M.C. Briones, first Cebuano Supreme Court Justice

Manuel C. Briones, the Great Cebuano Jurist, is the first Cebuano to become a member of the Supreme Court. He led the way for other Cebuanos to sit at the sacred altar of the country’s highest tribunal. M.C. Briones was elected as a delegate of the Constitutional Convention held on July 10, 1934 in accordance with the Tydings-McDuffie Law. He then became a member of the fable “Seven Wise Men” who were part of the committee that drafted the 1935 Constitution.

Briones was appointed as Justice of the Court of Appeals on February 5, 1942, years later he was appointed as Justice of the Supreme Court on September 15, 1945 and was confirmed by the Commission on Appointments on September 17, 1945. He served the Supreme Court up to May 24, 1949. It was the Grand Old of Cebu, President Sergio S. Osmeña Sr., who appointed him to the Supreme Court. Under the 1935 Constitution, while the members of the Supreme Court were appointed by the president, their appointments must have the consent of the Commission on Appointments as an institutional check and balance mechanism to the actions of the chief executive.

M.C. Briones married Celestina Lorenzo and they had six children. Their eldest, Jose, married Luna Cabrera (the famous leader of the C-CIMPEL which stands for Cebu-Citizens Involvement and Maturation for Peoples Empowerment and Liberation, their daughter is Marilou Briones Chiongbian), Jose was elected Governor of Cebu and held the office from 1956 to 1961.

Jose was followed by Sergio, Domingo, Jesus, Antonio, and Esperanza who married a Blanco.

M.C. Briones inspired other members of the clan to follow in his footsteps to become a member of the Bar. They were Francisco B. Briones (he became a lawyer on March 31, 1948), Publio V. Briones of Argao (he was admitted to the Bar on January 25, 1952), Venerando B. Briones of Samboan (he became a lawyer on March 6, 1964), and Paulo V. Briones (who was admitted to the Bar on March 30, 1970).

M.C. Briones, was not just a great jurist, he was also great journalist and commenced public service by being a member of Congress, he was elected on June 3, 1919 and became part of the 5th Philippine Legislature representing the old 1st Congressional District of Cebu. He was reelected thrice to Congress (up to the 8th Philippine Legislature in 1931).