The presidential appointees in 1953
On April 9, 1953 the Commission on Appointments confirmed the appointments made by President Elpidio Quirino. Among them were:
Vicente Zosa as Clerk of Court of Cebu, Jose Cabato as Provincial Fiscal of Zamboanga del Sur, Aquilino E. Pimentel (admitted to the Bar on January 13, 1940) as Assistant Provincial Fiscal of Misamis Oriental. Aquilino was the father of Aquilino E. Pimentel Jr. of Cagayan de Oro City, the lawyer who was arrested in Cebu City in 1983, detained at the Camp Sergio Osmeña Sr. and at Camp Sotero Cabahug on charges of rebellion.
Aquilino Pimentel Jr. a graduate of the Ateneo de Cagayan (classmate of Congressman Antonio V. Cuenco in Ateneo de Cagayan (Xavier) in High School) was admitted to the Bar on March 2, 1960.
Aquilino Jr. practiced law and became Dean of the College of Law of Xavier University from 1962 to 1967. He ran and was elected delegate of the 1971 Constitutional Convention representing Misamis Oriental. He was elected mayor of Cagayan de Oro City in 1980 but was ousted by the Commission on Elections, reinstalled by President Marcos after a legal battle.
Aquilino Pimentel Jr. nicknamed Nene became an important personality in the struggle against Martial Law especially in the public rallies and movement against the Marcos Dictatorship held in Cebu. Nene Pimentel fought Martial Law together with Tony Cuenco, Inday Nita Cortez Daluz, Ribomapil "Dodong" Holganza and many countless and unnamed brave Cebuanos.
Pimentel became senator when Congress was restored in 1987, he ran for vice president in 1992 under the Liberal Party with Senate President Jovito Salonga. Salonga and Pimentel lost as the incumbent president, Cory Aquino did not support the Liberal Party and instead supported Gen. Fidel V. Ramos who was then the Secretary of Department of National Defense who ran under the LAKAS-NUCD.
Cebuano appointees in 1953 were: On April 30, 1953 Atty. Pascual G. Berciles was appointed Municipal Judge of Ormoc City. Berciles became a lawyer on December 24, 1938. Judge Berciles served the government for 34 years, 26 of which was with the judiciary. His last assignment was Presiding Judge of Branch XV of the Court of First Instance of Cebu.
Judge Berciles married Iluminada Ponce Berciles. A son of Judge Berciles, England Joseph P. Berciles became a lawyer on May 4, 1977, and became an Assistant Provincial Prosecutor of Cebu. Judge Berciles died on August 21, 1979. Jose Chiong Veloso Rodriguez was appointed on March 26, 1953 as Mayor of Cebu City, his co-mayor appointee was Dominador Jover of Iloilo City, with the latter's Vice Mayor, Joaquin Abarilla. Mayor Rodriguez was a Doctor of Medicine, Jose was the son of Don Pedro Rodriguez, the founder of Medellin and senator then representing the 7th senatorial district. The wife of Don Pedro was the sister of Doña Estefania Chiong Veloso also known as Dona Pepang, the latter became the wife of Don Sergio Suico Osmeña.
The successful Cebuano Bar Examinees who took the examinations in 1952 took their oath as lawyers in 1953, among the many were: Leoncio P. Abarquez (admitted to the Bar on April 11, 1953) of Talisay, Cebu, he later became judge and mayor of Talisay, Cebu. Restituto Macoy of Dumanjug, became a lawyer on April 30, 1953, Cipriano C. Racaza (Cebu City, April 9, 1953), Beinvenido P. Jaban (Cebu City, April 11, 1953) and Regino Hermosisima Campos Jr. was admitted to the Bar on April 16, 1953. Regino Jr. the valedictorian of Sibonga Elementary School in 1940 and a graduate of the Associate in Arts of the University of the Visayas was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court by President Ramos. Hermosisima was Justice of the Supreme Court from January 10, 1995 to October 18, 1997, after his retirement he was appointed as Member of the Judicial and Bar Council on December 17, 1997.
It was also in 1953, that a great Cebuano became a lawyer on June 16, 1953, that man's name is Marcelo Briones Fernan, he became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and Senate president.
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