Hilario Davide, Jr.

Infobox Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice


name = Hilario G. Davide Jr.
order = 20th
term start = November 30, 1998
term end = December 20, 2005
predecessor = Andres R. Narvasa
successor = Artemio V. Panganiban
nominator = Joseph Estrada
term start2 = January 24, 1991
term end2 = November 29, 1998
predecessor2 = Irene R. Cortes
successor2 = Minerva Gonzaga-Reyes
nominator2 = Corazon Aquino
order3 = COMELEC Chairman
office3 =
term_start3 = February 15, 1988
term_end3 = December 7, 1989
date of birth = Birth date and age|1935|12|20|mf=y
place of birth = Argao, Cebu
date of death =
place of death =
nationality = Filipino

Hilario G. Davide Jr. is the current 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 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.

Early life and career

Davide was born on December 20, 1935 in Barangay Colawin, in Argao, Cebu to Hilario P. Davide, 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 in Diliman, Quezon City where he earned his Associate in Arts in 1955, a Bachelor of Science in Jurisprudence in 1958, and a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1959. He took and passed the bar examinations given that year - only months after graduation from law school.

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. Three decades after, this university would confer on him a degree of Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) in 1999.

Legislator and Constitutionalist

Davide's first opportunity to get into the national scene was when he was elected as Delegate of the 4th District of Cebu to 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 (Interim National Legislature) 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 1986 Constitutional Commission (CONCOM) and appointed Davide as one of its 50 Commissioners. He was the Chairman of the Commission’s Committee on Legislative Power and a member of the Committees on Executive Power, the Judiciary, Style and Public Hearings.

COMELEC and the 1989 coup

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.

upreme Court

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 then-President Joseph E. Estrada as the 20th Chief Justice of the Philippines. Forthwith, he took his oath of office at the new Bonifacio Shrine in the City of Manila. He became known as the Centennial and Millenial Chief Justice.

He would later become the presiding judge in the impeachment trial against then-President Estrada in December 2000. There, he personified the dignity and impartiality of the Constitution itself. 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 of then-Vice-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as a constitutional successor averted violence and imminent military takeover of power, and brought the crisis to an end. Although the moral authority of the Supreme Court carried the day, his action was sustained by the Supreme Court in a precedent setting decision thereby putting an end to the question of the legitimacy of the succession to power of Vice-President Arroyo.

In June 2004, he administered the oath of office to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Vice-President Noli de Castro in the Cebu City capitol.

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.

United Nations

Davide currently serves as Ambassador-Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations in New York City. He assumed this post in February 2007.

Awards

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.

Personal life

Jun, as many call him, is married to Virginia (Gigi) Jimenea Perez. They have five children, namely: Hilario III (a lawyer and an incumbent city councilor of Cebu City); Joseph Bryan Hilary, Sheryl Ann (a doctor), Noreen, and Delster Emmanuel (an architect) and twelve grandchildren. Hilario III is married to Jobel G. Angan with three children, namely: Patricia Janelli, Dana Giannina and Nina Francesca.

ee also

*Chief Justice of the Philippines

External links

* [http://www.supremecourt.gov.ph Supreme Court of the Philippines Official Website]
* [http://www.managinggovernance.com/program/davide.htm http://www.managinggovernance.com/program/davide.htm]
* [http://www.ngkhai.com/pointcebu/profile/davide.htm http://www.ngkhai.com/pointcebu/profile/davide.htm]