SC creates award honoring Bernabe

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) has created an award in honor of senior associate justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe, who retired on Saturday after 26 years of service with a zero case backlog.

In a statement, Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo said “the Senior Associate Justice Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe Exemplary Career Jurist Award” would be given to justices who have served in all court levels and did not leave behind any pending case whenever they are promoted.

“This is the first of its kind in the history of the Philippine judiciary,” Gesmundo said.

By conferring the award, “the court hopes that future career jurists will aspire to receive this honor upon their own retirement, and traverse the same path of unwavering dedication to judicial service Bernabe paved for them,” Gesmundo added.

Bernabe retired on Saturday after reaching 70 years old, which is the mandatory retirement age for justices.

SC magistrates also bestowed upon Bernabe the traditional tokens of the court and gave their personal tributes.

“If the fullness of one’s life is measured by how much one has emptied himself or herself to others, then it is indisputable that at this moment, Bernabe has already lived a full life,” Gesmundo said.

Bernabe also received the Judicial Medal of Distinction, “especially awarded to retiring justices of the Supreme Court who excelled in the quintessential duty of efficient case disposition, particularly by leaving no case in her docket, or no case pending for resolution upon her retirement from the court.”