Claudio Teehankee

Claudio Teehankee PLH
16th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
In office April 2, 1986 – April 18, 1988
Nominated by	Corazon Aquino
Preceded by	Ramon Aquino
Succeeded by	Pedro Yap
82nd Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
In office December 17, 1968 – April 1, 1986
Nominated by	Ferdinand E. Marcos
Preceded by	Eugenio Angeles
Succeeded by	Andres Narvasa
Secretary of Justice
In office August 5, 1967 – December 16, 1968
President	Ferdinand E. Marcos
Preceded by	Jose Yulo
Succeeded by	Juan Ponce Enrile
Personal details
Born	Claudio Teehankee April 18, 1918 Manila, Philippine Islands
Died	November 27, 1989 (aged 71) New York City, New York, United States
Resting place	Heroes' Cemetery
Nationality	Filipino
Children	9, including Claudio Teehankee, Jr.
Alma mater	Ateneo de Manila

Claudio Teehankee, PLH (April 18, 1918 – November 27, 1989) was the 16th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from 1986 to 1988.

He was also the most senior associate justice and chairman of the First Division of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.

Personal life

Teehankee's grave at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Teehankee was born on April 18, 1918 in Manila, Philippines.

His son Claudio Teehankee, Jr was convicted in 1995 of murder, homicide and attempted murder in the Hultman–Chapman case

His father, José Tee Han Kee, immigrated to the Philippines in 1901 from Fujian province in China. He was a close associate and friend of Sun Yat-Sen, and was active in the struggle to liberate China from the Qing (Manchu) dynasty.^[1]

Teehankee was married to Pilar D. Javier with whom he had nine children. He received his A.B. summa cum laude in 1938 and LL.B. summa cum laude in 1940 from the Ateneo de Manila. He also garnered first place in the 1940 bar examinations with an average of 94.35 percent.

He became Secretary of Justice under the Marcos administration in 1967 before being appointed as associate justice in 1968.

After his retirement, he was appointed as the Philippine Ambassador to the United Nations, where he died of cancer in Manhattan, New York on November 27, 1989. He is interred at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Political scientist Julio C. Teehankee is his nephew.

Accomplishments

He was known as the court's "activist" justice because of his dissenting opinions in many vital cases affecting the Marcos administration. He was the lone dissenter in many cases, such the High Tribunal's decision upholding the constitutionality of the Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980. He also dissented in policies which would seem to curtail the basic liberties of people. For a time, Teehankee and Justice Cecilia Muñoz-Palma would make dissents together. After Muñoz-Palma's retirement, he was joined by Associate Justice Vicente Abad Santos in making dissents.

It was this activism that made Marcos 'by-pass' him twice for the position of Chief Justice (the most senior associate justice is most likely to succeed after the retirement of the Chief Justice) in 1985. It was after the ousting of Marcos that he did get appointed as Chief Justice by the Aquino administration in 1986.

Later years

He died of natural causes in New York City on November 27, 1989. He was buried at the Heroes' Cemetery in Taguig City, Philippines.

See also

• Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
• Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
• Supreme Court of the Philippines
• Constitution of the Philippines

References

1. Tan, Antonio S. (1972), The Chinese in the Philippines, 1898–1935: A Study of Their National Awakening, Manila: R.P. Garcia Publishing Co.

Further reading

Cruz, Isagani A. (2000). "Res Gestae: A Brief History of the Supreme Court". Rex Book Store, Manila

Sources

• Supreme Court of the Philippines – Claudio Teehankee biodata