Tough act to follow

Today, December 7, Chief Justice Artemio V. Panganiban celebrates his 70th birthday and, as mandated by the Constitution, also retires from the judiciary. He leaves the Supreme Court after 11 years, although only 11 months of which he was the Chief Magistrate. I say, he retires in a blaze of glory.

His brief stint as head of the highest judicial office in the land will be most remembered by his leadership in steering the Supreme Court towards the protection of the liberty of the Filipino people in Senate v. Ermita (involving President Arroyo’s EO 464), Bayan Muna v. Ermita (the Calibrated Preemptive Response policy and BP 880) and David v. Arroyo (Proclamation No. 1017); and upholding the rule of law in the habeas corpus case of PCGG Chair Camilo Sabio and in Lambino v. Commission on Elections (people’s initiative). He showed in these landmark decisions that he exemplified the values of what he calls the 4 Ins of an ideal magistrate: intelligence, industry, integrity and independence.

After taking his oath of office as Chief Justice on December 21, 2005, Panganiban unveiled his judicial philosophy of safeguarding the people’s liberty and nurturing the nation’s prosperity. The philosophy brought world recognition for our Supreme Court during the successful three-day Global Forum on Liberty and Prosperity held in Makati last October. Delegates from 33 countries, which included 12 chief justices, vowed to safeguard the rights, liberties, and economic well-being of the peoples of this world.

The tens of thousands of court employees will be sad to see him go. He fulfilled his promise of providing maximum benefits allowed by law. At least P100,000 were released to the lowest ranking court employees nationwide in addition to their basic pay. His buoyant personality in court functions and activities will be most remembered by the 28,000 court employees and 2,000 judges in the nation.

I cannot help but look back with fondness to my early encounters with Art. I did not have the opportunity to be his professor at the Far Eastern University. However, I was his adviser when he was in student politics. At the time, I already saw in the young Art glimpses of greatness. To me, he was a born leader. With his sharp intellect and eloquence in public speaking, he was elected president of the FEU Central Student Organization (FEUSCO) during his sophomore year, the youngest then to be elected to the position. Showing his leadership skills, he helped establish and became president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), the biggest organization of student in the country.

Art was then already a reformist. I remember engaging in intelligent discussions with him on matters involving national issues. He had a knack for simplifying issues; thus he easily digested problems and found creative solutions to address them.

I am not surprised of Art’s success. He was able to excel in various disciplines and professions and has made his mark as a jurist, lawyer, civic leader, media executive, Catholic lay worker, and business entrepreneur. After working for Dr. Jovito Salonga, he formed his own law office with fellow bar placers, which he headed for 30 years. As a businessman, he established Baron Travel, one of the biggest travel agencies to date. He became president of one of the country’s most widely circulated newspapers. He is a past president of the Rotary Club of Manila, the first and largest civic club in Asia. He is the only Filipino named by Pope John Paul II as member of the Pontifical Council for the Laity for the term 1996-2000.

His appointment as Chief Justice aptly culminates his career as a jurist. He is the only Supreme Court justice who has penned one book each year, and has done so without any backlog in court cases assigned to his chambers.

There has been no public figure with the same credentials as Art. Thus, he has been a recipient of countless awards and citations, including honorary doctoral degrees. But, more important than these accolades, he has exemplified what a true public servant should be. By raising the bar, his successor has a tough act to follow.