Justice Guillermo F. Pablo
Guillermo F. Pablo, born on June 25, 1886, was appointed as auxiliary judge of the Court of First Instance of Cebu and later as associate justice of the Supreme Court from June 6, 1945 to June 4, 1955. Pablo was a colleague in the National Assembly of the Cebuano who would become President, Sergio Suico Osmeña.
Pablo was from San Antonio, Zambales and finished his secondary education at the Liceo de Manila and his Bachelor of Laws from the Escuela de Derecho. He was admitted to the Bar on October 7, 1908.
Pablo was appointed as Justice of the Peace in 1911 and Provincial Fiscal of Iba, Zambales in 1915. He was elected representative to the Philippine Assembly from 1916 to 1919 and reelected in 1919.
He came to Cebu in 1924 when appointed as auxiliary judge of the Court of First Instance and as Judge until 1930. Justice Pablo married Leonor Ponco and had seven children, Rosario who married a Martinez, Guillermina who married an Agloro, Victoria who married a Torres, Guillermo Jr. (who was admitted to the Bar on May 17, 1950) , Lina who married a de Joya, Gloria who married a Montesclaros and Teresita who married an Abad Santos.
Pablo was involved in many suits emanating from Cebu courts that reached the Supreme Court. Cebuano lawyer and legislature Nicolas Rafols filed a writ of prohibition to restrain, Judge Pablo from trying criminal case no. 9743. The issue raised the single question of law which is, Whether the Secretary of Justice may lawfully authorize, or direct, an auxiliary judge of First Instance to take cognizance of, and try a case that has already been regularly assigned to another judge presiding in one of two salas of which the particular court is composed?
The case rose from the fact that on March 10, 1927, the Secretary of Justice promulgated Administrative Order No. 23, prescribing the methord for disturbing the business of the Court of First Instance of the Twentieth Judicial District among the three judges pertaining to the court, consisting of two judges of First Instance and the Auxiliary Judge of First Instance. Pursuant to the order, criminal case no. 9743 was assigned first, to Judge J.C. Vickers, presiding in the First Sala, but the case was subsequently transferred to the Second Sale, where Judge Jose de la Rama presides. Then Acting Secretary of the Justice, Hon. Luis P. Torres requested Judge Pablo to take charge of the trial or disposition of the case.
Then on August 18, 1928 Judge De la Rama transferred the case to Judge Pablo. This was questioned by Atty. Nicolas Rafols, however on November 12, 1928 the Supreme Court dismissed the petition of the latter.
Justice Pablo was also made a co-defendant in a case filed by Luzon Surety Co. Inc. against the Government of the Philippine Islands who sued Luzon Surety Co. Originally the case was when the Governor General ordered the deportation of Chairman Uy Teh Lay on November 14, 1931. Chairman Uy was temporary released upon the filing of a bond using the Luzon Surety Co.
The surety company failed to produce to deliver the person of Uy Teh Lay when required by Colonel G.B. Francisco, then the Commander of the Visayan District.
Judge Pablo was also the cadastral judge that ordered the registration of seven sets of transferees on January 31, 1929. The land was located in Punta Rizal, Barrio Gun-ob, Lapu-Lapu City. Thirty-eight years after Judge Pablo rendered his decision, Judge Mendoza on May 10, 1967 corrected the clerical errors in Judge Pablo's decision and a decree was issued on the land and became a registered land at last.
Justice Pablo was a member of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Manuel Moran (July 9, 1945 to March 20, 1951) and Chief Justice Ricardo Paras (April 2, 1915 to February 17, 1961).
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