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Retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Isagani A. Cruz today died peacefully in his sleep. He was 88.
His body was cremated and his ashes placed in an urn at the chapel behind the Our Lady of Beautiful Love Parish Church in Washington Street, Merville, Parañaque where his family and friends will keep vigil until Saturday evening, March 23. The memorial vigil tonight will be held from 5 p.m.-10 pm, and from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
He is survived by his wife Salvacion, children Cesar, Claro, Celso, Carlo, Isagani and Cynthia; and grandchildren.
Appointed by the late President Corazon C. Aquino to the High Court on April 16, 1986, he served as SC Associate Justice until October 11, 1994, upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
After retirement, Justice Cruz wrote the column “Separate Opinion” for the broadsheet The Philippine Daily Inquirer from 1995 to 2010.
A native of Manila, Justice Cruz earned his law degree from the Manuel L. Quezon School of Law in 1951, graduating cum laude. He placed 8th in the Bar Examinations given the same year with a rating of 90.15%.
A native of Manila, Justice Cruz earned his law degree from the Manuel L. Quezon School of Law in 1951, graduating cum laude. He placed 8th in the Bar Examinations given the same year with a rating of 90.15%.
Prior to his SC appointment, Justice Cruz served, among others, as Chair of the Code Commission of the Department of Justice (1966-1972); Senior Partner, Laurel Law Offices; and Dean, College of Law, Lyceum School of Law (1963-1968). He was also a Bar Reviewer in Political Law and International Law in the University of the East, San Beda College, Ateneo de Manila University, University of Santo Tomas, San Sebastian College, Adamson University, and University of Manila (1975-1986).
Justice Cruz has published numerous books including several editions of Constitutional Law, International Law, and Philippine Political Law, Decisions and Dissents of Justice Isagani Cruz, Res Gestae: A Brief History of the Supreme Court (from Arellano to Narvasa) which he co-authored with Cynthia Cruz Datu, Correct Choice of Words which he co-authored with former colleague SC Justice Camilo D. Quiason, and Separate Court Opinions.
Among his significant ponencias is the case of Javier v. COMELEC (G.R. Nos. L-68379-81, September 22, 1986) where the Court effectively ruled in favor of Evelio Javier, a rival of Marcos’ KBL party member Arturo Pacificador, in the Batasan polls in May 1984 in Antique. The Court held that “were it not for the supervening events that have legally rendered it moot and academic, this petition would have been granted and the decision of the Commission on Elections dated July 23, 1985, set aside as violative of the Constitution.” Javier questioned the COMELEC’s proclamation of Pacificador which he argued was void because it was made only by a division and not by the Commission on Elections en banc as required by the Constitution. In 1986, Javier was killed in an ambush during the pendency of the case.
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