Ex-SC chief is first Pinoy awardee of UC Berkeley

A day before he retired, Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno received a prestigious award from the University of California Berkeley (UC Berkeley) during its commencement exercises last May 16. The Department of Foreign Affairs said Puno received the Elise and Walter A. Hass International Award, which honors international alumni with distinguished records of service. "He is the first Filipino to receive the award," the Department of Foreign Affairs, said, citing a report from the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco. Puno, who was succeeded by Justice Renato Corona, delivered his acceptance speech before the members of the UC Berkeley Class of 2012 who filled the university’s 11,000-seat capacity Pete Newell Court at the Hass Pavilion. The award cited the Chief Justice’s sterling record of service since 1971, the DFA said. "As chief magistrate, Puno initiated a several critical reforms and championed human rights with his introduction of the writ of amparo and the writ of habeas data as new remedies in protecting human rights as well as the writ of kalikasan (nature) to help enforce environmental laws," it said. He was also cited for cleaning up corruption in the judiciary and for bringing the courts closer to the people with the introduction of "mobile courts." Puno finished his Master of Laws from the UC Berkeley’s Boalt School of Law in 1968. He was nominated by Johnny de Castro, a Filipino lawyer who is pursuing his Doctorate in Laws degree at the same university. Upon his graduation, De Castro will be the first Filipino to receive the Doctorate in Law from UC Berkeley. Chief Justice Puno was also feted to an award luncheon in his honor during which he presented his lecture on entitled "Protecting and Enhancing the Three Generations of Human Rights." UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau University and Consul General Marciano Paynor, Jr. led several officials in congratulating the Chief Justice. The Elise and Walter A. Haas International Award was established in 1964 by Mr. and Mrs. Walter A. Haas, Mr. and Mrs. Peter E. Haas and Mr. and Mrs. Richard N. Goldman. — RSJ/LBG, GMANews.TV