Negros-based judge, Edgardo delos Santos, recently took his oath of office as Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals before Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno.

De los Santos had served as judge in various Regional Trial Courts in Negros Oriental and Occidental before his appointment to the CA this month.

De los Santos was born in Palompon, Leyte on June 12, 1952, the ninth among 12 children of fisherman Francisco Diongzon delos Santos and housewife Basilisa Lao delos Santos.

He was number one in the disposition of cases in the Bacolod RTC from 1994 to 1996, ranked third in 1995, and ranked second in 1996.

De los Santos was also nominated for the 2006 and 2007 Awards for Judicial Excellence by the Nominations Committee, Office of the Court Administrator, Supreme Court, and was a recipient of Supreme Court En Banc Congratulatory Resolution as one of the 1st Gender Justice awardees in 2004, a project of the U.P. Center for Women’s Studies Foundation Inc., the U.P. Center for Women’s Studies and the National Commission on the Role of the Filipino Women.

A Special Award on Women’s Advocacy was also given to him by the Soroptimist International of Bacolod City in 2004, and he received a Community Relations Award for speedy resolution of drug cases during the Narcotics Command Anniversary Celebration at Camp Crame, Quezon City, in 1995.

He was a part-time faculty member of the University of St. La Salle, College of Law, Bacolod City (1993 to 1999) and has been a guest lecturer of the College of Law of Negros Oriental State University in Dumaguete City since June 2005 until his appointment to the CA.

Delos Santos has spent his professional life in the government service for 30 years, since May 10, 1978, 25 years of which as a member of the bench.

He is the only former RTC Judge of Bacolod City elevated to the Court of Appeals since the appointment of Justice Segundino G. Chua on August 1, 1986.

A consistent class president and honor student from elementary to high school, Delos Santos was a member of the USC Debating Society and Political Science Club of the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, where he acquired his Bachelor of Arts, major in Political Science in 1973. He obtained his law degree from the same university in 1977, and passed the bar examinations the following year with a rating of 83.875 percent. He was admitted to the Philippine Bar on April 21, 1978.

He rose from the ranks in the judiciary having started as Court Legal Researcher 1 of the then Court of First Instance of Manila, briefly held the position of Regional Administrative Officer of the National Grains Authority in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, served as a technical assistant and later as court confidential attorney to Supreme Court Associate Justice Felix V. Makasiar, who later became chief justice.

At age 30, he was appointed presiding judge of the Municipal Trial Court of Siaton, Negros Oriental on April 27, 1983.

He is married to Maribel Makasiar delos Santos with whom he has five children: Fritz Bryn Anthony, an incoming sophomore Law student of the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, Ivan Jason, a fourth year nursing student of Silliman University in Dumaguete City, Gretel Kelly, an incoming Senior Accountancy student of SU, Jessica France, an incoming sophomore nursing student of SU, and Tiara Mionette, 3 years old.*

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