Successors pay tribute to 'incorruptible, immortal' Narvasa

A deep soothing voice singing the Filipino classic "Saan Ka Man Naroon" filled the Supreme Court session hall on Monday during a necrological service for the late Chief Justice Andres Narvasa.

 

The voice in the recording that was played belonged to no less than Narvasa himself, who had recorded the tune in an eight-song CD. On Monday, his family gifted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno with a copy of the recordings.

 

"My dad has a beautiful baritone voice... Daddy, saan ka man naroroon, mahal na mahal ka namin," said Narvasa's son lawyer Gregorio Narvasa II.

 

And with a stature such as his, the presence of Narvasa, the 19th Chief Justice of the Philippines, had always been unmistakable.

 

"His integrity was unquestioned. That he commanded the respect of his peers was self-evident," said Sereno in her eulogy.

 

She added: "It is beyond debate that he was an exceptionally gifted man...His jovial sense of humor is something we'll all remember him by."

 

Even Narvasa's immediate successor to the top judicial post, 20th Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr, only had nice words to say of his predecessor.

 

"Do not grieve. Rejoice, for Chief Justice Narvasa is now incorruptible and immortal. He is alive in our hearts," Davide said.

 

Narvasa's son Gregorio—who had to deliver an impromptu speech after misplacing his prepared message—described the perfectionist in his father. The younger Narvasa recounted an instance during a recording session for his version of "My Way," the song popularized by Frank Sinatra. 

 

Reading through the song's lyrics, the former chief justice could not help but proofread and revise some lines in the famous song. "He did it his way," the younger Narvasa said.

 

The late former chief justice's cremated remains arrived at the Supreme Court grounds before 9 a.m. on Monday. He was given full honors by honor guards from the Philippine National Police.

 

Narvasa, the country's 19th Chief Justice, died last October 31 at 6:05 a.m. His son Gregorio said his father passed away at 5:30 a.m., hours after being brought to the hospital. 

 

The high court said Narvasa served as Chief Justice from Dec. 8, 1991 to Nov. 30, 1998, and as defense counsel of then President Joseph Estrada in his impeachment trial.

 

Narvasa administered the Oath of Office of Presidents Fidel V. Ramos and Joseph Ejercito Estrada, according to an article on the Senate Electoral Tribunal website.

 

A description of Narvasa at the Fortun Narvasa Salazar law office website said Narvasa was born in 1928 and was admitted to the Bar in 1951.

 

He earned a magna cum laude from the University of Santo Tomas, and honoris causa from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila and UST, and Angeles University Foundation.

 

He was also a former dean of the University of Santo Tomas' Faculty of Civil Law.

 

Before joining the high court, he was the general counsel of the Agrava fact-finding board that investigated the assassination of former Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr., father of incumbent President Benigno Aquino III. —KG, GMA News