J. Borromeo Street, Cebu City

It is a national road that starts from Sanciangko Street and ends at Magallanes Street. It passes J. Climaco, Colon, Leon Kilat, P. Lopez Street and P. Gullas Street. It covers Barangays Kalubihan and Sto. Niño.

The street was named in honor of "Judge Andres R. Borromeo," born on November 20, 1880 and son of spouses Don Jose Maria Galan Borromeo and Doña Margarita Sy Reynes. He was admitted to the bar and signed his Roll of Attorney on April 16, 1903. He was appointed as Assistant Fiscal of Don Sergio Osmeña in the Provinces of Cebu, Bohol and Negros in 1906 and he was appointed Provincial Fiscal of Bohol. He was appointed as Presiding Judge of the Court of First Instance of the 24th Judicial District (territorial jurisdiction was the Provinces of Surigao and Agusan) on July 1, 1914.

However, on February 20, 1920 he was appointed in another judicial district (21st), so he was replaced by Fermin Mariano. Judge Andres questioned his transfer and the appointment of Mariano before the Supreme Court. The Highest Tribunal, in an en banc decision on January 3, 1921 penned by Justice George Malcolm, ruled that Andres Borromeo was lawfully entitled to sit or remain as presiding judge and that Mariano ousted from the court of Borromeo. The case was a landmark decision on judicial independence; at that time, judges were appointed by the Governor General with the consent and advice of the Senate.

The "Fighting Judge," as Judge Andres was called, while in Manila was shot at the back by the infamous bandit Santiago Ronquillo (alias Tiagong Akyat). This happened on January 2, 1923. Judge Andres before being wounded was able to shoot to death another member of the gang Pastor Cantada. Judge Andres was with his younger brother Captain Jose Ubaldo (Chief Detective of the Manila Police) in the gun battle.

Two weeks after the death of Judge Andres on January 3, 1923, John Fulton Green, Chief of Police of Manila with the Philippine Constabulary went to the house of Ronquillo in Noveleta, Cavite, who was shot to death upon refusing to surrender.

The brothers and sisters of Judge Andres were: Captain Jose Ubalde (married Remedios Rodriga), Matilde, Maximo, a doctor of medicine, Exequiel, a pharmacist (married Josefa Neri), Canuto Octavio, an engineer (married Pilar Noel), Venustiano, Patrocinio (married Jose Uy Herrera) and Salud.

Judge Andres married Anunciacion Rallos, and they had the following children: Andres Buenaventura Jr., Buenaventura, Rosario, Luz Carilia, Fe Antonieta Margarita, Jesus Edmundo, Maria Benita and Hermenigilda Amor Victoria.

Judge Andres has died almost a century ago. May the street named in his honor remind us of his uncommon courage and may he be a model for our officials and leaders of today.