Chief Justice Gives Inaugural Lecture for Salonga Law Center
September 16, 2006
     

No less than Supreme Court Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban gave the Inaugural Lecture for the Dr. Jovito R. Salonga Center for Law and Development.

      Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban of the Supreme Court of the Philippines congratulated the Silliman University College of Law for pioneering in transformative law, during his inaugural address for the Dr. Jovito R. Salonga Center for Law and Development held September 16 at the Luce Auditorium in Silliman University, Dumaguete City.

      The Chief Justice was referring to the harnessing of the law to transform society and improve the lives of people, an initiative reflective of Dr. Salonga’s deep-seated compassion for the poor and downtrodden. Personally invited by former Philippine senator Dr. Salonga, his "lifetime mentor", Panganiban spoke on the topic "Access to justice by and for the poor".

       He pledged to put special focus on what he called the four ACID problems that corrode justice in the country: (1) Access

to justice by the poor, (2) Corruption, (3) Incompetence, and (4) Delay in the delivery of quality judgments.

       "I vow to lead a judiciary characterized by four INS: independence, integrity, industry, and intelligence; one that would be morally courageous to stand its ground against the onslaughts

Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban with SU College of Law Dean Atty. Myles Nicholas Bejar (left) and Salonga Center Director Atty. Mikhail Lee Maxino (right).

of influence, interference, indifference and insolence; and that is (unyielding) to the plague of SHIPS—kinship, relationship, friendship, and fellowship," he added.

       Panganiban also envisioned a "renaissance in the legal profession", with the emergence of competent and ethical lawyers who would stand for their convictions against opposition and be beacons for the weak, oppressed and marginalized.

       After Panganiban's lecture, there was an open forum wherein members of the audience were able to ask the Chief Justice some questions.

       Earlier that day, he also had a lecture at the SU College of Law in Villareal Hall, attended mostly by law students and members of the legal profession.

       As the country's 21st Chief Justice, Panganiban led a Supreme Court that had drawn praises for its integrity and independence when it promulgated three landmark decisions. The Panganiban court struck down as unconstitutional the Arroyo government’s Calibrated Pre-emptive Response (Bayan Muna v. Ermita), certain provisions of Executive Order No. 464 (Senate v. Ermita), and Presidential Proclamation No. 1017 (David v. Arroyo).

       Panganiban earned his Bachelor of Laws degree, graduating cum laude, at the Far Eastern University in 1960. He placed 6th In the bar examinations held that same year.

       Panganiban was named as associate justice of the Supreme Court in 1995. Justice Panganiban was the chairperson of the Supreme Court Third Division and the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET), as well as of seven SC committees involved mainly in judicial reforms. Described by a colleague, Justice Antonio T. Carpio, as “undoubtedly the most prolific writer of the Court, bar none” he has during the last ten years penned more than 1,000 full-length decisions and ten books plus several thousand minute resolutions disposing of controversies. Justice Panganiban was named Supreme Court Chief Justice on December 20, 2005 by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and is set to retire on December 7, 2006 when he reaches the age of 70.