Abdulwahid Bidin
Encyclopedia
Abdulwahid A. Bidin — was an Associate Justice
of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
. Appointed by President
Corazon Aquino
in 1987, he was the first Muslim
named to the Philippine High Bench.
, Bidin finished his high school
education in Sulu. He fought with the resistance movement against the Japanese occupation during World War II
. After the war, he pursued his college studies at the University of the Philippines
as a government scholar, and eventually earned his law degree from the university's College of Law
.
Bidin returned to Sulu and spent the next few years in private practice. From 1956 to 1959, he was an elected member of the Provincial Board of Sulu. Bidin first entered the judiciary in 1968, when he was appointed as a trial judge in Zamboanga City
. He was cited by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines as the most outstanding trial court judge of 1979.
In 1983, Bidin was appointed to the Intermediate Appellate Court
(since renamed as the Court of Appeals). He was an Associate Justice of the appellate court when he was elevated to the Supreme Court on January 12, 1987. Bidin served on the Supreme Court for eight years until he reached the mandatory retirement age of seventy in April 1995.
Bidin died four years after his retirement from the Court, on February 2, 1999.
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
An Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines is one of 15 members of the Philippine Supreme Court, the highest court in the Philippines. The Chief Justice presides over the High Court, but carries only 1 of the 15 votes in the court...
of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
Supreme Court of the Philippines
The Supreme Court of the Philippines is the Philippines' highest judicial court, as well as the court of last resort. The court consists of 14 Associate Justices and 1 Chief Justice...
. Appointed by President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Corazon Aquino
Corazon Aquino
Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino was the 11th President of the Philippines and the first woman to hold that office in Philippine history. She is best remembered for leading the 1986 People Power Revolution, which toppled Ferdinand Marcos and restored democracy in the Philippines...
in 1987, he was the first Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
named to the Philippine High Bench.
Profile
Born in Tawi-TawiTawi-Tawi
Tawi-Tawi is an island province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . The capital of Tawi-Tawi is Bongao. The province is the southernmost of the country sharing sea borders with the Malaysian State of Sabah and the Indonesian East Kalimantan province. To the...
, Bidin finished his high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
education in Sulu. He fought with the resistance movement against the Japanese occupation during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war, he pursued his college studies at the University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
as a government scholar, and eventually earned his law degree from the university's College of Law
University of the Philippines College of Law
University of the Philippines College of Law or UP Law is the law school of the University of the Philippines. Since 1948, it has been located at the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City, the flagship campus of UP's seven constituent universities. Until the 1970s, night classes of...
.
Bidin returned to Sulu and spent the next few years in private practice. From 1956 to 1959, he was an elected member of the Provincial Board of Sulu. Bidin first entered the judiciary in 1968, when he was appointed as a trial judge in Zamboanga City
Zamboanga City
The City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....
. He was cited by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines as the most outstanding trial court judge of 1979.
In 1983, Bidin was appointed to the Intermediate Appellate Court
Philippine Court of Appeals
The Court of Appeals of the Philippines is the Philippines' second highest judicial court, just after the Supreme Court. The court consists of 68 Associate Justices and 1 Presiding Justice...
(since renamed as the Court of Appeals). He was an Associate Justice of the appellate court when he was elevated to the Supreme Court on January 12, 1987. Bidin served on the Supreme Court for eight years until he reached the mandatory retirement age of seventy in April 1995.
Bidin died four years after his retirement from the Court, on February 2, 1999.