Marcelo Briones Fernan
October 24, 1927 – July 11, 1999
A man of principle who has fought his way up until the twilight of his days to provide unparalleled public service as a man of justice and an honorable member of the Senate. Celing, as he was more commonly known, was a man of principle and a true gentleman. His achievements and unwavering public service was a collective of unpopular decisions wherein he stood firm on his ground regardless of the administration he served. Fernan has earned the respect of his contemporaries as a man who never bowed down nor was swayed to change his stand.
Fernan’s commendable accomplishment in government service is similar to Jose Yulo, who also led several branches of the government. Fernan was named the 20th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court during the administration of Corazon Aquino, before becoming the 20th Senate President under the Estrada administration.
His life was a series of hard work, and at one point, of seeking refuge in Leyte for survival. However, it never trampled Fernan’s ambition to become a man of the law and serving the public office. This aspiration stemmed from the influence of Celing’s father, Wenceslao Fernan, who held several posts in the judiciary as deputy provincial fiscal and judge, and by his uncle, Manuel C. Briones, who became a Senator in 1951. As he started paving his career path, Fernan made sure that he was armed with the right tools. He took Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines and was admitted to the master’s program of the Harvard Law School.
Fernan’s political career started flourishing when he was elected to the Cebu Planning Board in 1959 then later as a member of the Cebu Provincial Board, which afforded him a slot to represent the second district of Cebu in the 1970 Constitutional Convention. During the Marcos regime, he was one of the 16 assemblymen who expressed their opposition regarding the controversial Marcos constitution, which garnered a sweeping number of yes votes. He was also known to pen several decisions during his time as Chief Justice of Supreme Court that vexed Corazon Aquino’s administration. Fernan remained resilient and steadfast in his pronouncements, no matter if it was of unpopular stance for the rest of his colleagues.
Though he might have made unpopular decisions, his leadership in the Supreme Court resulted in important reforms that, in a way, expedited court processes.
He took another step in his political career, this time as a vice presidential bet, and became the running mate of Ramon Mitra. However, he only came second to Joseph Estrada. Fernan used his political hiatus to continue his advocacy to aid those needing legal assistance, particularly the poor.
The political doors opened once again in 1995 as he was selected as a senatorial bet and won, which paved the way for him to be elected in the most coveted seat of the upper house as Senate President. But the luster of his Senate stint was short-lived since he was diagnosed with a lung-related ailment. He resigned as Senate President but still attended sessions, showing that no illness can stop him from performing his duties. But his health condition has taken a toll, and the Gentleman from Cebu bowed out to return home to the creator on July 11, 1999.
Fernan’s always held his head with dignity. As a man who believes in equality and justice, Fernan maintained to be levelheaded and humble, despite all the citations and accolades he earned from various civic, social and religious groups. As a true blood public servant, he believed that authority or ephemeral privileges should not influence the thrust of his work. Fernan proved that everyone deserves to have a just and fair trial, regardless of their status in the economic strata. Until the end, he was a staunch advocate of ensuring that the government should put first the welfare and dignity of its countrymen. (PTV – Aleli V. Dorado-Suguitan)
References
Borromeo, J. M. (2017, June 1). https://www.marcelobfernan.com. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from Marcelo Briones Fernan : https://www.marcelobfernan.com/about.html
Senate of the Philippines. (n.d.). Marcelo B. Fernan. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from Senate of the Philippines: https://www.senate.gov.ph/senators/senpres/fernan.asp
Quezon, M. I. (1999, July 15). Philippine Free Press: The First Gentleman of Cebu. Retrieved June 28, 2018, from Manuel L. Quezon III Punditry. Politics. History. Commentary.: http://www.quezon.ph/1999/07/15/philippines-free-press-the-first-gentleman-of-cebu/
