Roberto Concepcion
| Roberto Concepción | |
|---|---|
| 10th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines | |
|
In office June 17, 1966 – April 18, 1973 |
|
| Nominated by | Ferdinand Marcos |
| Preceded by | César Bengzon |
| Succeeded by | Querube Makalintal |
| 62nd Associate Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court | |
|
In office February 9, 1954 – June 17, 1966 |
|
| Nominated by | Ramon Magsaysay |
| Member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission | |
|
In office June 2, 1986 – October 15, 1986 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Roberto Reyes Concepción June 7, 1903 Manila, Philippine Islands |
| Died | May 3, 1987 (aged 83) Manila, Philippines |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Children | Catalina C. Buena Carmen V. Valero Roberto Concepción Jr. Milagros Concepción Jesús Concepción. |
| Alma mater | University of Santo Tomas |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Roberto Reyes Concepción (June 7, 1903 – May 3, 1987) was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from June 17, 1966, until April 18, 1973. Apparently, he took a leave 50 days earlier from his scheduled mandatory retirement. But some consider it as a resignation, due to his dissent in the Ratification Cases (Javellana v. Executive Secretary (1973)) which upheld the 1973 Constitution, and paved the way of extending Marcos’ regime.
Concepción was born in Manila on June 7, 1903 to Isidro Concepción and Catalina Reyes. He possessed superior intelligence, reinforced by the virtues of perseverance and industry.
He is married to Dolores Concepción with whom he had five children: Catalina C. Buena, Carmen V. Valero, Roberto Jr., Milagros and Jesús.
He graduated his Bachelor of Laws summa cum laude from the University of Santo Tomas in 1924, then placed first in the bar examinations that same year.
Starting out as a private practitioner, he then worked at the Office of the Solicitor General, from which he was subsequently appointed as a judge, then a Court of Appeals Justice before being appointed as Supreme Court Associate Justice in 1954.
Concepción, one of the leaders of the Civil Liberties Union and a Constitutional expert in his own right, advocated the promotion and protection of civil and individual liberties. His dedication to the Rule of Law was his hallmark.
As Chief Justice, he paved the way of accepting a more liberal approach regarding the individual rights and liberties, whether personal or civil. Said acceptance was shown in the admissibility of evidence, in which the Supreme Court, under his helm, declared that illegally seized evidence is not admissible (though some jurisdictions, including the U.S., made inadmissible evidence illegally seized objects earlier on, it was only in 1967 that such evidence in Philippine jurisdiction was deemed unacceptable).
He was a good administrator of the Court, and followed a systematic approach in the assignment and organization of the casework.
Concepción wrote the decision in the Ratification Cases which upheld the 1973 Constitution. In the said decision, he wrote the summary of facts, then his own opinion of the case (which he said that the 1973 Constitution has not been properly ratified according to law), then proceeded to make the summary of votes.
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Wikipedia