Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition Series 3):
October 13, 2004
Enrique Medina Fernando (July 25, 1915 – October 13, 2004), the 13th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines died at the age of 89 on October 13, 2004. He was buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
Fernando was a constitutionalist and law professor, and served in the Supreme Court for 18 years, including 6 years as Chief Justice.
He was born in Malate, Manila and was married to Emma Quisumbing-Fernando. He finished his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1938 at the University of the Philippines College of Law, and graduated magna cum laude. After passing the bar, Fernando joined as a full-time member of the faculty in his alma mater until 1953, and as a professorial lecturer.
He was a George A. Malcolm Professor of Constitutional Law, and taught constitutional law at the Lyceum of the Philippines. He was feared for his tyrannical manner in the classroom but many of his law students became Supreme Court justices or prominent practitioners.
In 1947, he was admitted by the Yale Law School as the first Filipino Sterling Fellow, earning his Master of Law degree the following year.
He was appointed in 1953 as a Code Commissioner and served until 1964.
Enrique Fernando was presidential adviser to Presidents Ramon Magsaysay and Carlos P. Garcia. Before his appointment to the Supreme Court, he was a practicing lawyer. Senator Lorenzo Tañada, with whom he co-authored a popular book on constitutional law, was his law partner. He authored books on constitutional and administrative law.
In 1966, President Ferdinand E. Marcos appointed him as Presidential Legal Counsel, and was appointed as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court the following year.
Fernando became Chief Justice after the death of Chief Justice Fred Ruiz Castro in 1979. Chief Justice Enrique Fernando served from July 2, 1979 to July 24, 1985.
(Design, concept, stamps and research: Richard Allan B. Uy) All rights reserved
Photo credit: wikipedia.org
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