Maria Lourdes Sereno Appointed As New Chief Justice

Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno

Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno has been appointed by President Benigno Aquino III as the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.

"The President is confident that Chief Justice Sereno will lead the judiciary in undertaking much-needed reforms." Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said. "We believe the Judicial Branch of government has a historic opportunity to restore our people’s confidence in the judicial system."

Sereno, 52, is the first female Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. She was appointed as Associate Justice to the court in August 2010, and was the youngest to be appointed to the court in this century.

Despite her family’s humble means, Justice Sereno’s parents were able to nurture in her a passion for learning and personal excellence during her formative years. Her father, a native of Siasi, Sulu, and her mother, a public school teacher, saved what little money they had to buy second-hand books that she would eagerly read. Her appetite for literature and reflection served her well during her primary schooling and enabled her to graduate with honors at the Kamuning Elementary School and Quezon City High School. She was then awarded generous scholarships by the government and several private institutions that allowed her to earn an Economics degree at the Ateneo de Manila University, and a Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of the Philippines. 

Sereno graduated valedictorian from the UP College of Law in 1984. She worked as professor at the University of the Philippines College of Law for nearly 20 years. She likewise served as the Deputy Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and helped bring about the organizational plans for the Commission.

Sereno received in 1992 a De Witte Fellowship and a Ford-Rockefeller Scholarship to pursue her Masters of Laws at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.