Cecilia Muñoz-Palma (November 22, 1913 – January 2, 2006) was a
Filipino
Filipino may refer to:
* Something from or related to the Philippines
** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines.
** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
jurist
A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyses and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal qualification in law and often a legal practitioner. In the Uni ...
and the first
woman
A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...
appointed to the
Supreme Court of the Philippines
The Supreme Court ( fil, Kataas-taasang Hukuman; colloquially referred to as the ''Korte Suprema'' lso used in formal writing is the highest court in the Philippines. The Supreme Court was established by the Second Philippine Commission on Ju ...
.
She was appointed to the Supreme Court by
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...
on October 29, 1973, and served until she reached the then-mandatory retirement age of 65.
While on the Court, Muñoz-Palma penned several opinions adverse to the
martial law government of her appointer, President Marcos. After retiring from the Court, she became a leading figure in the political opposition against Marcos, and was elected to the
Batasang Pambansa
The Batasang Pambansa Complex, or simply the Batasan (), is the seat of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It is located along the Batasan Road in Batasan Hills, Quezon City.
The complex was initially the home of the Batasang Pa ...
as an
Assemblywoman from Quezon City. When
Corazon Aquino
Maria Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; ; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipina politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. She was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People P ...
was installed as president following the
1986 People Power Revolution
The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular Demonstration (people), demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a ...
, Muñoz-Palma was appointed chairwoman of the
1986 Constitutional Commission that drafted the
1987 Constitution.
Background
The daughter of a
congressman from
Batangas
Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( tl, Lalawigan ng Batangas ), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region on Luzon. Its capital is the city of Batangas, and is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and La ...
, Muñoz-Palma enrolled at
St. Scholastica’s College in Manila and was the valedictorian of high school class of 1931. She earned her law degree from the
University of the Philippines
The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 200 ...
College of Law
A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction.
Law degrees Argentina
In Argentina, ...
, and a
Master of Laws
A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is an advanced postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in a related subject. In mos ...
degree from
Yale Law School
Yale Law School (Yale Law or YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824 and has been ranked as the best law school in the United States by '' U.S. News & Worl ...
. She was the first woman to be elected as president of the College of Law student council (1936-37), president of the Portia Club, first place in the first oratorical contest held by the U.P. Debating Club (1934), and recipient of the Dr. Mendoza-Guanzon medal for excellence in oratory and the Justice Abad Santos medal for excellence in debating.
She topped the 1937
Philippine Bar exams with a 92.6% rating. She became the first woman prosecutor of
Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
in 1947. Seven years later, she became the first female district judge when she was named a trial court judge for
Negros Oriental
Negros Oriental ( ceb, Sidlakang Negros; tl, Silangang Negros), officially the Province of Negros Oriental, is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. Its capital is the city of Dumaguete. It occupies the southeaste ...
.
[Justices of the Supreme Court of the Philippines Vol. III, p. 94] In the next few years, she was assigned as a judge to
Laguna and
Rizal until her appointment to the
Court of Appeals
A court of appeals, also called a court of appeal, appellate court, appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal. In much of ...
in 1968, the second woman ever to be appointed to the appellate court.
In 1973, she again made history, this time as the first female Supreme Court Associate Justice.
[
]
Dissenter from martial rule
By the time she retired from the Court in 1978, Muñoz-Palma had become identified, along with Claudio Teehankee
Claudio Teehankee, CCLH (April 18, 1918 – November 27, 1989) was the 16th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from 1987 to 1988.
He was also the most senior associate justice and chairman of the First Division of the Supr ...
, as a dissenter from rulings that affirmed the decrees and actions enforced by her appointer, President Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial ...
, during his martial law
Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory.
Use
Marti ...
rule. As early as 1975, she had expressed skepticism that "a referendum under martial rule can be of no far-reaching significance as it is accomplished under an atmosphere or climate of fear." (''Aquino v. COMELEC, G.R. No. L-40004, January 31, 1975'', J. Muñoz-Palma, ''Separate Opinion'' ) The following year, she voted against allowing Marcos the right to propose amendments to the Constitution by himself, and in doing so, ventured to call for the lifting of martial law itself. In a later dissent, she added that "under a martial law regime there is, undeniably, repression of certain rights and freedoms, and any opinion expressed would not pass the test of a free and untrammeled expression of the will of the people. That "(M)artial law connotes power of the gun, meant coercion by the military, and compulsion and intimidation" was so stated by President Ferdinand E. Marcos upon proclamation of martial law in the country."
Opposition against Marcos
After her retirement from the Court, Muñoz-Palma emerged as a prominent figure in the anti-Marcos political opposition. In 1984, she was elected under the UNIDO
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) (French: Organisation des Nations unies pour le développement industriel; French/Spanish acronym: ONUDI) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that assists countries in ...
banner to the Regular Batasang Pambansa
The Regular Batasang Pambansa (English: Regular National Assembly), or the First Batasang Pambansa, was the meeting of the Batasang Pambansa from the beginning of its session on July 23, 1984 until it was abolished by President Corazon Aquino on ...
as an Assemblywoman, representing Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the List of cities in the Philippines, most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
. She headed for a time a National Unification Council that sought to unify all anti-Marcos opposition groups. She also became an early supporter of the attempt to draft the then-reluctant Corazon Aquino
Maria Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino (; ; January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009) was a Filipina politician who served as the 11th president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992. She was the most prominent figure of the 1986 People P ...
to run for the presidency against Marcos.
1986 Constitutional Commission and later life
After Aquino assumed the presidency in 1986, Muñoz-Palma called in vain for the retention of the unicameral Batasang Pambansa as the country's legislative body but such plea was not heeded by the new President. Instead, the President dissolved it by means of a proclamation, which formed a provisional constitution that declares her government to be revolutionary and assumed legislative powers the now former Batasan held. When Aquino created the 1986 Constitutional Commission to draft the new Constitution, she appointed Muñoz-Palma as one of its members. The Commission would later elect her as its Chairwoman.
Following the ratification of the 1987 Constitution, Muñoz-Palma faded from the public eye. However, in 1992, President Fidel V. Ramos
Fidel Valdez Ramos (, ; March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR and Eddie Ramos, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th president of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military ...
appointed Muñoz-Palma as a member of the Council of Advisers of the Moral Recovery Program, where she was elected as vice chairman in recognition of her non-political leadership. In 1998, she supported Vice-President Joseph Estrada
Joseph Ejercito Estrada, (; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap, is a Filipino politician and former actor. He served as the 13th president of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, the 9th vice presi ...
for the presidency. After his election, Estrada appointed the 85-year-old Muñoz-Palma as Chairperson of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office
The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO, fil, Tanggapan sa Charity Sweepstakes ng Pilipinas) is a government-owned and controlled corporation of the Philippines under direct supervision of the Office of the President of the Philippines. ...
. She served in this capacity until her resignation on January 31, 2000. Muñoz-Palma strongly denounced the circumstances that led to Estrada's vacation of the presidency and the assumption into office of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal Arroyo (, born April 5, 1947), often referred to by her initials GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician serving as one of the House Deputy Speakers since 2022, and previously from 2016 to 2017. She previously ...
.
Muñoz-Palma died on January 2, 2006, at the age of 92.
Legacy
Three years later, the International Women’s Forum inducted her into its International Hall of Fame. Her family and friends formed the Justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma Foundation to “continue what she started,” and was released in February 2009.
A street between the Bonifacio Shrine and Mehan Garden
Mehan Garden is an open space in Manila, Philippines. It was established in 1858 by the Spanish colonial authorities as a botanical garden, called the ''Jardín Botánico'', outside the walled city.
History
Botanical garden
The garden establish ...
in Ermita
Ermita is a district in Manila, Philippines. Located at the central part of the city, the district is a significant center of finance, education, culture, and commerce. Ermita serves as the civic center of the city, bearing the seat of city ...
, Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
was named in her memory.
Personal life
Muñoz-Palma was married to Rodolfo C. Palma, a native of Tagbilaran, Bohol
Tagbilaran, officially the City of Tagbilaran ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Tagbilaran), is a 3rd class component city and capital of the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 104,976 people.
Encompassing a la ...
and a fellow law graduate of University of the Philippines. They have two sons and a daughter together.
Some notable opinions
''Sanidad v. COMELEC (1976) – Dissenting''
References
*
External links
Supreme Court Obituary
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Munoz-Palma, Cecilia
1913 births
2006 deaths
20th-century women judges
Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
Filipino democracy activists
20th-century Filipino judges
Filipino women judges
Individuals honored at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani
Judges and justices honored at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani
Justices of the Court of Appeals of the Philippines
Members of the Batasang Pambansa
Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Quezon City
People from Batangas
University of the Philippines alumni
Members of the Philippine Constitutional Commission of 1986