PAGBABAGO
On Dec. 5, friends, family, and colleagues of the late Supreme Court Justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma will gather at the Supreme Court for a book launch of the first woman justice of the high court. “Mirror of my Soul” is a story of Justice Palma’s life and includes as well her speeches and decisions. The book is a revised second edition of the original written by Paulyn Sicam and published before her passing in 2006.
The launch, sponsored by the Supreme Court, the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA) in cooperation with the Justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma Foundation (JCMPF), and the Women’s and Gender Studies Association of the Philippines will be keynoted by Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander C. Gesmundo. It will include messages by Senior Associate Justice Marvic F. Leonen, the president of the Women’s and Gender Studies, Dr. Excelsa C. Tiongson, and a student of the Justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma High School, with response by Tadeo Palma, a trustee of the JCMPF.
A woman of “many firsts,” Justice Palma who was the first woman associate justice of the Supreme Court, was also the first female prosecutor, and judge of the trial court and second woman justice of the Court of Appeals. She was valedictorian of her high school class at the St. Scholastica College and of her law class as well, and the first woman president of the student council at the UP College of Law. She topped the bar with a score of 92.6 percent.
Justice Celing, as her friends call her, espoused human rights, especially rights of women and children, justice, rule of law, and an independent judiciary.
During the difficult years of martial law, she led the Concerned Women of the Philippines (CWP) which organized visits to prisons, forums on human rights, press freedom, and the Aurora Aragon Quezon Peace Foundation (AAQPF) which awarded individuals and groups involved in research and action programs on education, peace and human rights. Among the leaders of these groups included feisty and courageous personalities such as Teresa Feria Nieva, Nini Quezon Avancena, Sally Boncan, Charo Roxas Moran, Mary Concepcion Bautista, Mita Pardo de Tavera, and Evelyn Kilayko. Because of the times when these groups were championing causes such as human rights, construction of the nuclear power plant in 1984, and physical abuses perpetrated on dissenters, there was then scanty evidence of their advocacies. These included letters to the press, forums, and support of early initiatives of private citizens like Enrique Zobel of the Makati Business Club.
At the Constitutional Commission where Justice Palma was president, she authored the provision on the equality of women and men. She successfully orchestrated the many voices of the 48-member body that drafted the 1987 Constitution which today is not only the longest lasting charters in the world but will also be remembered for having enshrined the concept of social justice in almost every chapter of the Constitution.
The Justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma Foundation organized shortly after the honoree’s passing is headed by Dr. Mina Gabor as chair, yours truly as vice-chair, Dr. Chit Reodica, Atty. Rene Sarmiento, Cora Alma de Leon, Dr. Sonia Roco, Ballsy Aquino-Cruz, Dr. Alice Lim, Rep. Kit Belmonte, and Atty. Rebo Saguisag, board members, with Reena Yuson, board secretary and Maribeth Barril, executive director.
Today, JCMPF is engaged in providing scholarships, capability-building of teachers and school children on skills such as reading, at the Justice Cecilia Munoz High School, as well as awareness – building on online sexual abuse of children, and forums on peace, environment. It also maintains the JCMPF museum dedicated to social justice and law which is located at the Quezon City Hall of Justice. Beside the museum is her sculpture crafted by Julie Lluch.
At lunch last Wednesday at the EDSA Shangri La Plaza,which would have been Justice Celing’s 110th birthday, former Speaker and Quezon City Mayor Sonny Belmonte, reminisced with us about his early experiences with the late Justice and how she had helped him in his early career. Speaker Sonny was instrumental in re-naming what used to be the Payatas High School after her. The same with naming the six-story building which now houses the prosecutor’s office and the JCMP museum.
That was the second time I had seen Speaker Sonny in four years. The first was just three days ago, last Sunday, during the 76th anniversary of the UP Church of the Risen Lord at UP Diliman where he was our guest speaker. We shared light banter at lunch about losing memory during old age. Such as having a vivid memory of the distant past like World War II but however, experience lapses of memory of what had happened in the recent past. ([email protected])