“I am honored and
privileged to have been chosen to administer her oath,” Associate
Justice of the Supreme Court Antonio Eduardo Bermejo Nachura who in
February 2007 took his oath of office as associate justice of the
Supreme Court before President Arroyo.
The oath taking of
President Arroyo will take place in her hometown in Pampanga on June
30 when her term as President ends.
Before becoming a
member of the High Tribunal, Justice Nachura was the Solicitor General
of the Philippines.
The honor given to
Justice Nachura by President Arroyo is considered an honor of the
entire Eastern Visayas people especially the friends, former
classmates, and relatives of Justice Nachura.
Born in Catbalogan
City, Samar, Justice Nachura is a graduate of the San Beda College of
Law. He brought honor to Region 8 when he placed 7th in the 1967 bar
examinations. In addition, he holds a Doctor of Public Management from
the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.
From his years as a
professor of law and a bar reviewer, Justice Nachura has earned wide
respect as an expert in political law. He was the Dean of the Arellano
Law School from 1992 to 1994. He resigned as Dean in 1994 to accept an
appointment as Undersecretary of the Department of Education, Culture
and Sports.
In 1998, Justice
Nachura was elected congressman in the House of Representatives,
representing the 2nd District of Samar. He served in the 11th Congress
and the 12th Congress.
In February 2006,
Justice Nachura was named Chief Presidential Legal Counsel by
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The following month, Justice
Nachura was appointed Solicitor-General on
March 17, 2006, replacing Alfredo Benipayo. In his capacity as
Solicitor-General, Justice Nachura has represented the Republic of the
Philippines in
various cases pending before the courts, including such high-profile
cases before the Supreme Court as the People's Initiative cases
decided in October, 2006.
