Retired Supreme Court Justice Isagani Cruz dies at 88

Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Isagani Cruz has died Thursday at the age of 88, the Supreme Court Public Information Office revealed. In a statement, the SC PIO disclosed that Cruz died in his sleep. Cruz’s wife, Salvacion, and their children tried to revive the retired magistrate, but to no avail. His body was cremated and his ashes placed in an urn lodged at the chapel behind the Our Lady of Beautiful Love Parish Church on Washington Street, Merville, Parañaque, where his family and friends will keep vigil until Saturday evening, March 23. The memorial vigil will be held until 10 p.m. Thursday night, and from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. In 2006, Cruz received the ire of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community after writing an article entitled, “Don We Now Our Gay Apparel,” in his column “Separate Opinion” at the Philippine Daily Inquirer. The article purportedly criticized homosexuals. His column in the PDI ran from 1995 until 2010. According to SC PIO, the late President Cory Aquino appointed Cruz to the High Court in 1986. He served the court for eight years, retiring in 1994 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70. A year before his retirement, a certain Atty. Eugene Tan filed an impeachment complaint against Cruz, then-Chief Justice Andres Narvasa and six other associate justices for culpable violation of the Constitution, corruption and betrayal of public trust. The complaint was subsequently dismissed. A native of Manila, Justice Cruz earned his law degree from the Manuel L. Quezon School of Law in 1951, graduating cum laude. He placed 8th in the Bar Examinations given the same year. Prior to his SC appointment, Justice Cruz served, among others, as Chair of the Code Commission of the Department of Justice (1966-1972); Senior Partner, Laurel Law Offices; and Dean, College of Law, Lyceum School of Law (1963-1968). He was also a Bar Reviewer in Political Law and International Law in the University of the East, San Beda College, Ateneo de Manila University, University of Santo Tomas, San Sebastian College, Adamson University, and University of Manila (1975-1986). Justice Cruz has published numerous books including several editions of Constitutional Law, International Law, and Philippine Political Law; Decisions and Dissents of Justice Isagani Cruz; Res Gestae: A Brief History of the Supreme Court (from Arellano to Narvasa), which he co-authored with Cynthia Cruz Datu; Correct Choice of Words, which he co-authored with former colleague SC Justice Camilo D. Quiason; and Separate Court Opinions. — Rouchelle R. Dinglasan/BM, GMA News