far Eastern University, Assumption Convent, and San
Sebastian College from 1961 to 1970. He became a bank director of the International Corporate Bank
(which is now owned by the Union Bank of the Philippines) from 1972 to 1974.
From 1978 to 1981, he was a consultant of the World Tourism Organization and was an honorary
consul of the Republic of Honduras from 1981 to 1983. He was the president of Arpan Tourism
Industries Corp. from 1974 to 1993 and Baron Travel Corporation from 1967 to 1993.
Panganiban was the Chief legal counsel of the Liberal Party from 1987 to 1991 and was president
of the Philippine Daily Inquirer from 1991 to 1992.
He was also the governor of the Management Association of the Philippines and president of
the Rotary Club of Manila. He was also the former president of Philippine-Finland Association and
RCM Eyebank Foundation Inc.
Panganiban's 2008 occupation is: Philippine Daily Inquirer column writer; adviser, consultant and/or
independent director of several business, civic, non-government and religious groups.
Panganiban was named as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 1995. Justice Panganiban was the
chairperson of the Supreme Court Third Division and the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal
(HRET), as well as of seven SC committees involved mainly in judicial reforms. Described by a
colleague (Justice Antonio T. Carpio) as “undoubtedly the most prolific writer of the Court, bar none”
he has during the last ten years penned more than 1,000 full-length decisions and ten books plus several
thousand minute resolutions disposing of controversies. These include the Cocofed case, in which the
court gave the Presidential Commission on Good Government the right to vote sequestered United
Coconut Planters Bank shares, which had been acquired through coco levy funds.
Panganiban was also known for his controversial role in helping install then Vice
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as President in 2001 after the downfall of Joseph Estrada.
In his book "Reforming the Judiciary," Panganiban recounted that on the morning of January 20, 2001,
militants had threatened to march toward Don Chino Roces (Mendiola) Bridge, where Estrada
supporters were encamped, unless he resigned. Chaos could have ensued, especially because the
government machinery had fallen down, Panganiban said in his book.

He also worried that the Vice President could not act because Estrada was still the legal leader. On the
other hand, a coup d'état might be staged, and that could obliterate the Constitution. These led
Panganiban to conclude that "the only way to avert violence, chaos and bloodshed and to save our
democratic system from collapse was to have Mrs. Arroyo sworn in as Acting President."
He added: "After prayer and reflection, I summoned the courage to call up Chief Justice Hilario
Davide Jr. about 5:30 a.m. to explain to him my apprehensions. I proposed that, to save the
Constitution, he should swear in GMA (Arroyo) by 12 noon of that day." Arroyo became President that
day.
When the question of Arroyo's legitimacy arose, Davide and Panganiban recused themselves
from the Supreme Court proceedings. On March 2, 2001, the court voted 13–0 to uphold Arroyo's
ascension to the top post. A month later, the court again voted 13–0 to deny with finality Estrada's
motion for reconsideration.
Justice Panganiban was named Supreme Court Chief Justice on December 20, 2005
by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo after Hilario Davide Jr. retired at age 70. Other nominees by the
Judicial and Bar Council included Senior Associate Justice Reynato Puno and Associate
Justice Leonardo Quisumbing. Puno was the most senior in terms of career in the Supreme Court while
Panganiban was the most senior in terms of age. Panganiban was succeeded by Puno after only two
years in office in December 2007. Short-term tenures of high-ranking appointees are a distinctive feature
of the Philippine political system.
Chief Justice Panganiban drew controversy for his remarks made in June 2006 regarding the
1998 decision of the Supreme Court, in which he participated, affirming the death penalty imposed
on Leo Echegaray. Echegaray, a convicted rapist was executed the following year in what was the first
execution in the Philippines since the regime of Ferdinand Marcos. Panganiban, whose anti-death
penalty views are well known, suggested that the Supreme Court may have committed "a judicial error"
in executing Echegaray, as not all of the qualifying circumstances needed to promulgate a death
conviction were actually established. His remarks, coming at the heels of the passage by Congress of a
law abolishing the death penalty, were criticized by death-penalty advocates and some newspaper
editorials. Calls were made in some quarters to indemnify the family of Echegaray. Supporters of former
President Joseph Estrada were also emboldened to demand that the Supreme Court likewise to correct
its 2001 decision upholding the assumption to the presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in lieu of
Estrada. Panganiban subsequently clarified that his remarks on the Echegaray decision were his own
personal views and not that of the Supreme Court.
The Philippine Bar Association, on its 116th Foundation Day Celebration on April 26, 2007, conferred
upon Art, the "Award of Honor" citing him as
... “a principled and visionary leader by example; a prolific writer of the Supreme Court, bar none;
a renaissance man and a nobly-souled and gifted jurist; a much sought-after speaker; a recipient
of over 250 awards and citations from national and international entities and organizations,
including several honorary doctoral degrees; an eminent lawyer, law professor, Catholic lay
worker, civic leader and businessman; a scholar imbued with mental dexterity; and, an exemplary
family man.”
As his way of reporting on his magistracy, Justice Panganiban writes one book a year. He has
authored the following:
 1994 – Love God, Serve Man
 1997 – Justice and Faith

 1998 – Battles in the Supreme Court
 1999 – Leadership by Example
 2000 – Transparency, Unanimity & Diversity
 2001 – A Centenary of Justice
 2002 – Reforming the Judiciary
 2003 – The Bio Age Dawns on the Judiciary
 2004 – Leveling the Playing Field
 2005 – Judicial Renaissance.
 2006 – Liberty and Prosperity (two volumes
On February 12, 2007, Panganiban began writing "With Due Respect" in the Opinion section of
the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Panganiban is married to Elenita Alcazar Carpio, a former associate dean and professor of
the Asian Institute of Management. Art and Leni were wed at the Immaculate Conception Church
in Rosario Heights, Quezon City on April 8, 1961.[4] Leni earned AB-Math, and BSE in St.
Scholastica's College, and MA-statistics in UP. They have 5 children: Maria Elena Panganiban-
Yaptangco, Jose Artemio III, Maria Jocelyn Panganiban-Hannett, Maria Theresa Panganiban-
Manalac and Maria Evelyn Panganiban-Reagan,[11] who all hold graduate degrees from
universities in the United States, including Harvard, Stanford, University of
California, University of Chicago, University of Michigan and Boston University. He is also an
honorary graduate of the San Beda College of Law due to his accomplishments and contributions
to the Philippine Legal System. His only son Jose "Archie" Artemio III, currently a Director at
Citigroup, New York City, USA, finished with the distinction of being the 2nd student “summa
cum laude” since the UP College of Music's birth and of earning the highest average among UP’s
3,300 graduates in 1989.[12][5] Art and Leni have 9 grandchildren, of which, 7 live with their
parents in the East Coast, USA: the 4 Hannett sisters, Patricia, Katrina, Victoria and Alexandra;
2 Manalac sisters, Andrea and Nicole; and Joey Reagan.[6] The former Chief Justice is now an
Independent Director in GMA Network, Inc., Manila Electric Company, Robinsons Land Corp.,
Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., Petron Corporation, Bank of the Philippine Islands, Asian
Terminals, and Jollibee Foods Corporation

C: XXII
Reynato Puno
(May 17, 1940)
December 8, 2007- May 17, 2010
2 years, 160 days
Appointed by: Macapagal Arroyo
Reynato Puno y Serrano (Filipino: Reynato Serrano Puno; born May 17, 1940) is the
22nd Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. Appointed on December 8, 2007
by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He served until his mandatory retirement on May 17, 2010.
Puno had initially been appointed to the Supreme Court as an Associate Justiceon June 28, 1993.
Puno was appointed on January 23, 2018 as the chairperson of the Consultative committee, by
virtue of Executive Order No. 10, tasked to review the provisions of the 1987 constitution.
Puno earned his law degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman. During his stay in
the state university, he also served as editor of The Philippine Collegian. He would later finish post-
graduate studies at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas (Master of Comparative
Laws), University of California, Berkeley (Master of Laws), and University of Illinois(finished all
academic requirements of the degree of Doctor of Judicial Science).
Puno began his legal career in private practice. In 1969, he joined the law practice of his elder
brother Isaac, a future judge whose murder at age 42 remains unsolved to date. In 1971, he joined the
Office of the Solicitor General, where he would serve for the next nine years. In 1980, Puno was
appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos as a Justice of the Court of Appeals. He rejoined the executive
department in 1984, this time as a Deputy Minister of Justice. Upon the assumption into office of
President Corazon Aquino in 1986, Puno was reappointed to the Court of Appeals.
Puno has been praised for his erudite and literary writing style. His predecessor as Chief
Justice, Artemio Panganiban, once lauded Puno's writing in the following manner: "Like a trained
surgeon, he uses his pen with razor-like precision to separate the excise fabrication from truth and
pretension from reality. In the process, he gives life to populist causes and libertarian ideals. Darting,
gutsy and erudite, he often wages lonely battles against conventional wisdom with his stirring dissents
and insightful opinion."
On June 28, 1993, President Fidel V. Ramos appointed Puno as an Associate Justice of the
Supreme Court at the age of 53. He would serve in that capacity for the next 13 years. Upon the
retirement of Justice Josue Bellosillo in 2003, Puno became the Senior Associate Justice.
Traditionally, the most senior Associate Justice was appointed to fill any permanent vacancy to
the seat of the Chief Justice, though this tradition was not always observed. Upon the retirement of Chief
Justice Hilario Davide Jr. in 2005, Puno, as the senior Associate Justice, was a leading candidate for
appointment as the next Chief Justice. However, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo instead appointed
Associate Justice Artemio Panganiban as Chief Justice, marking the first time in 20 years that the senior
Associate Justice was bypassed.
Justice Puno remained as the most senior Associate Justice for the twelve months of the term of
Chief Justice Panganiban. Despite some speculation that President Arroyo would again bypass Puno and
appoint either Associate Justice Leonardo Quisumbing or Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago as Chief
Justice, Puno was appointed to the post within hours from the retirement of Panganiban. Puno denied
speculations that he will retire from the position of Chief Justice before May 17, 2010.
On January 7, 2008, the Social Weather Stations (November 30 to December 3,
2007) survey released the performance rating of Chief Justice Reynato Puno - 32% satisfied and 34%
dissatisfied, or net –2, having been in single digit since March 2007.
Puno was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) of the Philippines award in
the field of law in 1977. He was also one of the Outstanding Alumnus of the Alpha Phi Beta Fraternity
- UP College of Law in 1975. As a member of the Judiciary, he has received honorary doctorates
from Wesleyan University Philippines, the Angeles University Foundation, Bulacan State University,
Hannam University of South Korea, the Central Philippine University, University of the
East, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of the Philippines and Silliman University.
In 1996, he was chosen the "Outstanding Alumnus" by the University of the Philippines College of Law.
Last June 21, Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno was awarded as the University of the Philippines
Alumni Association (UPAA) Most Distinguished Alumnus during the 2008 UPAA Grand Centennial
Alumni and Faculty Homecoming and Reunion at the Araneta Coliseum, Cubao, Quezon City with the
theme UP and We the Alumni: Excellence, Leadership, and Service in the Next 100 Years.
UP President Emerlinda R. Roman, UP Regents Gari M. Tiongco and Ponciano E. Rivera, Jr.,
and UPAA Board Secretary Marita P. Carag bestowed the award on Chief Justice Puno during the
awarding ceremonies of the day-long celebration.
The 2008 UPAA Most Distinguished Alumnus is the top award given by the UPAA "to recognize
UP alumni for their outstanding achievements that bring about substantial benefits to society and distinct
honor to the University."The UPAA conferred on Chief Justice Puno the award for using his UP
education to "contribute to the welfare of the Filipinos and to the larger society."
Chief Justice Puno won over around 200 nominees who were nominated for specific fields of
involvement. He was nominated for the Public Service/Good Governance category by two
organizations, the Alpha Phi Beta Fraternity Chancery (Alumni Association) and a lawyers’ group. The
UPAA Awards Screening Committee decided to name Chief Justice Puno Most Distinguished Alumnus
in light of the significant impact the Philippine Judiciary has had on the nation since he assumed the
Court's highest office.
In his response after the awarding ceremonies, Chief Justice Puno said that he views the awards
given to him and fellow alumni, not as personal achievements but as recognition of the UP soul and
spirit in their beings. "The UP spirit tells us that what is right and what is wrong is never decided by
popular vote; that what is right and what is wrong is not resolved by the demagogueries in the market
place. UP taught us the lesson there is no right be wrong, to do wrong and to go wrong," he said.
He also predicted that "UP was pre-eminent in the last 100 years. I have no doubt, it will be preeminent
in the next 100 years. We say ‘Push On UP,’ we are going to win."
As the 2008 UPAA Most Distinguished Alumnus, Chief Justice Puno also spoke at the UP
Alumni Council Meeting at the Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman, Quezon City last June 20.
At that event, Chief Justice Puno stressed that UP will be "an important center of gravity in our collective
efforts to uplift the interest of our people and interlink with humankind's drive towards universal peace
and prosperity."
He added that "the role of UP in difficult times will be decisive. It has to serve as our fresh
fountain of knowledge and reverse our knowledge deficit. It has to be a laboratory of ideas, where old
ideas are given the reverence of immutability, and where new ideas are given a tolerant eye. It must
improve the quality of our democracy by helping break the monopoly of power of the elites and by
halting their heartlessness to the many who cannot exercise their rights due to involuntary poverty."
In closing, he said that "the UP must maintain its academic freedom, for any institution that
searches and stands for truth, that resists expressions of liberty, that holds sacrosanct the right to inquire
will most likely be scorned in a society where the powers that reign take comfort in the uniformity of
ideas and shun multiformity of thoughts."
An exhibit about Chief Justice Puno was also showcased at the Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman,
Quezon City, and at the Araneta Coliseum, Cubao, Quezon City on June 20 and 21, respectively. His
awards, magazine feature articles, photos, ponencias, and speeches as well as books written about him
were displayed in the exhibit.
Chief Justice Puno graduated from the UP College of Law in 1962, with a Bachelor of Science in
Jurisprudence degree and a Bachelor of Laws degree.
The World Peace Prize Awarding Council (WPPAC) Chief Judge and Co-Founder Lester
Wolff and WPPAC Executive Judge and Co-Founder Dr. Han Min Su, WPPAC Sec. Gen. Judge Dr.
Asher Naim, and WPPAC Judge Dr. Mohammad A. Cholkamy, on October, recognized Puno as 2008
Human Cultural Asset International

C: XXIII
Renato Corona
(October 15, 1948- April 29, 2016)
May 17, 2010- May 29, 2012
2 years, 12 days
Appointed by: Gloria Arroyo
Renato Antonio Coronado Corona (October 15, 1948 – April 29, 2016) was the 23rd Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. He served as an Associate Justice after being appointed
by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyoon April 9, 2002, and later as Chief Justice on May 12, 2010,
upon the retirement of Chief Justice Reynato Puno.
Corona was previously a law professor, private law practitioner and member of the Cabinet under two
Presidents, Fidel V. Ramos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, before being appointed to the high tribunal.
On December 12, 2011, he was impeached by the House of Representatives.On May 29, 2012,
he was found guilty by the Senate of violating Article II of the Articles of Impeachment filed against
him pertaining to his failure to disclose his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth to the public.
Renato Tirso Antonio Coronado Corona was born on October 15, 1948, at the Lopez Clinic
in Santa Ana, Manila, Philippines. He was the son of Juan M. Corona, a lawyer from Tanauan, Batangas,
and Eugenia Ongcapin Coronado of Santa Cruz, Manila. He was married to Cristina Basa Roco. They
had three children and six grandchildren.

Corona graduated with gold medal honors from the Ateneo de Manila grade school in 1962 and high
school in 1966.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, with honors, also from Ateneo de Manila in 1970 where
he was the editor-in-chief of The GUIDON, the university student newspaper. He finished his Bachelor
of Laws at the Ateneo Law School in 1974. He placed 25th highest out of 1,965 candidates in the bar
examinations with a grade of 84.6%. After pursuing law school, he obtained his Master of Business
Administration degree at the Ateneo Professional Schools.
In 1981, he was accepted to the Master of Laws program of the Harvard Law School where he focused
on foreign investment policies and the regulation of corporate and financial institutions. He was
conferred the degree LL.M. in 1982. He earned his Doctor of Civil Law degree from the University of
Santo Tomas, summa cum laude and was the class valedictorian.
On December 22, 2011, Marites Dañguilan Vitug of online journalism site, Rappler.com,
published an article alleging that the University of Santo Tomas (UST) "may have broken its rules" in
granting Corona a doctorate in civil law and qualifying him for honors. She wrote that Corona did not
submit a dissertation to complete his PhD, as required by the university. And that Corona overstayed,
since UST requires that PhD programs be completed in five years with maximum residency of seven
years.
Basing from a previous interview, Vitug said Corona started his coursework on his PhD in 2000 or 2001.
Corona graduated in April 2011, a decade later, where he was one of six graduates to garner top honors
during ceremonies intended to commemorate the university's quadricentennial.
In a statement, the UST Graduate School denied that it broke its rules to favor Corona. It added
that Corona had enrolled in all of the requisite subjects leading to the doctorate, attended his classes,
passed them and delivered a "scholarly treatise" for his dissertation in a public lecture. UST said that
since it has been declared by the Commission on Higher Education as an "autonomous higher
educational institution (HEI)" it thus enjoys an institutional academic freedom to set its standards of
quality and excellence and determine to whom it shall confer appropriate degrees. It added that issues
about Corona's residency and academic honor received were moot because these come under the
institutional academic freedom of the university. ] UST likewise questioned the objectivity of the article
citing that Vitug has had a run-in with Corona and the Supreme Court.[9] Vitug supported Associate
Justice Antonio Carpio's bid for the chief justiceship in her articles in Rogue and Newsbreak
Sought for comment, Vitug said UST's statement "basically says, we have rules but we can flout them,
invoking academic freedom and autonomy.
The book, Shadow of Doubt: Probing the Supreme Court, also written by Vitug, found that his
claim that he graduated with honors from his Bachelor of Arts degree at the Ateneo de Manila University
is not recorded in the university's archives.
On May 12, 2010, two days after the 2010 general election and a month before President Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo's term expired, Corona was appointed the 23rd Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
of the Philippines, succeeding Reynato Puno who had reached the mandatory age of retirement.
His appointment was highly criticized, notably by then presidential candidate Benigno Aquino
III and former President Fidel V. Ramos, due to a constitutional prohibition against Arroyo from making
appointments two months before the election up to the end of her term. Before being elected president,
Aquino said that he will not recognize any chief justice appointment that will be made by the Arroyo
administration, and mentioned impeachment as an option to remove him by saying "The legislature has
the power of impeachment if they feel there are grounds to impeach an impeachable constitutional body.
That is open to any president... Therefore, we will have to restudy the matter, study our options. At this
point in time Congress has yet to be elected.
However, an earlier Supreme Court decision in Arturo M. De Castro v. Judicial and Bar Council,
et al. on March 17, 2010, upheld Arroyo's right as incumbent president to appoint the Chief Justice.
Voting 9–1, the high tribunal underscored that the 90-day period for the President to fill the vacancy in
the Supreme Court is a special provision to establish a definite mandate for the President as the
appointing power and that the election ban on appointments does not extend to the Supreme Court.
Corona abstained from ruling on the case together with Chief Justice Puno and Associate
Justice Antonio Carpio while Associate Justices Antonio Eduardo Nachuraand Presbitero Velasco,
Jr. dismissed the petition as premature. Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, in her dissenting
opinion, stressed that the Court can function effectively during the midnight appointments ban without
an appointed Chief Justice.
Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, a constitutional expert, warned critics of the Corona's
appointment to obey the rule of law, saying that the appointment of Corona has already been laid to rest
under the doctrine of res judicata, meaning that it can no longer be relitigated in court, because it has
already been decided with finality. Further stating that "After the Supreme Court decision in De Castro
v. Judicial and Bar Council last March, which settled the issue, any petition is now precluded, on the
theory of so-called collateral estoppel," She also commented that "The problem with the critics is that
they mistake the law as it is; with the law as it ought to be, according to their layman's interpretation. A
line has to be drawn between the rule of law and the dystopian concept of freewheeling ethics,"
On December 12, 2011, 188 of the 285 members of the House of Representatives signed
an impeachment complaint against Corona. As only a vote of one-third of the entire membership of the
House, or 95 signatures, were necessary for the impeachment of Corona under the 1987 Constitution,
the complaint was sent to the Senate for trial.
Corona was accused of consistently ruling with partiality to former President Arroyo in cases
involving her administration and of failing to disclose his statement of assets as required by the
Constitution. However he argues that he was not required to disclose US$2.4 million because foreign
deposits are guaranteed secrecy under the Philippine's Foreign Currency Deposits Act (Republic Act
No. 6426) and that the peso accounts are co-mingled funds. Corona said that the case against him was
politically motivated as part of President Benigno Aquino III's persecution of political enemies.
On May 29, 2012, he was found guilty by the Senate of Article II of the Articles of
Impeachment filed against him for his failure to disclose to the public his statement of assets, liabilities,
and net worth. Twenty out of twenty-three senators voted to convict him. A two-thirds majority, or 16
votes, was necessary to convict and remove Corona from office. Corona responded by declaring that
"ugly politics prevailed" and his "conscience is clear." This marked the first time that a high-level
Philippine official has been impeached and convicted. Senator Joker Arroyo denounced the verdict,
ending his statement with "I cannot imagine removing a Chief Justice on account of a SALN. Today,
we are one step from violating the constitution and passing a bill of attainder. No one can stop us if we
do not stop ourselves. This is not justice – political or legal. This is certainly not law, for sure it is not
the law of the constitution. It is only naked power as it was in 1972. I haven't thought that I would see it
again so brazenly performed but for what it is worth, I cast my vote. If not for innocence falsely accused,
of offenses yet to exist, and if not for the law and the constitution, that we were privileged to restore
under Cory Aquino, then because it is dangerous not to do what is right. When soon we stand before the
Lord, I vote to acquit" Senator Pia Cayetano explained her vote by stating that "the failure to declare
$2.4 million and some 80 million pesos is not minor.

In his September 25, 2013, privilege speech, Jinggoy Estrada, one of the senators who voted to
convict Corona of article two of the articles of impeachment, said that all senators, except Bongbong
Marcos, Joker Arroyo and Miriam Defensor-Santiago, received ₱50 million each to remove Corona
from office. On January 20, 2014, Senator Bong Revilla revealed that President Aquino spoke with him
to convict the Chief Justice.
On April 25, 2014, the Department of Justice issued a hold departure order against Corona along
with former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis "Chavit" Singson. In June 2016, the Sandiganbayan Third
Division dismissed the pending criminal cases of Corona after his death.
Corona died on April 29, 2016, at 1:48 a.m. at The Medical City in Pasig due to complications
of a heart attack. He also suffered from kidney disease and diabetes

C: XXIV
Maria Lourdes Sereno
(July 2 1960)
August 25, 2012- May 11, 2018
5 years, 259 days
Appointed by: Benigno Aquino III
Maria Lourdes "Meilou" Aranal Sereno (Tagalog: [sɛˈrɛnɔ], born Maria Lourdes Punzalan
Aranal; July 2, 1960) is a Filipina lawyer and judge who served as de facto Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court of the Republic of the Philippines[2]from 2012 until her removal in 2018. Appointed as Associate
Justice by President Benigno Aquino III in August 2010, she became the second youngest person (at the
age of 52) to assume the post of Chief Justice in August 2012. She was removed from office by way of
an 8–6 decision by the Supreme Court over a quo warranto petition, rendering her appointment as Chief
Justice null and void.[1] Many supporters as well as legal experts regard the removal of Sereno, who
opposed President Duterte's martial law and other executive actions, as politically motivated.
Sereno was born on July 2, 1960, in Manila, to Margarito Aranal, a native of Siasi, Sulu, and Soledad
Punzalan, who served as a public school teacher.
Sereno graduated salutatorian from Kamuning Elementary School in 1972 and with honors from
Quezon City High School in 1976.
A scholarship allowed her to apply at the Ateneo de Manila University where she had the options
of taking either Political Science or Economics. She opted for the Bachelor of Arts in Economics and
graduated in 1980. She finished her Bachelor of Laws degree from the UP College of Law at
the University of the Philippines Diliman, graduating as cum laude and class valedictorian, passing
the bar in 1984.
She obtained a Master of Arts in economics from the University of the Philippines School of
Economics (also at UP Diliman) in 1992. She earned a Master of Laws from the University of Michigan
Law School in 1993.
She is an alumna of the UP Portia Sorority.
Sereno started her career as a junior associate of the Sycip Salazar Feliciano and Hernandez law firm.
At the age of 38, she was appointed as legal counselor at the World Trade
Organization's Appellate Body Secretariat in Geneva
She was the only female member of the 1999 Preparatory Commission on Constitutional Reform where
she headed the commission’s Steering Committee. In the same year, with Justice Jose Campos,
Commissioner Haydee Yorac, and other professors from the UP College of Law, she co-founded
Accesslaw, a corporation that provided the first annotated electronic research system in Philippine law.
She also served as legal counsel for various government offices including the Office of the
President, Office of the Solicitor General, Manila International Airport Authority, and the Department
of Trade and Industry. She previously headed the Information and Public Division office of the UP Law
Complex. She was also a faculty member at The Hague Academy of International Law in Cambodia.
At the time of her appointment as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, Sereno
was executive director of the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center. She was also
the president of Accesslaw Inc., had taught at University of the Philippines College of Law for 19 years,
and served as a consultant for the United Nations, World Bank, and US Agency for International
Development.
Sereno served as a co-counsel with Justice Florentino Feliciano on the Fraport case in Singapore, in
which the Republic of the Philippines won the case.
In August 2010, she was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines,
its 169th Member and the first appointee to the High Court by President Benigno Aquino III. Sereno,
the 13th woman appointed as Justice of the Supreme Court, was the youngest appointee to the court
since Manuel Moran in 1945 until Marvic Leonen surpassed her at the age of 49 in 2012.
On August 24, 2012, President Aquino announced his appointment of Justice Sereno as the new
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, replacing Renato Corona, who was removed from office in May
2012 after being convicted in an impeachment trial.
Sereno voted against several of President Rodrigo Duterte's proposals, such as declaring martial law
and burying Ferdinand Marcos in a cemetery reserved for national heroes Sereno also took a stance on
Duterte's Philippine Drug War when she called for due process for those included in Duterte's "drug
list", a list of people alleged to be involved in the illegal drug trade.
In a televised public speech in April 2018, Duterte addressed the Chief Justice thus: "So I’m putting you
on notice that I am now your enemy. And you have to be out of the Supreme Court. after Sereno accused
him of interfering with the case.
On August 30, 2017, at least 25 members of the House of Representatives began the
impeachment process against then-Chief Justice Sereno. In addition Solicitor General Jose Calida filed
a quo warranto petition to invalidate her appointment as chief justice over alleged lack of integrity. Both
the impeachment proceedings and quo warranto petition cites Sereno's alleged failure to properly
declare her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN) and was also responsible for tax
misdeclarations and unauthorized expenses. Sereno has questioned the quo warranto petition saying that
she could only be legally removed through impeachment
After an impeachment process against her began, Sereno took an indefinite leave on March 1,
2018, but maintained she will not resign. She returned from leave shortly after the rest of the Supreme
Court made a decision on the quo warranto petition. Deciding on the quo warranto petition en banc the
Supreme Court justices voted to remove Sereno from the court on May 11, 2018, by a vote of 8–6..
Sereno filed a motion for consideration but the high court denied with finality Sereno's motion for
reconsideration for lack of merit on June 19, 2018 voting 8–6, upholding the quo warranto decision.
The ruling also states that no further pleading will be entertained as well as order for immediate entry
of judgement.
Supporters of the decision hailed the ruling which they viewed maintained the integrity of the
high court while critics view it as an attack on the high court's judicial independence.
Senior Justice Antonio Carpio assumed the post of Chief Justice in an acting capacity starting May 14,
2018, following Sereno's removal from office. On the evening of August 25, Teresita de Castro, who
only had two months left to serve in office, was appointed by president Rodrigo Duterte as the new
Chief Justice. The appointment sparked outrage from the opposition. Maria Lourdes Sereno is married
to Mario Jose E. Sereno of Davao City. They have two children, Maria Sophia and Jose Lorenzo.
 Awardee for Law, The Outstanding Women in the Nation's Service (TOWNS), 1998
C: XXV
Teresita de Castro
(October 10, 1948)
August 28, 2018- October 10,2018
48 days
Appointed by: Rodrigo Duterte
Teresita "Tess" Leonardo-De Castro (born Teresita Jose Leonardo on October 10, 1948)is
a Filipina who served as the 24th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines; appointed by
President Rodrigo Duterte on August 28, 2018. She assumed the vacated position since her
predecessor, Maria Lourdes Sereno, was removed via a quo warrantopetition (by declaring Sereno as
a de facto chief justice and making her 2012 appointment as null and void ab initio); making De Castro
the de jure 24th chief justice, making her officially the first female chief justice of the Supreme Court.
De Castro officially retired on October 10, 2018 after reaching the mandatory retirement age of
70; merely 46 days after serving as Chief Justice, surpassing the record of former Chief Justice Pedro
Yap of being the shortest-tenured Chief Justice.
Prior to her appointment to the High Court by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,[5] she had been the
Presiding Justice of the Sandiganbayan.

De Castro's parents are Fortunato R. Leonardo and Maxima Jose of Parañaque. Justice De Castro
resides at Merville Subdivision, Parañaque City. She is married to businessman Eduardo A. De Castro
and they have three children: Maria Cherell, Christine Genevive, and Edouard Anthony. Her half-
brother, Eduardo L. Leonardo works as Executive Assistant VI in Sandiganbayan.
De Castro finished her grade school (1960) and high school education (Valedictorian, 1964) at
St. Paul College of Parañaque, and earned her Political Science degree (cum laude, 1968) and Bachelor
of Laws (1972) at the University of the Philippines. She passed the Philippine Bar Examination of
November, 1972 with bar rating of 80.9%.
She started her judicial career as a law clerk, legal and judicial assistant in the Supreme Court of
the Philippines, (1973–1978). She was appointed DOJ State Counsel I and II (1978–1985), and
promoted to senior state counsel (1985–1987), supervising state counsel, and chief of the Legal Staff
(1988–1989). Before her Sandiganbayan appointment, De Castro was State Counsel V and Legal Staff
head at the DOJ (1989–1995). De Castro was the Presiding Justice and Chair of the First Division,
Sandiganbayan at the time of her appointment to the High Court.
She held the position of President-elect of the International Association of Women
Judges (IAWJ) from 2012 to 2014. She is also the Chairwoman of the 2015 Philippine Bar
Examination committee.
On August 25, 2018, President Duterte announced his appointment of Justice De Castro as the
new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, replacing Maria Lourdes Sereno who was removed from office
by way of an 8–6 decision by the Supreme Court over a quo warranto petition.She formally assumed
the office on August 28.

De Castro headed the anti-graft court's special division on the perjury and plunder trial of former
President Joseph Estrada. Estrada's son, Senator Jinggoy Estradaalso faced charges. The trial finished in
September 2007. Estrada was acquitted of perjury charges but found guilty of plunder and sentenced to
life imprisonment. All the co-defendants, including Senator Jinggoy Estrada, were acquitted of all
charges.
Estrada appealed the decision[ and called the court (and De Castro, as head of it) "a kangaroo
court", while President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said the court's decision must be accepted.
De Castro was appointed to the Supreme Court soon after the end of the highly-politicized trial.
This led to some accusations of quid pro quo. People claimed that she had convicted former President
Estrada in exchange for a seat on the Supreme Court. ] She vigorously denied those rumors, claiming
that she had been a candidate for a seat on the high court before her involvement in the case.
On October 16, 2007, the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) announced the final nominees to the
Associate Justice Cancio Garcia's vacant Supreme Court of the Philippines Associate Justice post.
Teresita De Castro, Justices Edgardo Cruz and Martin Villarama, got 7 out of 8 votes, while Associate
Justices Francisco Villaruz and Edilberto G. Sandoval and Labor Secretary Arturo D. Brion got 5 votes
each (from the JBC). Under Philippine law, the President has 90 days to choose from among the final
nominees.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada (son of Joseph), vowed to block the appointment to the Supreme Court
of Sandiganbayan Justices Teresita de Castro and Francisco Villaruz, Jr. (who convicted his father –
President Joseph Estrada). Jinggoy argued that: "Such a promotion would seem like a reward in
exchange for the guilty verdict against the deposed President. We are convinced, then and now, that the
special court created to exclusively try the case of President Estrada was established precisely to convict
him, which is what exactly happened.

De Castro was sworn before Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno on December 4, 2007.Teresita de Castro
stated: "Everything happens in God's time. I believe that my 34 years of service in the judiciary and a
good track record make me qualified for this position." Immediately after being sworn in, she
participated in her first en banc session.
On August 25, 2018, De Castro was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as the Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court, following the ouster of Maria Lourdes Serenovia quo warranto.
De Castro was one of five sitting justices who sought to nullify the appointment of Maria Lourdes
Sereno as the country's top magistrate. De Castro and Sereno were both shortlisted by the Judicial and
Bar Council in 2012 for the Chief Justiceship but then-President Benigno Aquino III appointed the latter
to the post. Along with four other members, she was accused of exhausting legal remedies to oust the
incumbent Chief Justice.
De Castro became controversial when she was the Sandiganbayan's Presiding Justice after her
Division convicted former President Joseph Estrada for graft. Many believed that her decision was
related to her subsequent appointment by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as the 160th
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 2007 in exchange of her favorable decision.
 AB Political Science: University of the Philippines Diliman (cum laude, 1968)
 Bachelor of Laws: University of the Philippines Diliman (1972)
 AB Political Science: University of the Philippines Diliman (cum laude, 1968)
 Bachelor of Laws: University of the Philippines Diliman (1972)
 Phi Kappa Phi International Honor Society;
 Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society in the Social Sciences;

 Vice Chancellor and consistent Member, Order of the Purple Feather, UP College of Law Honor
Society;
 Executive Vice-President, Philippine Women Judges Association;
 UP Sigma Alpha Sorority;
 UP College of Law, Portia Sorority and UP Women Lawyers Circle (WILOCI);
 University and College Scholar at UP Diliman.

C: XXVI
Lucas Bersamin
(October 18,1949)
November 28,2018- Incumbent
309 days
Lucas Purugganan Bersamin (born October 18, 1949) is the 25th Chief Justice of
the Philippine Supreme Court, the highest court in the Philippines. He was named by
then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the High Court as an Associate Justice on April 2, 2009.
Prior to becoming an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, he was a member of the Court of Appeals.
Justice Bersamin earned his undergraduate degree from the University of the Philippines and
graduated from the University of the East College of Law in 1973. He placed 9th in the 1973 Bar
Examinations with an average of 86.3%. Justice Bersamin was then named Commonwealth Judicial
Education Institute in Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
He was in private practice from 1974 until 1986, when he was appointed a trial court judge in
Quezon City by President Corazon Aquino. Justice Bersamin was a professor at the Ateneo Law School,
the University of the East College of Law, and the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law. He
was special lecturer at the College of Law, University of Cebu in 2006. He continues to lecture for the
Philippine Judicial Academy.

In 2003, Bersamin was elevated to the Court of Appeals by President Arroyo. In April 2009,
through a midnight appointment, Bersamin was elevated by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, a few months before she stepped down from
the presidency amid corruption cases that were going to be filed against her.
He was one of the associate justices who voted in favor of the Quo warranto petition against
Maria Lourdes Sereno, which led to the appointment of Teresita de Castro as new Chief Justice,
replacing Maria Lourdes Sereno. Arroyo later became the House Speaker while President Rodrigo
Duterte appointed Bersamin as the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on November 26, 2018,
succeeding Teresita Leonardo-De Castro.
He is the brother of former congressman Luis "Chito" P. Bersamin, Jr. of Abra, who was gunned
down during a wedding ceremony[8] and brother of Abra former provincial governor Eustaquio P.
Bersamin.
References:
https://www.google.com/search?ei=mBGgXY6GKZTXhwOazaj4AQ&q=cayetano+arellano&oq=cay
etano&gs_l=psy-ab.1.1.0l10.1072.5093..7315...0.0..1.401.3713.15j9j1
Cruz, Isagani A. (2000). Res Gestae: A Brief History of the Supreme Court. Rex Book Store, Manila
Aquino v. Enrile, G.R. No. L-35546, September 17, 1974. Supreme Court Reports Annotated, Volume
59, pp. 183. Central Law Book Publishing, Manila
Batacan, Delfin Flandez (1975). The Makalintal Court. Rex Book Store. p. 33.
https://cjpanganiban.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/part-i-chapter-62.pdf
Inquirer.net, With Due Respect, Happy 100th birthday to UP Archived June 29, 2008, at the Wayback
Machine
Supreme Court of the Philippines, Bar Topnotchers Archived September 29, 2007, at the Wayback
Machine
Isite.ph, Personal Information
Chief Justice: SC error led to execution – INQ7.net
Ager, Maila (June 29, 2010). "Davide named Truth Commission chief". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Archived from the original on June 30, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2010.
"Davide formally leaves U.N. post; campaigns for son's run as Cebu governor". The Official
Government Portal of the Republic of the Philippines. Philippines News Agency. 13 April 2010.
Retrieved 16 April 2010

Tan, Antonio S. (1972), The Chinese in the Philippines, 1898–1935: A Study of Their National
Awakening, Manila: R.P. Garcia Publishing Co
"SC Justice Carolina Griño-Aquino passes away". Sun.Star. 2012-12-24. Retrieved 2013-01-06.
Sevilla, Victor J. (1985). Justices of the Supreme Court of the Philippines Vol. III. Quezon City,
Philippines: New Day Publishers. pp. 61–62. ISBN 971-10-0138-1.
Cruz, Isagani; Cynthia Cruz Datu (2000). Res Gestae: A Brief History of the Supreme Court from
Arellano to Narvasa. Manila, Philippines: Rex Book Store. p. 199. ISBN 971-23-2913-5.
Azucena, Cesario (2004). Labor Code of the Philippines Annotated, Vol. 1. Manila, Philippines: Rex
Book Store
Sevilla, Victor J. (1986). Justices of the Supreme Court of the Philippines Vol. III. Quezon City,
Philippines: New Day Publishers. pp. 27–29. ISBN 971-10-0138-1.
Cruz, Isagani; Cynthia Cruz Datu (2000). Res Gestae: A Brief History of the Supreme Court from
Arellano to Narvasa. Manila, Philippines: Rex Book Store. pp. 170–172, 187–190, 195. ISBN 971-23-
2913-5.
Primus Inter Pares: A Patriot for the People Copyright 2014
Bernas, Joaquin (2003). The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines: a Commentary. Rex
Book Store, Manila
Supreme Court Reports Annotated, Volume 89 (In Memoriam). Central Law Book Publishing, Manila
Bernas, Joaquin (2003). The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines: a Commentary. Rex
Book Store, Manila
Mijares, Primitivo(1976). The Conjugal Dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos, Union Square
Publications, San Francisco, U.S.A.
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"Republic Act 1206; An Act Changing the Name of the Municipality of Trinidad, Province of Davao, to
Jose Abad Santos Republic Act No. 1206". Chan Robles Virtual Law Library. Retrieved 17
October 2018.

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Commission on Higher Education

CALABANGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Prepared by: Group 4

Group Leader: Raffy Piolo P. Solis

MR. ANTONIO A. ALTEZA, LIB. MRM

CI: Cayetano Arellano………………………………………………………………1-2

CII: Victorino Mapa…………………………………………………………………3-4

CIII: Manuel Araullo………………………………………………………………...5

CIV: Ramon Avancena……………………………………………………………...6-7

CV:Jose Abad Santos……………………………………………………………….8-12

CVI: Jose Yulo………………………………………………………………………13-14

CVII: Manuel Moran……………………………………………………………….15

CVIII: Ricardo Paras……………………………………………………………….16-17

CIX: Cecar Bengzon…………………………………………………………………18

CX: Roberto Concepcion……………………………………………………………19-23

CXI: Querebe Makalintal…………………………………………………………...24-25

CXII: Fred Ruix Castro……………………………………………………………...26-29

CXIII: Enrique Fernando……………………………………………………………30-34

CXIV: Felix Makasiar………………………………………………………………...35-39

CXVI: Claudio Teehankee, Sr……………………………………………………….42-43

CXVII: Pedro Yap……………………………………………………………………44

CXVIII: Marcelo Fernan……………………………………………………………45-48

CXIX Andres Narvasa………………………………………………………………49-52

CXX: Hilario Davide Jr…………………………………………………………… 53-57

CXXI: Artemio Panganiban………………………………………………………...58-64

CXXII: Reynato Puno……………………………………………………………….65-69

CXXIII: Renato Corona…………………………………………………………….70-75

CXXIV: Maria Lourdes Sereno…………………………………………………….76-79

CXXV: Teresita de Castro………………………………………………………….80-84

CXXVI: Lucas Bersamin……………………………………………………………85-86

136, an Act which had abolished the Real Audiencia de Manila.

in Padre Faura Street, Ermita, Manila.

(March 2,1847-December 23, 1920)

June 11, 1902- April 12, 1920

18 years, 306 days

Appointed by: William McKinley

refusal of the appointment.

Philippines for almost 18 Years of service (June 11-1901-April 12,1920)

(February 25, 1855-April 12, 1972)

July 1, 1920-October 31,1921

1 year, 122 days

Appointed by: Woodrow Wilson

Philippines under the American colonial Insular Government.

the University of Santo Tomas at the age of 25.

house of the Philippine Legislature.

(January 1, 1853- July 26, 1224)

November 1, 1921- July 26, 1924

2 years, 268 days

Appointed by: Warren G. Harding

from the University of Santo Tomas, where he became a professor.

Ramón Avanceña y Quimson

(April 13, 1872-1957)

April 1, 1925- December 24, 1941

16 years, 267 days

Appointed by: Calvin Coolidge

from Villa de Arevalo, Iloilo City

the American forces on Panay during the Philippine-American War.

decided to stay put.