CHIEF JUSTICE Hilario G. Davide, Jr. has always been a leader by example. His professional life has been, for the most part, devoted to public service. He is known to maintain his professional competence and integrity amidst attempts to influence his official action and judgment. His service record stands as proof that a public servant can make a difference, withoutbeing beholden to no interest other than the public’s.
“Jun,” as he is known to his relatives and friends, was born on December 20, 1935 in the remote barangay of Colawin, in Argao, Cebu.
He went to Argao Elementary School and Abellana Vocational High School for his primary and secondary schooling, respectively. In college, he went to the University of the Philippines. He initially took up Associate in Arts in 1955. In the same year, he entered the U.P. College of Law as an entrance scholar. A year later, he became a member of the Order of the Purple Feather, the College’s honor society. He also became a member of the Student Editorial Board of the College’s legal publication, the Philippine Law Journal. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Jurisprudence in 1958, and his law degree in 1959. In his last year in the U.P. College of Law, he became a member of two international honor societies, the Phi Kappa Phi and the Pi Gamma Mu.
He was thrust in the government service early on in his professional career. From 1959 to 1963, he became the Private Secretary to the Vice-Governor of the Province of Cebu, and then to its Governor. And, like his parents, he also became involved with the academe. From 1962 to 1968, he was a faculty member of the College of Law of Southwestern University in Cebu City. This university would later confer upon Chief Justice Davide his Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) degree (1999).
He was later elected as delegate of the 4th district of Cebu to the Constitutional Convention (CONCON) in 1971. He became Chairman of the Committee on Duties and Obligations of Citizens and Ethics of Public Officials. He was among the three delegates to the CONCON who introduced the most number of reform proposals.
The reforms adopted under the CONCON were, however, short-lived. Public unrest over deteriorating economic conditions and the suppression of political rights, as well as the desire of the Marcos regime to perpetuate itself in power, heralded the declaration of martial law in 1972.
Chief Justice Davide became one of martial law’s staunch critics. In 1978, he was elected assemblyman for Cebu in the Interim Batasang Pambansa. An oppositionist in the ruling party-dominated legislative body, he was its first Minority Floor Leader. As assemblyman, 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.
Shortly after the overthrow of the Marcos regime through the “People Power” revolt in February 1986, then President Corazon C. Aquino convened the Constitutional Commission (CONCOM) of 1986, and appointed Chief Justice Davide one of the fifty Commissioners. He was the Chairman of the CONCOM’s Committee on the Legislative Power, and a member of the Committees on the Executive Power, the Judiciary, Style and Public Hearings.
As Chairman of the Committee on Legislative Power, he was the principal author and sponsor of Article VI of the 1987 Constitution on the Legislative Department. He was also the sponsor of the Ordinance appended to the 1987 Constitution providing for the apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives. He submitted the most number of resolutions, a majority of which were incorporated in the Committee reports.
In February 1988, President Aquino appointed Chief Justice Davide as Chairman of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). He was the principal sponsor of COMELEC’s rules of procedure. While serving in the COMELEC, he was designated as Chairman of the Presidential Fact-finding Commission created pursuant to Administrative Order No. 146. It was a task to conduct an investigation of the 1989 rebellion and the involvement in it of military and civilian officials and private persons. On the basis of a bill which was certified by the President to Congress and which later became Republic Act No. 6832, this Commission was superseded by a Fact-finding Commission to conduct a thorough investigation of the failed coup d ‘etat of December 1989, and recommend measures to prevent the occurrence of similar attempts at a violent seizure of power. Chief Justice Davide was appointed as Chairman and he was deemed resigned as Chairman of the COMELEC.
He was appointed as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court on January 24, 1991. 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.
Chief Justice Davide was appointed by President Joseph Ejercito Estrada on 30 November 1998 as the 20th Chief Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court. Forthwith, he took his oath of office at the new Bonifacio Shrine in the City of Manila.
Curriculum Vitae
HON. HILARIO G. DAVIDE, JR.
(as of 13 December 2005)
Current
Position
Chief
Justice, Supreme Court of the Philippines
Appointed by, and took oath of office
before, then President Joseph EjercitoEstrada on 30 November 1998
Current
Ex-Officio Positions
Chairman, Judicial and Bar Council
Presiding Officer, Presidential Impeachment
Court
Chairman, Presidential Electoral
Tribunal
Chairman, Board of Trustees, Philippine
Judicial Academy
Chairman, Executive Committee, Judicial
Reform Program
Previous Positions in the Supreme Court
|
Senior Associate Justice |
13 October – 29 November 1998 |
|
Associate Justice |
24 January 1991 – 12 October 1998 |
|
Chairman, First Division |
08 September 1997 – present |
|
Chairman, House of |
01 September 1997 – 30 November 1998 |
|
Working Chairman, Third |
02 January 1996 – 07 September 1997 |
|
Member, Senate Electoral |
02 January 1996 – 30 August 1997 |
|
Chairman, Computerization |
31 December 1995 – 20 November 1998 |
|
Chairman, Bar Examinations |
1991 |
Past Positions and Affiliations
|
Chairman, The Fact Finding Commission created pursuant to Republic Act No. 6832 |
12 January 1990 – 15 January 1991 |
|
Chairman, The Presidential |
07 December 1989 – 11 January 1990 |
|
Chairman, Commission of |
16 February 1988 – 11 January 1990 |
|
Commissioner, Constitutional |
02 June – 15 October 1986 |
|
Assemblyman, Interim Batasang |
12 June 1978 – 30 June 1984 |
|
Minority Floor Leader |
1978-79 |
|
Delegate, Constitutional |
1971 |
|
Faculty Member, College of Law, |
1962-68 |
|
Private Secretary to the Vice Governor |
1959-63 |
Highlights As
CONCON Delegate, Assemblyman, CONCOM Commissioner, COMELEC Chairman, and
Chairman of the Fact-Finding Commission
As
CONCON Delegate:
He was among the three delegates
of the CONCON who introduced the most number of reform proposals.
He was the Chairman of the
Committee on Duties and Obligations of Citizens and Ethics of Public Officials.
As Assemblyman:
He was the first
Minority Floor Leader of the Interim Batasang Pambansa.
He filed the most
number of bills of national significance and resolutions to lift martial law,
and sought
Legislative
investigations, especially of cases involving graft and corruption and/or irregularities
in the government and violations of human rights.
He authored various
bills that were subsequently enacted into law, such as those increasing the
penalties for white slavery and for corruption of minors, and limiting the
periods of preventive detention and restraining orders.
He authored major
substantial amendments to the 1984 Election Law to provide safeguards for the
election process and preserve the sanctity of the ballot.
He authored bills to
nationalize barangay high schools.
He was the principal
author of bills to repeal oppressive and unjust decrees such as Presidential
Decree Nos.1735, 1834, 1835, 1836 and 1877.
He authored various
amendments to the Dangerous Drugs Act, which included (1) imposing the maximum
penalty for offenders who use public land for the planting or cultivation of
marijuana plants, and for apprehending officers who fail or refuse to turn over
confiscated marijuana or other prohibited or regulated drugs; and (2) providing
that the commission of a crime while in a state of drug addiction constitutes a
qualifying aggravating circumstance.
He authored amendments
to give more teeth to the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices.
He was a member of the
Interim Batasang Pambansa Parliamentary Delegation to the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics (USSR) and German Democratic Republic (East German) in 1982 and to
the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization –European Parliament Meeting also in
1982.
As Commissioner of the CONCOM:
He was the Chairman of the
Committee on the Legislative and a member of the Committee on the Executive
Power, the Judiciary, and Public Hearings.
He was the principal author
and sponsor of the Article on the Legislative of the 1987 Constitution of
Republic of the Philippines.
He was the sponsor of the
Ordinance appended to the 1987 Constitution providing for the apportionment of
the seats of the House of Representatives.
He authored innumerable
amendments to the draft of the Constitution.
He submitted the most number
of resolutions, majority of which were incorporated in Committee reports.
As Chairman of the COMELEC.
He was the principal sponsor of the COMELEC Rules of Procedure.
As Chairman of the Fact Finding
Commission created by R.R. No. 6832. He was a co-author of the
Final Report of the Fact Finding Commission published by Bookmark, Inc. (1990).
Education
|
Elementary |
Argao (Cebu) Elementary School, 1949 |
|
High School |
Abellana Vocational High School, CebuCity, 1953 |
|
College |
University of the Philippines (U.P.) Diliman, Quezon City |
|
|
ØBachelor ØBachelor ØAssociate > University Scholar (1 semester) and College > Entrance Scholar, College of Law, 1955-56 > College Scholar (1 semester), College of Law > Member, The Society of the Order of Purple > Member, Student Editorial Board, Philippine Law > Member, U.P. Chapter, International Honor > Member, U.P. Chapter, International Social > Business Consultant, |
Awards
a) International:
2002 Magsaysay Awardee for Government
Service, conferred by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, 31 August 2002
b) National:
2005
UPAA Most Distinguished Alumnus Award, conferred by the University of
the Philippines Alumni Association on 25
June 2005
Outstanding
Citizen of Quezon City in the field of the Judiciary, conferred by the Quezon
City government during its 65th Foundation Anniversary on 12 October
2004
The
Most Outstanding Plebeian Achievement Award on the occasion of its
Golden Anniversary celebration on 19
June 2004, conferred by the Kapatirang Plebeian Foundation, Inc.
2003
Man of the Year, conferred by the Philippines Free Press, December 2003
Bayani
ng Katarungan Award, conferred by Kilosbayan and Bantay Katarungan,
November 2003
Chief
Justice Roberto Concepcion Award for Legal Aid (First Awardee),
conferred by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines,
June 2003
Jose
P. Laurel Award, conferred by the Lyceum of the Philippines,
Lyceum Quadrangle, Intramuros, Manila,
7 March 2002
Rizal
Peace Award, 2001, conferred by the University of Southern Philippines,
Cebu City, in collaboration with the Institute for Peace and Values-Centered
Leadership, August 2001
2001 Chino
Roces Freedom Award conferred by the Joaquin “Chino”
P. Roces Foundation, Inc., 27 August
2001
Signum
Lasallianum Award, given by the University
of St. La Salle (Bacolod
City), July 2001
Outstanding
Professional Awardee in Law, conferred by the University of the
Philippines Alumni Association (UPAA), June 2001
Rule
of Law Award (for the preservation and promotion of Constitutionalism
and the Rule of Law), conferred by the Chief Justice Teehankee Foundation and
the Center for the Rule of Law, April 2001
Grand
Perlas Award, Philippine Foundation, Inc., March 2001
Award
of Excellence for his performance in the Impeachment Trial, conferred
by Bantay Katarungan, February 2001
Rajah
Humabon Award (highest honor conferred by the City of Cebu),
February 2001
Filipino
of the Year 2000 Award conferred by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, 14 January 2001
Millennium
Medal of Merit, Rizalian
Year 2000, Order of the Knights of Rizal
Medallion of
Judicial Excellence,
conferred by the Professional Regulation Commission, June 2000
Ten
Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Award in the field of Environmental Law, conferred by the Philippine
Jaycee Senate, March 1999
Most Outstanding
Cebuano (in the field of Judicial service) conferred by the Province
of Cebu during its 430th
Founding Anniversary, 1999
Knight Grand
Cross of Rizal,conferred
by the Supreme Council of the Order of the Knights of Rizal, 1998
National
Maagap Award(representing the Judiciary of the Philippines),
conferred by the Organized Response for the Advancement of Society, Inc.
(ORAS), 1998
Plaque of
Merit
awarded by the Supreme Knight, Knights of Columbus, 1995
Outstanding
Knights of Columbus
Award,Public
Service Category, 1995
One of the
Two Most Outstanding National Officials,First Annual Sun.Star Awards sponsored by the Sun.Star Daily of
Cebu City, 1991
Service to
the Nation Award,Knights of
Columbus in the Philippines,
1987
Plaque of
Merit, Integrated Bar of
the Philippines,
Cebu Province
Chapter, 27 April 1985
One of the
Ten Outstanding Assemblymen of the Interim Batasang Pambansa,The People’s Free Press, Ten
Outstanding Assemblymen Special Tribute (TOAST) ’83, 9 May 1984
Plaque of
Appreciation as one of the Ten Outstanding Cebuano Alumni,U.P. Alumni Association of Cebu, 1981
Plaque of
Appreciation,Commission
on Elections, 1973
Certificate
of Merit,U.P.
Alumni Association, 1972
Certificate
of Merit,Philippine
Law Journal, 1959
Outstanding Plebeian,U.P., 1957
Honorary Degrees
a) International:
Degree of Doctor (Honoris Causa), Soka
University, Japan,
March 2002
b)
National:
Doctor
of Public Administration (Honoris Causa), Polytechnic
University of the Philippines
(PUP), 9 December 2005
Doctor
of Laws (Honoris Causa), University of the Cordilleras,
Baguio City,
May 2004
Doctor
of Humanities (Honoris Causa), Northern Christian
College, Laoag
City, March 2004
Doctor
of Humanities (Honoris Causa) for Peace and Development, Notre
Dame University,
Cotabato City,
March 2004
Doctor
of Laws (Honoris Causa), University
of San Carlos, Cebu
City, March 2003
Doctor
of Laws (Honoris Causa), De La Salle University, Manila,
June 2001
Doctor
of Laws (Honoris Causa), Angeles
University Foundation, Angeles
City, April 2001
Doctor
of Laws (Honoris Causa), University of the Philippines
(U.P.), Diliman, Quezon City, April
2001
Doctor
of Laws (Honoris Causa), Far Eastern University, Manila,
April 2001
Doctor
of Humanities (Honoris Causa), University of the Visayas, Cebu
City, March 2001
Doctor
of Humanities (Honoris Causa), Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon
City, March 2001
Doctor
of Humanities (Honoris Causa), University
of Cebu, Cebu
City, March 2000
Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa),
Southwestern University, Cebu City,
March 1999
Honorary Membership
First Honorary
Member of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Philippine
National Committee, conferred during the International Women’s Day celebration
on 10 March 2005
Involvement
in International Organizations
One of the
Honorary Presidents of the WORLD JURIST ASSOCIATION of the World Peace Through
Law Center up to September 2005; and one of the officers thereof as President
of the World Association of Law Professors, September 2005
Member, Advisory
Council of Eminent Jurists, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),
Regional Office for Asia and Pacific
Member, Ad Hoc
Advisory Group of Judges for UNEP organized during the January 2003 UNEP
meeting in Nairobi, Kenya
Member, Center for Democracy, Washington D.C., U.S.A.
Previous
Involvement in Civic/Professional Organizations
Member, University of the Philippines Cebu Law Alumni Association
Vice President, Bar Association of Cebu
Grand Knight, Fr. Matias Lucero Council No. 6054, Knights of Columbus
in the Philippines, Argao, Cebu
District Deputy, Knights of Columbus in the Philippines
Member of the Board of
Directors, Citizens Legal Aid Society of the Philippines Inc. (Cebu Chapter)
Director for Community
Services, KC-Philippine Senate
State Advocate for the
Visayas Jurisdiction, Knights of Columbus
in the Philippines
Member, Administrative and Finance Board,
Archdiocese of Cebu
International
Conferences/Meetings Attended:
2005 International Conference and
Showcase on Judicial Reforms, sponsored by the Philippine Supreme Court
and the World Bank, 28-30 November 2005, Shangrila Hotel, Makati, Philippines
22nd Biennial
Conference of the World Jurist Association, 4-10 September 2005, Beijing, and Shanghai, China
113th Annual International
Judicial Conference, sponsored by the Furth Family Foundation, Supreme
Court of Ukraine and the University of Michigan School of Law, 25-27 May 2005,
Kyiv, Ukraine
2004 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees
Conference, sponsored by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, 29-31
October 2004, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Global Conference on Scaling Up Poverty Reduction, sponsored by the World Bank,
25-27 May 2004, Shanghai, China
Seminar on the Enforcement of
Corporate Governance in APEC Economies, sponsored by the Australian
Government, 23-24 April 2004, Kuala Lumpur
12thAnnual
International Judicial Conference, sponsored by the Furth
Family Foundation and the Constitutional Court of Romania, 19-21 March 2004, Bucharest,
Romania
LAWASIA
Judicial Section’s 10th Conference of Chief Justices of Asia and the
Pacific and LAWASIA’s 18th Conference, 1-4 September 2003, Tokyo,
Japan
21st Biennial
Conference of the World Jurist Association (WJA) of the World Peace Through Law Center,
17-23 August 2003, Sydney and Adelaide,
Australia
11th Annual
International Judicial Conference, sponsored by the Center for
Democracy, The Furth Family Foundation and the International Foundation for Election
Systems (IFES), 21-23 May, 2003, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
Judicial Conference of the United
States Committee on International Judicial Relations, 19-21 May 2003,
Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
Judges Planning Meeting for the
Implementation of the Johannesburg Principles, sponsored by the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 30-31 January 2003, Narobi,
Kenya
Roundtable Meeting of Chief
Justices on the Bangalore Draft of the Universal Declaration of Judicial
Standards as amended at the Roundtable Conference of Chief Justices,
sponsored by the Judicial Group on Strengthening Judicial Integrity, 9-12
January 2003, Colombo, Sri
Lanka
Roundtable Meeting of Chief
Justices To Review the Draft of the Universal Declaration of Judicial
Standards, sponsored by the Judicial Group on Strengthening Judicial
Integrity, 25-27 November 2002, Peace
Palace, The
Hague, Netherlands
2002 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees
Conference, sponsored by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, 24-27
October 2002, Sien Reap, Cambodia
World Jurist Association (WJA)
Regional Conference on Constitutions: Mobility versus the Environment,
29 September to 3 October 2002,
Stuttgart, Germany
Global Judges Summit on
Sustainable Development, sponsored by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), 18-20 August 2002, Johannesburg,
South Africa
International Working
Conversation on Acquisition of Life Technologies Information by the Courts
(Ottawa Round), sponsored by the Einstein Institute for Science, Health and the
Courts (EINSHAC) and the National Judicial Institute of Canada, 14-17 June
2002, Ottawa, Canada
10th Annual
International Judicial Conference, sponsored by the Center for
Democracy, Furth Family Foundation and the Council of Europe, 22-24 May 2002,
Strasbourg, France
Experts Meeting on Liability and
Compensation for Environmental Damage, sponsored by the United Nations
Environmental Programme (UNEP), 13-15 May 2002, Geneva,
Switzerland
World Jurist Association (WJA)
Conference on Terrorism, 14-16 April 2002, Madrid,
Spain
Eight Annual International
Judicial Conference, sponsored by the Center for Democracy, Furth
Family Foundation the Council of Europe, 25-27 May 2000, San
Francisco, California
LAWASIA’s Environmental Law
Conference, 17-19 May 2000, Darwin,
Northern, Territory, Australia
19th Biennial
Conference of the World Jurist Association (WJA) of the World Peace Through Law
Center, 03-10 October 1999, Budapest, Hungary and Vienna, Austria
LAWASIA
Judicial Section 8th Conference of Chief Justices of Asia and the Pacific,
and LAWASIA’s 16th Conference, 7-10 September 1999, Seoul,
South Korea
Southeast Asia Justice’s Symposium on the
Law on Sustainable Development, sponsored by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP), Supreme Court of the Philippines, UNDP and the
Hanna Seidel Foundation, 4-7 March 1999
Participation in International
Conferences with his papers presented or read by Members of the Court because
of his temporary physical disability to travel:
Poverty
Reduction and Economic Management (PREM) Conference,
sponsored by the World Bank, 20 April
2005, Washington, D.C.,
U.S.A.
Third
Regional Conference on Managing Corporate Governance in Asia,
sponsored by the Asia Institute of Management C.V. Starr Chair in Corporate
Governance/AIM-RVR Center for Corporate Responsibility, 7 April 2005, Bali,
Indonesia
Meeting of Asian Judicial Leaders on
Building Judicial Conference in Asia,
sponsored by the American Bar Association – Law Asia Initiative, 25-27 January
2005, Bangkok, Thailand
Participation as keynote
speaker at opening ceremonies in International/Regional Conferences/Workshops:
Subregional
Workshop for Judge and Lawyers On The Justiciability of Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights in Southeast Asia, sponsored by the Office of High
Commissioner for Human Rights of the UN, 3 November 2004, Manila
7th
International Human Rights Conference, sponsored by the Frederick Ebert
Stiftung Regional Office, 11 October
2004, PasigCity
8th
Congress of Indo-Pacific Association of Law, Medicine and Forensic Science,
20 September 2004, Manila
First
Asia Pacific Regional Seminar on International
Labor Law Standards and Equality Issues for Judges, 16 September 2003, Makati
City
Asia-Europe
Experts’ Meeting on Strengthening the Judicial Protection of Children, 4 March 2003, Makati
City
10th
Asean Institute of Strategic and International Studies Colloquium on Human
Rights, 21 February 2003,
PasigCity
Australasian
Judicial Educators Forum, 11
February 2003, MakatiCity
Philippine-Japan
Joint Seminar on Crime Prevention and Treatment of Offenders,5 December 2001, Manila
The
Hague Academy of
International Law External Program, 22 January
2001, Makati
City
12th General Assembly
of the Asian Patent Attorneys Association, 14 November 2000, Cebu
City
Fifth Asian Ombudsman Conference,
14 July 2000, Manila
Regional Symposium on the State,
Civil Society and the Media in the Asean, organized by the Asian
Institute for Development Communication, 4
July 2000Manila
ASEAN Colloquium for Judges and
Prosecutors on Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in the Context of
the TRIPS Agreement, 27
October 1999, Manila
20th ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary
Organization General Assembly, 20
September 1999
Personal Data
|
Birthdate and Birthplace: |
20 December |
|
Parents: |
Hilario P. |
|
Spouse: |
Virginia |
|
Children: |
Hilario III, AB Political Science, UP-Diliman, 1981; Bachelor of Joseph Sheryl Ann, BS Public Health, University of the Noreen, AB Sociology, University of the Delster |
|
Grandchildren: |
Patricia |