Teresita de Castro

Infobox Philippine Supreme Court Associate Justice
small

name=Teresita Leonardo-de Castro


order=
term start= December 3, 2007
term end=
predecessor= Cancio Garcia
successor=
appointer=Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
date of birth= Birth date and age|1948|10|8|mf=y
place of birth= Manila
date of death=
place of death=
spouse= Eduardo de Castro

Teresita Jose Leonardo-de Castro (born October 8, 1948) is an Associate Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court. Prior to her appointment to the High Court by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, [cite web
title ="De Castro Appointed SC Associate Justice"
work =
publisher =ABS-CBN News
date =2007-12-03
url =http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=101213
accessdate = 2007-12-03] she had been the Presiding Justice of the Sandiganbayan. [ [http://www.tan.org.ph/files/proj_scaw_AJ.asp tan.org.ph, APPLICANTS TO THE SUPREME COURT ASSOCIATE JUSTICE POST] ]

Profile

De Castro's parents are Fortunato R. Leonardo and Maxima J. Leonardo of Parañaque. Justice Teresita Jose Leonardo De Castro resides at Merville, Parañaque, Metro Manila. De Castro is married to businessman Eduardo A. De Castro. They have three children: Maria Cherell, Christine Genevive, and Edouard Anthony. Her half-brother, Eduardo L. Leonardo works as Executive Assistant VI, Sandiganbayan). [ [http://www.i-site.ph/Databases/Judiciary/Sandiganbayan/relatives/decastro-relatives.html Sandiganbayan Database profile of relatives in government of TERESITA LEONARDO DE CASTRO] ]

De Castro finished elementary (1960) and high school education (Valedictorian, 1964) at St. Paul College. De Castro earned her AB Political Science (cum laude, 1968) and Bachelor of Laws (1972) at the University of the Philippines (1979). She passed the Philippine Bar Examination of November, 1972 with bar rating of 80.9%. [ [http://www.gmanews.tv/erapplundertrial/decastro GMA NEWS.TV, Personal Data Sheet of De Castro] ]

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, II (1978-1985), and promoted to senior state counsel (1985-1987), supervising state counsel, and chief of legal staff (1988-1989). Before her Sandiganbayan appointment, De Castro was the state counsel V and chief of legal staff, DOJ (1989-1995). [ [http://www.i-site.ph/Databases/Judiciary/Sandiganbayan/personal/decastro-personal.html Sandiganbayan Database profile of TERESITA LEONARDO DE CASTRO] ] De Castro is the incumbent Presiding Justice and Chairman, First Division, Sandiganbayan. [ [http://www.chanrobles.com/sandiganbayaninthephilippinesdirectory.htm Sandiganbayan Directory] ]

The trial of Joseph Estrada

"(see also Trial of Joseph Estrada)"

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 Estrada also faced charges. The long trial finished in September 2007. Estrada was acquitted of perjury charges but found guilty of plunder and sentenced to life imprisonment. [ [http://www.gmanews.tv/sandiganbayandecision.html GMA NEWS.TV, The SANDIGANBAYAN DECISION] ] All the co-defendants, including Senator Jinggoy Estrada, were acquitted of all charges.

Estrada appealed the decision [ [http://news.monstersandcritics.com/asiapacific/news/article_1359793.php/Philippines_ex-president_Estrada_appeals_conviction_for_plunder Monstersandcritics.com, Philippines' ex-president Estrada appeals conviction for plunder] ] 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. [ [http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSMNT00044820070912 Reuters, Philippines' Estrada gets life] ]

De Castro was appointed to the Supreme Court soon after the end of this 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. [ [http://www.gmanews.tv/story/60521/Palace-urges-Sandigan-justices-to-decline-SC-nomination GMA NEWS.TV, Palace urges Sandigan justices to decline SC nomination] ] 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.

Appointment to the Supreme Court

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. [ [http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view_article.php?article_id=94732 Inquirer.net, Sandiganbayan, 2 CA justices lead nominees for SC post] ]

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"." [ [http://www.gmanews.tv/story/67275/Jinggoy-vows-to-block-Sandigan-justices-appointment-to-SC gmanews.tv, Jinggoy vows to block Sandigan justices' appointment to SC] ]

Teresita de Castro was sworn before Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno on December 4, 2007, at the Dignitaries Lounge of the Supreme Court building in Manila City. [ [http://www.gmanews.tv/story/71177/New-SC-CA-justices-to-be-sworn-in-Tuesday GmaNews.tv, New SC, CA justices to be sworn in Tuesday] ] 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. [ [http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=101338 AbsCbn, De Castro takes oath of office] ]

Reactions to her appointment to the Supreme Court

*Joseph Estrada called the appointment of Teresita de Castro as a “reward for an unjust conviction [of him] ”. [ [http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/man/2007/12/05/news/de.castro.s.appointment.to.sc.a.political.reward.erap.html Sun Star, De Castro's appointment to SC a political reward: Erap] ]

*Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. said: “That is the President’s call and I do not question it. Of course, other persons may have personal reasons for objecting to the appointment of Justice De Castro. But you cannot please everyone.” [ [http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=politics2_dec5_2007 Manila Standard Today, Estradas slam De Castro’s promotion] ]

*On December 4, 2007, Senate President Manuel Villar and Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada (the son of Joseph) questioned the timing of Teresita de Castro appointment. Villar stated that: “The appointment’s coming so soon after de Castro’s division had convicted former President Joseph Estrada is bad timing. It gives the impression that the appointment was her reward for convicting Erap [Estrada’s nickname] .” Jinggoy Estrada said: “A few months after the conviction of President Estrada, she [de Castro] was immediately appointed as Supreme Court associate justice. I think there was a deal between Malacañang and Sandiganbayan that if she convicts President Erap, she would be appointed to the Supreme Court. That gave political color to the decision of Sandiganbayan. I think she is qualified to be an associate justice. It’s just that the timing is wrong. If I were Justice de Castro, I would have refused the appointment out of delicadeza [good taste] . It did not look good in the eyes of the public.”

*Sen. Richard Gordon stated that "de Castro is highly qualified for the High Tribunal and that her appointment could not be interpreted as “reward” for her decision on the Erap plunder case. Malacañang had ignored the Sandiganbayan’s guilty verdict and granted absolute pardon to the former president." [ [http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/dec/05/yehey/top_stories/20071205top2.html Manila Times, Villar, Jinggoy hit timing of SC appointment] ]

*Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita defended the appointment of Teresita de Castro noting that she was nominated several times to the post but because she was still handling the Estrada case she was bypassed twice. He added that de Castro deserved the appointment. [ [http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=101467 AbsCbn, Ermita defends de Castro's appointment] ]

*On December 9, 2007, Artemio Panganiban stated: "Congratulations to new Supreme Court Justice Teresita J. Leonardo de Castro. Gutsy and brainy, she has chalked up an immaculate and impressive track record." [ [http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/columns/view_article.php?article_id=105737 Inquirer.net, Danding wins San Miguel but loses Cocobank] ]

Education and Qualifications

University and Law School

*AB Political Science: University of the Philippines (cum laude, 1968)
*Bachelor of Laws: University of the Philippines (1972)

=Training Courses=
*Seminar on Loan Negotiation and Renegotiation (August 9 to September 5, 1986), International Law Institute, Washington D.C.
*Program of Instruction for Lawyers (June 11-21, 2004), Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts
*Seminar Judging Across Borders: Canadian Judges and International Law, (April 6-9, 2005), National Judicial Institute, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Other honors and qualifications

*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);
*Awarded University and College Scholarships at UP Diliman, Q.C.

Some notable opinions

* [http://www.supremecourt.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2008/march2008/180643.htm G.R. No. 180643, "Romulo L. Neri Vs. Senate Committee", et al (2008)] - "on the principle of executive privilege over Congress’ right to information"

References

ee also

*Supreme Court of the Philippines
*Trial of Joseph Estrada
*Neri vs. Senate Committee

External links

* [http://sandigan.supremecourt.gov.ph/ Sandiganbayan] – Official website