Pio A. Sepulveda, champion of teachers welfare
The grandson of revolutionary war hero General Gabino Sepulveda (a street in Cebu City is named after him. Gabino is also a lawyer) championed the welfare of public school teachers by being the legal counsel of a landmark case on workmen's compensation.
The name of lawyer Pio A. Sepulveda should forever be remembered by teachers as it was in the case that illustrates the duty of the government in promoting the welfare of our public school teachers.
Pio, born on July 11, 1923 in Borbon, Cebu was the son of spouses Constancio Sepulveda (son of Gen. Gabino Sepulveda who married a Lira) and Elena Alcarez of Argao. Pio was the second child of the 13 children of Constancio and Elena.
Pio married Leodegaria Quito (whose ascendants are from Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte) after being admitted to the bar on February 2, 1951 was invited to Iligan by a businessman (with the family of Quidlat) based there to practice law. Atty. Sepulveda who found out that there was no Cebuano lawyer in Iligan and in the Province of Lanao, as the lawyers therein were Tagalog (Padilla's and Rovira's) decided to stay and practice. It was there that he also raised a family.
Pio, whose veins carries the blood of Cebuano heroes, fought for the case of a public school teacher, Felicitacion E. Canete, a public school teacher for four years in Tubaran Elementary School and Tambacan Community School. Canete died of pulmonary tuberculosis on May 15, 1967. She was hospitalized for ten days at the Sacred Heart Hospital in Iligan City and was then transferred to Cebu TB Pavilion and underwent treatment.
Felipe, the husband of Felicitacion, filed for himself and for their children, death compensation benefits provided under the then Workmen's Compensation Act. The claim for the death benefit was however denied as the cause of death was not work related.
Pio Sepulveda, the Cebuano lawyer now based in Iligan, fought the case up to the Supreme Court, up against the lawyers of the government (Workmen's Compensation Commission and the Bureau of Public Schools). The Supreme Court convinced of the arguments of Atty. Sepulveda reversed the decision of the Workmen's Compensation Commission, reminded that Mrs. Canete died because she was exposed to the harsh elements of nature and constantly suffered from fatigue due to the strain and pressure of work as a public school teacher.
The Supreme Court then ordered the Bureau of
Public Schools (now the Department of Education) to pay the family of Mrs. Felicitacion E. Canete (her husband Felipe and children Allyn and Andrew) six thousand pesos as death compensation benefit, also to reimburse the hospital expenses, the funeral expenses, and attorney's fee.
The Supreme Court (decided En Banc, with the whole court, and was written by Justice Makasiar) decision was made on May 8, 1985. Unfortunately Atty. Pio Sepulveda was not able to witness his victory as he died on December 2, 1984.
Atty. Pio died not know that the case he fought would be a landmark case on teachers' welfare, yet the Divine Almighty had blessed his family that the legacy of heroism of the Sepulveda clan would continue. Two children of Pio became lawyers, Ruth (married to a Calo) became a lawyer on May 8, 1991. She is now practicing law in Butuan and Rory Jon also became a lawyer on May 8, 1991 (the same as his sister) became a well known lawyer for politicians in Cebu. Atty. Rory Jon handled election cases for the Abines of the 2nd District of Cebu. He also became the spokesman and legal counsel of then Cebu Governor, Gwen Fiel Garcia. Rory is presently the president of SkyLogistics and SkyKitchen, the company handling the personnel and staff of Philippine Airlines.
The other two children of Pio and Leodegaria are Roy and Riza (married to a Japzon). An aunt of Atty. Pio, the sister of his father by the name of Rosita married Senator Decoroso Ras Rosales. Senator Rosales is the brother of Cardinal Julio Rosales (a street in Cebu City is named after him). Pio fought for the welfare of public school teachers as he himself was a product of the public school system. He finished his elementary and high school at Borbon and Bogo. He finished his Associate in Arts as his preparatory law course at the then Visayan Institute (now the University of the Visayas) and his Bachelor of Laws of the then Francisco Law School.
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