| Claudio Teehankee | |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 | April 18, 1918 Manila, Philippines |
| Died | November 27, 1989 (aged 71) New York City, New York, United States |
Claudio Teehankee (April 18, 1918 - November 27, 1989) was the 16th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
He was also the most senior associate justice and chairman of the First Division of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
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Teehankee was born on April 18, 1918 in Manila, Philippines. He was married to Pilar D. Javier with whom he has 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.
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 did he get appointed as Chief Justice by the Aquino administration in 1986.
At the close of the People Power Revolution in 1986, he administered the oath of office to Corazon Aquino at Club Filipino, San Juan at 10:00 am, two hours before Marcos' version of the presidential oath-taking at Malacanang at noon of February 25. Teehankee's fellow dissenter, Justice Vicente Abad Santos, administered the vice-presidential oath to Salvador Laurel.
Cruz, Isagani A. (2000). "Res Gestae: A Brief History of the Supreme Court". Rex Book Store, Manila
| Preceded by Jose Yulo |
Secretary of Justice 1967 – 1968 |
Succeeded by Juan Ponce Enrile |
| Preceded by Ramon Aquino |
Chief Justice of the Philippines 1986 – 1988 |
Succeeded by Pedro Yap |
| Preceded by Eugenio Angeles |
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines 1968–1986 |
Succeeded by Andres Narvasa |