Marcelo Fernan
Encyclopedia
Marcelo "Celing" Briones Fernán (October 24, 1927 – July 11, 1999) was a Filipino
lawyer
and political figure. He is the only Filipino to have served as both Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court
and as Senate president. He is also the third Filipino to have headed both the judicial and legislative branches of government, after Querube Makalintal
who served as Chief Justice
and Speaker of the Batasang Pambansa
in the 1970s, and Jose Yulo
, who served as Chief Justice and Speaker of the House of Representatives before 1946.
. In 1953 he graduated with a degree in law from the University of the Philippines
. He went to Harvard University
in United States
to obtain his masters degree. He returned to the Philippines
soon after and entered politics
as a delegate to the National Constitutional Convention. In 1977, he was elected national president of the Integrated Bar (National Lawyers Organization) and on 1988 became the chief justice
of the Supreme Court
.
.
. He accepted the offer of Ramon Mitra
as his vice presidential candidate of the LDP
Party. In the 1992 elections
, he however lost to actor and Senator
Joseph Estrada
. In the 1995 elections
, Fernan ran for the Senate
under the Lakas-Laban
coalition and was elected. Fernan was elected Senate president at the opening of the 11th Congress
in 1998. He was one who approved the US-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement (Treaty) in 1999.
Fernan resigned the Senate Presidency on June 28, 1999 due to his failing health. He died of cancer only days later, on July 11 in Manila
. He was buried in Cebu City
. A newly built bridge was named after him linking Mandaue City
to Mactan Island
.
His Uncle, Manuel Briones, was also a Supreme Court justice from 1945–1949. Like Fernan, Briones also ran and lost for the Vice-Presidency in 1949.
One of his favorite songs is My Way, by Frank Sinatra.
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and political figure. He is the only Filipino to have served as both Chief Justice
Chief Justice of the Philippines
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines presides over the Supreme Court of the Philippines and is the highest judicial officer of the government of the Philippines...
of the Supreme Court
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...
and as Senate president. He is also the third Filipino to have headed both the judicial and legislative branches of government, after Querube Makalintal
Querube Makalintal
Querube C. Makalintal was the Chief Justice of the Philippines from Oct. 31, 1973 until December 22, 1975 and Speaker of the Interim Batasang Pambansa from June 12, 1978 to June 30, 1984.-Career:...
who served as Chief Justice
Chief Justice of the Philippines
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines presides over the Supreme Court of the Philippines and is the highest judicial officer of the government of the Philippines...
and Speaker of the Batasang Pambansa
Batasang Pambansa
The Batasang Pambansa , also known by its nickname, the Batasan, was the former parliament of the Philippines, established as an interim assembly in 1978 and finally as an official body in 1984. Under the 1973 constitution, it replaced the former Congress established under the 1935 Commonwealth...
in the 1970s, and Jose Yulo
Jose Yulo
José Yulo was the Chief Justice of the Philippines during the Japanese Occupation and was Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives from 1939 until the World War II started in 1941.-Career:...
, who served as Chief Justice and Speaker of the House of Representatives before 1946.
Early life and career
Fernan was born in Cebu CityCebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
. In 1953 he graduated with a degree in law from the University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
. He went to Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to obtain his masters degree. He returned to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
soon after and entered politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
as a delegate to the National Constitutional Convention. In 1977, he was elected national president of the Integrated Bar (National Lawyers Organization) and on 1988 became the chief justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Supreme Court
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...
.
Personal life
He was married Eloisa Nolasco in 1955, having 9 children Marissa N. Fernan; Marget Fernan-Villarica, Maur Fernan-Ledesma, Memel Fernan-Borromeo, Marcel N. Fernan, Mitoy Fernan-Cayosa, Mona Fernan-Quiogue, Michael N. Fernan, Manny N. Fernan and 18 grandchildren, Carlo, Miki and Monica Villarica; Paolo and Camille Ledesma; Mio and Melissa Borromeo; Marc and Rina Fernan; Andre, Marco, Clara and Niña Cayosa; Marty, Sofia and Emilio Quiogue; Simon and Isabelle Fernan. He is also closely related to the Manigsaca family in Cebu CityCebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
.
Political life
He resigned as Chief Justice in 1991 to pursue running as presidentPresident 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...
. He accepted the offer of Ramon Mitra
Ramon Mitra, Jr.
Ramon "Monching" Villarosa Mitra, Jr. , was a prominent Filipino statesman, diplomat, and a renown pro-democracy activist of the Philippines....
as his vice presidential candidate of the LDP
Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino
The Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino is a political party in the Philippines founded in 1988.There are no results available of the last elections for the House of Representatives, but according to the website of the House, the party holds 7 out of 235 seats . The party is divided into two factions...
Party. In the 1992 elections
Philippine general election, 1992
The senatorial election was held in the Philippines on May 11, 1992. This was the first general election under the 1987 Philippine Constitution. An estimated 80,000 candidates ran for 17,000 posts from the presidency down to municipal councilors...
, he however lost to actor and Senator
Senate of the Philippines
The Senate of the Philippines is the upper chamber of the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, the Congress of the Philippines...
Joseph Estrada
Joseph Estrada
Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada was the 13th President of the Philippines, serving from 1998 until 2001. Estrada was the first person in the Post-EDSA era to be elected both to the presidency and vice-presidency.Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in over 100 films in...
. In the 1995 elections
Philippine general election, 1995
The senatorial election was held in the Philippines on May 8, 1995. Filipinos protected the ballot boxes with their lives and campaigned against traditional politicians who used bribery, flying voters, violence, election rigging, stealing of ballot boxes and etc...
, Fernan ran for the Senate
Senate of the Philippines
The Senate of the Philippines is the upper chamber of the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, the Congress of the Philippines...
under the Lakas-Laban
Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino
The Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino is a political party in the Philippines founded in 1988.There are no results available of the last elections for the House of Representatives, but according to the website of the House, the party holds 7 out of 235 seats . The party is divided into two factions...
coalition and was elected. Fernan was elected Senate president at the opening of the 11th Congress
11th Congress of the Philippines
The Eleventh Congress of the Philippines is the meeting of the national legislature of the Republic of the Philippines, composed of the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives...
in 1998. He was one who approved the US-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement (Treaty) in 1999.
Fernan resigned the Senate Presidency on June 28, 1999 due to his failing health. He died of cancer only days later, on July 11 in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. He was buried in Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
. A newly built bridge was named after him linking Mandaue City
Mandaue City
The City of Mandaue is a city in the province of Cebu in the Philippines. It is one of the three urbanized cities in the island and forms a part of the Cebu Metropolitan area. Mandaue City is located on the middle eastern coastal region of Cebu, bordering to its right-side are Mactan Island where...
to Mactan Island
Mactan Island
Mactan is an island located a few kilometres from Cebu Island in the Philippines. The island is part of Cebu Province and it is divided into Lapu-Lapu City and the municipality of Cordova...
.
Trivia
When he was a member of the opposition in the Batasang Pambansa, he would sing the song 'Feelings' in public during demonstrations against the Marcos regime. But he stopped such practice after being appointed to the Supreme Court.His Uncle, Manuel Briones, was also a Supreme Court justice from 1945–1949. Like Fernan, Briones also ran and lost for the Vice-Presidency in 1949.
One of his favorite songs is My Way, by Frank Sinatra.