Teresita de Castro

On October 12, 2007, the Sandiganbayan special division headed by Presiding Justice Teresita de Castro convicted ousted President Joseph Estrada for the crime of plunder. More than two months later, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed her an associate justice of the Supreme Court. ISSUES

• Estrada plunder trial. De Castro headed the Sandiganbayan special divison that found Estrada guilty of plunder. The set of justices for the plunder case changed three times, and De Castro was the only justice who sat through the entire plunder trial from beginning to end--from 2001 to the verdict in 2007.
• From law clerk to SC justice. De Castro has been in the government service for more than three decades. As a new lawyer, she started as a law clerk in the Supreme Court in 1973. After five years, she joined the justice department as a state counsel and eventually became the assistant chief state counsel. In 1997, she was appointed associate justice of the Sandiganbayan and became its presiding justice seven years later. She returns to the Supreme Court this week as its newest associate justice.

PERSONAL

• Maiden Name: Teresita Jose Leonardo
• Birthday: October 8, 1948
• Birthplace: Manila
• Father: Fortunato R. Leonardo of Parañaque
• Mother: Maxima J. Leonardo of Parañaque
• Spouse: Eduardo A. De Castro, businessman
• Children: Maria Cherell L. de Castro, Edouard Anthony L. de Castro, Christine Genevive L. de Castro-Lejano

EDUCATION

• Bachelor of Laws, University of the Philippines (1972)
  • Awarded Certificate of Merit for Academic Excellence Among Top 4 Graduates
• Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, University of the Philippines (1968)
• High School, First Honor, St. Paul College, Parañaque (1964)
• Elementary, St. Paul College, Parañaque (1960)
  

SEMINAR, TRAININGS AND FELLOWSHIPS

• Seminar on Loan Negotiation and Renegotiation, August 9 to September 5, 1986, International Law Institute, Washington D.C.
• Program of Instruction for Lawyers, June 11-21, 2004, Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts
• Seminar “Judging Across Borders: Canadian Judges and International Law" April 6-9, 2005 National Judicial Institute, Victori British Columbia, Canada

CAREER

• Presiding Justice, Sandiganbayan, December 15, 2004 to Present
• Associate Justice, Sandiganbayan, September 23, 1997 to December 14, 2004
• Asst. Chief State Counsel, Dept. of Justice, January 19, 1995 to 09/22/97
• State Counsel V, Dept. of Justice, July 1, 1989 to July 18, 1995
• Supervising State Counsel, Dept. of Justice, January 1, 1988 to June 30, 1989
• Sr. State Counsel, Ministry of Justice, July 1, 1985 to December 31, 1987
• State Counsel II, Min. of Justice, July 27, 1981 to December 31, 1985
• State Counsel I, Min. of Justice, February 1, 1978 to July 26, 1981
• Judicial Assistant, Supreme Court, January 6, 1975 to November 30, 1978
• Legal Assistant, Supreme Court, 1/01/74 to 01/05/75
• Law Clerk, Supreme Court, February 19, 1973 to December 31, 1973
  

OTHER ACTIVITES

• Consultant, Advisory and Administrative Support Office, RP Panel, Military Bases Agreement Joint Committee, 1987-1990
• Member, RP Panel, 1988 Review of the 1947 Military Bases Agreement, as amended
• Member, RP Panel, 1988 Base Labor Review
• Member, Technical Committee on the Implementation of the 1988 Manglapus-Shultz Memorandum of Agreement
• Technical Consultant, Legislative-Executive Bases Council (LEBC)
• Consultant, RP-US Exploratory Talks, May, 1990
• Member, RP Panel, Philippine-American Cooperation Talks, appointed by the President
• Member, Camp John Hay Inter-Agency Planning Committee
• Assisted the Secretary of Justice in Cabinet Cluster E-dealing with Political and Security Matters during the term of President Fidel V. Ramos
• Representative of the Secretary of Justice to the Cabinet Committee on the Law of the Sea
• Member, RP Bases Withdrawal Panel, 1991
• Member, RP Bases Withdrawal Committee, 1992
• Member, Task Force on International Refugee Assistance and Administration (TFIRAA) until 1997
• Chairman, Third Division Appeals Board, TFIRAA until 1997
• Legal Adviser, GRP Panels in the peace talks with the National Democractic Front and the Moro National Liberation Front until 1997
• Technical Consultant, National Unification Commission created under E.O. No. 19 (1992)
• Member, Ad Hoc Committee of Legal Experts on Marine Scientific Research in the South China Seas, 1993
• Member, Ad Hoc Subcommittee of Legal Experts of the RP-Malaysia Joint Commission, 1993
• Member, Technical Committee of the Cabinet Committee on the Disposition of Real Properties of the Republic located abroad and in the Philippines, 1993 to September 1997
• Chairperson, Inter-agency Committee which negotiated the Agreement for the Development of the Philippine Diplomatic Property in Roponggi, Japan
• Member, Technical Committee of the Cabinet Committee for Ocean and Maritime Affairs until September 1997
• Member, Inter-agency Committee of Consultants and Coordinators on Katarungang Pambarangay, until 1997
• Professor of Law – Criminal Procedure, Public International Law, Private International Law (Conflict of Laws) and Legal Counseling, University of Perpetual Help of Rizal, Las Piñas City, 2001-2004
• Member, representing the National Government in the Board of Directors, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), 1992-1997, by Presidential appointment
  

AFFILIATIONS

• Phi Kappa Phi International Honor Society
• Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society in the Social Sciences
• Vice Chancellor and consistent Member, Order of the Purple Feather, UP College of Law Honor Society
• Executive Vice-President, Philippine Women Judges Association
• UP Sigma Alpha Sorority
• UP College of Law, Portia Sorority and UP Women Lawyers Circle (WILOCI)
  

AWARDS

• Awarded University and College Scholarships at UP Diliman, Q.C.
• Entrance Scholar, University of the Philippines
  First semester, 1964-1965
• College Scholar, University of the Philippines
  Second semester, 1965-1966
• College Scholar, University of the Philippines
  Second semester, 1966-1967
• College Scholar, University of the Philippines
  First semester, 1967-1968
• University Scholar, University of the Philippines
  Second semester, 1967-1968
• College Scholar, University of the Philippines
  First semester, 1968-1969
• College Scholar, University of the Philippines
  Second semester, 1970-1971
• One of the Ten Outstanding Students in Academic and Co-Curricular Activities, University of the Philippines, Manila, 1966-1967
• Awardee, five (5) Certificates of Merit for Academic Excellence, given by the President of the University of the Philippines
• Twice Elected to membership in 1968 and 1972 in the Phi Kappa Phi International Honor Society for scholastic achievement in Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws courses in the University of the Philippines
• Twice Elected to membership in 1968 and 1972 in the Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society in the Social Sciences for scholastic achievement in Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws courses in the University of the Philippines
• Outstanding Member, Pi Gamma Mu International Honor Society in the Social Sciences, University of the Philippines, 1998
• Vice-Chancellor and consistent Member, Order of the Purple Feather, College of Law Honor Society, University of the Philippines, 1970-1972
• Merit Awardee, Legal Staff, Ministry (now Department) of Justice – 1980 and 1981
• Finalist, 1991 Search for Outstanding Women of Parañaque
• Outstanding Alumna, St. Paul College, Parañaque, 1997
• Outstanding Alumna, St. Paul College, Parañaque, January 2005
• Awardee, Presidential Medal of Merit for Exceptionally Meritorious and Valuable Service Rendered and Remarkable Accomplishments that have served the interest of peace, unity and progress in Southern Philippines, earning her the gratitude and admiration of the Filipino nation and the people – Given by His Excellency, President Fidel V. Ramos on may 13, 1998
• Awardee, Plaque of Distinction, UP Women Lawyer’s Circle (UP WILOCI), June 29, 2005, Manila Golf and country Club, Makati City
• Awardee, Plaque of Recognition, U.P. Law Class 1972 Foundation Inc., August 26, 2005, Manila Golf and Country Club, Makati City
• Awardee, Certificate of Appreciation for helping promote WLAP activities and for being a Women of Integrity, Women Lawyer’s Association of the Philippines, Inc. (WLAP) 65th Anniversary, Manila, December 20, 2005
  

Sources: Official biodata, GMA News