Infobox Officeholder
name = Alfredo Benipayo
imagesize =
small
caption =
order =
office = COMELEC Chairman
term_start = February 19, 2001
term_end = June 04, 2002
predecessor = Harriet Demetriou
successor = Benjamin Abalos
appointer = Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
nationality = Filipino
Alfredo Logronio Benipayo (born December 10, 1938) is the current Dean of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law, the oldest law school in the Philippines. He is a former magistrate and a respected law professor and bar reviewer in the country.
Early life and education
Benipayo was born in Manila. His parents are Celedonio A. Benipayo, who was born in Polangui, Albay and Amada Logronio, from Bacon, Sorsogon. He is married to Rowena Hizon Castro, daughter of Chief Justice of the Philippines Fred Ruiz Castro. At Mayaman St. U.P. Village, Diliman, Quezon City, the spouses Benipayo, are blessed with children, Ma. Cristina, Ma. Bianca Rebecca Patricia, Alfredo Ramon, Jr., Ma. Eloissa Veronica and Ma.Beatrice Regina.
Benipayo graduated elementary at Francisco Balagtas Elementary School (1945-1950), and high school at the University of Santo Tomas (1950-1954). He earned his Bachelor of Arts, at UST (1954-1958) Magna Cum Laude, and his Bachelor of Laws(LL.B.) degree from the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law (1958-1962), Cum Laude.[Faculty profile, University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law, 2007.] He passed the Philippine Bar Examination on September, 1962 with 79.5% bar rating. ]Career
Benipayo has practiced law for several years. From February, 1963 to December, 1972, he was Associate Attorney of the Jose W. Diokno Law Office, and Senior Partner, from January 1,1973 to October 5,1974 of the Reyes & Benipayo Law Office. He was appointed District Judge; V-EJ CFI, Malolos, Bulacan from October 6, 1974 to July 2, 1976. He became a District Judge, CFI, Manila from July 3, 1976 to January 17, 1983, and President Judge, RTC, Manila From January 18, 1973 to February 3, 1987.
From February 4,1987 to October 29,1996, he was an Associate Justice of the Philippine Court of Appeals, the second highest judicial court in the Philippines, next only to the Supreme Court. On October 30, 1996 to February 15, 2001, Benipayo was later appointed as Court Administrator of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, an office tasked to oversee the operations of the highest judicial court in the country. From February 16, 2001 to June 5, 2002, he was later appointed as Chairman of the Philippine Commission on Elections, an independent agency handling all local and national elections in the country. He was succeeded by Benjamin Abalos. Failing to get the Senate of the Philippines Commission of Appointment's confirmation, Benipayo was not re-appointed Chair of the COMELEC and instead was named Solicitor General by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, on October 16, 2002, as the official lawyer of the Philippine government and all its branches.
The Judicial and Bar Council nominated Benipayo for the Supreme Court of the Philippines Associate Justice post, 7 times, but he failed to sit upon the coveted golden throne. On April 1, 2006, Alfredo L. Benipayo tendered his resignation amidst a series of controversies. [ [http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2006/03/15/MAIN2006031558690.html www.mb.com.ph, Solicitor General Alfredo Benipayo submits resignation] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4807836.stm news.bbc.co.uk, Top Philippines lawyer quits post] ]
Academe
Benipayo has been teaching Law as Associate Professor at the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law (since 1963) and other law schools and bar review centers in the country. In 2007, he was appointed as Dean of the Faculty. He is also the Chairman of the Remedial Law Department at the Philippine Judicial Academy, the official training school of justices, judges, and judiciary candidates in the country. [ [http://www.tan.org.ph/files/proj_scaw_AJ.asp tan.org.ph, APPLICANTS TO THE SUPREME COURT ASSOCIATE JUSTICE POST] ]
Angioplasty
Fr. Rolando de La Rosa, O.P., UST, wrote in the Manila Bulletin: "Benipayo had chronic cough that bothered him for years. At first the best doctors thought the trouble was with his lungs. They found out later that it was his heart. He was suffering from CAD (coronary artery disease). His heart was clogged." On Feb. 21, 2001, Benipayo underwent angioplasty surgery 5 days after his appointment as Commission on Elections Chair. [page A2, saturday, March 24, 2001, Philippine Daily INQUIRER, and March 15, 2001 Manila Bulletin, Editorial]
On February 22, 2008, 3 p.m., Alfredo Benipayo (Dean of the faculty of civil law at the University of Santo Tomas) was hospitalized in Iloilo City's Saint Paul's Hospital. At the middle of his lecture before the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Iloilo Chapter in a hotel, he collapsed. [ [http://www.gmanews.tv/story/81828/Ex-Comelec-chief-Benipayo-rushed-to-hospital-in-Iloilo gmanews.tv, Ex-Comelec chief Benipayo rushed to hospital in Iloilo] ]
References
External links
* [http://www.ust.edu.ph University of Santo Tomas]
* [http://www.supremecourt.gov.ph Supreme Court of the Philippines]
* [http://www.comelec.gov.ph Commission on Elections of the Philippines]
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