The First Lady Chief Justice
“In the midst of this period of deep mourning for the loss of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, the President is cognizant of his constitutional duty to appoint the next Chief Justice of the Philippines. He has therefore decided to appoint Associate Justice Maria Lourdes Punzalan Aranal-Sereno as the 24th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,” Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a statement.
Good judges will have good character.
They will be impartial and honest. Moses challenged the first judges with the following words.Judge fairly, whether the case is between brother Israelites or between one of them and an alien. Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of any man, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it (Deut 1:16,17).
Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly (Lev 19:15).
Supreme Court Of The Philippines
The GREATS of Philippine Judiciary
Cayetano L. Arellano (March 2, 1847 – December 23, 1920) was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines under the American Civil Government. He was Chief Justice from 1901 until his retirement on April 12, 1920, making him the longest serving Chief Justice. Wikipedia
José Abad Santos y Basco (February 19, 1886 – May 2, 1942) was the fifth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines and served as Acting President of the Philippines during World War II. He was executed by Japanese forces during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Wikipedia
Roberto Concepción (June 7, 1903 – May 3, 1987) was the Chief Justice of the Philippines from June 17, 1966, until April 18, 1973. Apparently, he took a leave 50 days earlier from his scheduled mandatory retirement. But some consider it as a resignation, due to his dissent in the Ratification Cases (Javellana v. Executive Secretary (1973)) which upheld the 1973 Constitution, and paved the way of extending Marcos’ regime.
José Abad Santos y Basco (February 19, 1886 – May 2, 1942) was the fifth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines and served as Acting President of the Philippines during World War II. He was executed by Japanese forces during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Wikipedia
Roberto Concepción (June 7, 1903 – May 3, 1987) was the Chief Justice of the Philippines from June 17, 1966, until April 18, 1973. Apparently, he took a leave 50 days earlier from his scheduled mandatory retirement. But some consider it as a resignation, due to his dissent in the Ratification Cases (Javellana v. Executive Secretary (1973)) which upheld the 1973 Constitution, and paved the way of extending Marcos’ regime.
The Great Dissenter
Claudio Teehankee (April 18, 1918 - November 27, 1989) was the 16th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
Teehankee was born on April 18, 1918 in Manila, Philippines. He was married to Pilar D. Javier with whom he has 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 examinations 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 Yorkon November 27, 1989. He is interred at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. From Wikipedia
Teehankee was born on April 18, 1918 in Manila, Philippines. He was married to Pilar D. Javier with whom he has 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 examinations 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 Yorkon November 27, 1989. He is interred at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. From Wikipedia
Claudio Teehankee distinguished himself when he upheld the rights of the people even during the height of the martial law period.
Teehankee often dissented from the majority opinion of his
colleagues in the court, accusing Marcos and the military of human right abuses.
He authored the opinion questioning the jurisdiction of military commissions over civilians, such as the one that tried former Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr.
In his role as "great dissenter," Teehankee was called the "conscience of the Supreme Court." When he became a senior member of the Senior Court, Teehankee was twice bypassed for the position of Chief Justice, violating the protocol that the most senior of the justices be named to head it.
Teehankee weathered the bar scandal of 1982, which involved the son of another Supreme Court justice, and was reappointed to the court. He also survived attempts to impeach
him and questions concerning his citizenship during the same year.
At the height of the EDSA Revolution in February 1986, Teehankee played a crucial role in swearing in Corazon C. Aquino as the country's 11th President while Marcos was holding his
own inaugural ceremony at Malacañang.
Teehankee served as Chief Justice until his retirement on April 18, 1988.
Teehankee often dissented from the majority opinion of his
colleagues in the court, accusing Marcos and the military of human right abuses.
He authored the opinion questioning the jurisdiction of military commissions over civilians, such as the one that tried former Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr.
In his role as "great dissenter," Teehankee was called the "conscience of the Supreme Court." When he became a senior member of the Senior Court, Teehankee was twice bypassed for the position of Chief Justice, violating the protocol that the most senior of the justices be named to head it.
Teehankee weathered the bar scandal of 1982, which involved the son of another Supreme Court justice, and was reappointed to the court. He also survived attempts to impeach
him and questions concerning his citizenship during the same year.
At the height of the EDSA Revolution in February 1986, Teehankee played a crucial role in swearing in Corazon C. Aquino as the country's 11th President while Marcos was holding his
own inaugural ceremony at Malacañang.
Teehankee served as Chief Justice until his retirement on April 18, 1988.
Most important qualities of a Supreme Court justice
President Obama eloquently expressed what he believes to be the most important qualities of a US Supreme Court justice when he nominated Sonia Sotomayor to the bench (excerpt):
"First and foremost is a rigorous intellect -- a mastery of the law, an ability to hone in on the key issues and provide clear answers to complex legal questions. Second is a recognition of the limits of the judicial role, an understanding that a judge's job is to interpret, not make, law; to approach decisions without any particular ideology or agenda, but rather a commitment to impartial justice; a respect for precedent and a determination to faithfully apply the law to the facts at hand."
Justice Maria Lourdes P. A. Sereno
“I will serve my fellow Filipinos with integrity and conviction, holding myself to the ideal of justice that refutes the abuse of strength and instead labors to succor the weak…; justice that may serve as one of the several foundations for rebuilding institutions and restoring the people’s faith in good government” Justice Sereno
“The responsibility of a Supreme Court Associate Justice in the continuing endeavor of national development is indeed formidable. The strengthening of governance by the rule of law needs to be guided by a deep and unadulterated pursuit of truth in all its various dimensions – seeking to uphold what is fundamentally right and fair. I humbly accept this responsibility and by God’s grace commit myself to help fulfill the Filipino’s quest for true justice.” Justice Sereno
Are We Ready For A Lady Chief Justice?
Born July 2, 1960, the 50-year old Justice is the youngest to be appointed to the SC in this century. She is also seen to be one of the longest-serving justices so far as she is set to mandatorily retire after serving a 20-year term in 2030.
With 23 active years in law practice, more recently in the field of local appellate and international arbitration, and notable scholastic undertakings, Justice Sereno brings to the Court deep and diverse legal experience.
Prior to her appointment to the SC, Sereno was Executive Director of the policy think-tank of the Asian Institute of Management since February 2009; and President of the Accesslaw, Inc. from April 2000. She was a UP Law professor for almost 20 years. From 1995 to 2002, she was Consultant for Judicial Reform, working with the United Nations Development Program, the World Bank, and the United States Agency for International Development.
Sereno also taught law and economics at the Philippine Judicial Academy; international trade law at the Hague Academy of International law, University of Western Australia, and Murdoch University; electronic commerce law at the AIM, and international trade law at the Department of Foreign Affairs-Foreign Service Institute.
From 1994 to 2008, she served as legal counsel in various government agencies: Office of the President, Office of the Solicitor General, Manila International Airport Authority, Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, World Trade Organization-ASEAN Free Trade Area (WTO-AFTA) Commission, and the Philippine Coconut Authority. She handled various international trade and investment law disputes in WTO in Geneva, International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in Washington DC, and in International Chamber of Commerce's International Court of Arbitration (ICC-ICA) in Singapore and in Paris, employing bilateral dispute resolution mechanisms.
She was co-counsel for the Republic in its cases involving the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3.
Sereno also had a stint as Commissioner and Chair of the Steering Committee in the Preparatory Commission on Constitutional Reform in 1999. She was a Director, from 1996 to 1999, at the Institute of International Legal Studies in UP. From July to October 1998, she was Counsellor to the WTO Appellate Body in Geneva, serving as assistant to members of the Appellate Body (judges).
Sereno served as Deputy Commissioner in the Commission on Human Rights after working as a Junior Associate in one of the known law firms.
Sereno also drafted the legal framework for the operations of the first paperless trading of securities in the country for the Bureau of Treasury.
Sereno was recognized as one of the Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service in the field of law in 1998.
Sereno holds a Master of Laws degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. She has units in the Master of Arts in Economics Program from the University of the Philippines School of Economics. An economics major from the Ateneo de Manila University, Sereno studied law in UP where she graduated valedictorian cum laude in 1984, placing 14th in the Bar exams results of the same year.
