Remembering Lolo Dingdong

On the 95th birth anniversary of my late grand uncle former Supreme Court Chief Justice Claudio “Dingdong” Teehankee last April 18, a special exhibit of vintage photos from the family albums was mounted by my uncle, Raul Teehankee, at the Justitia Room of the Teehankee Law Center of the Ateneo de Manila Law School in Rockwell Center, Makati City.

Born on April 18, 1918, Claudio Teehankee was the seventh of eight children of Dr. Jose Teehankee and Julia Ong y Sangroniz.  The names of his other siblings were Jose, Alberto, Luis, Gloria (a.k.a. Nenita), Rafael (a.k.a. Piling), Eligio (a.k.a. Ador, my grandfather) and Horacio.

Nicknamed Dingdong, he was a devoted son, loving husband to Pilar Duldulao Javier for 50 years and a caring father to nine children.  He was the Bar topnotcher in 1940 and practiced law for 25 years before he was drafted into public service as Undersecretary of Justice in 1966; promoted to Secretary of Justice in 1967; appointed as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines in 1968; and served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 1986 to 1988.

Viewing the exhibit brought back family stories of my Lolo Ador who was very close to his brothers Lolo Dingdong and Lolo Piling and only sister Lola Nenita.

Major highlights of Lolo Dingdong’s 95th birth commemoration included the presentation of the 2013 Rule of Law Awards to Artemio V. Panganiban, 21st Supreme Court Chief Justice of the Philippines and chairman of Foundation for Justice and Prosperity, for his exemplary public service and promotion of liberty with prosperity; and Amuerfina Melencio-Herrera, the first chancellor of the Philippine Judicial Academy, for her dignified obedience to universal concepts of justice and development of the Academy.