Justice with priests as brothers gets RH law case

MANILA, Philippines – The petition against the Reproductive Health law has been raffled off to Supreme Court Justice Jose Mendoza, who has two priests as brothers, Rappler learned from Court insiders.

Supreme Court insiders said the raffle was held at the SC last week.

Mendoza comes from Lipa City, whose Catholic parish is staunchly opposed to the RH law. Based on his biodata published on the Supreme Court website, Mendoza is the eldest of 8 children, two of whom are priests and one a parish assistant.

Mendoza’s appointment to the SC was also allegedly supported by then Tuguegarao Archbishop Diosdado Talamayan. Mendoza was appointed to the High Tribunal in January 2010 by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Mendoza penned the 2010 decision in Biraogo v. Truth Commission, in which the SC declared Executive Order no. 1 creating the Truth Commission unconstitutional. The Truth Commission was created by President Benigno Aquino III to probe former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

On July 4, 2003, Mendoza was appointed Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals. At the CA, “he is most remembered for penning the decision on the reinstatement of the criminal charges against Dante Tan, and for writing the decision granting the petition for a writ of amparo filed by the families of University of the Philippines students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño, who were abducted allegedly by members of the military way back in 2006,” according to his published biodata. – Rappler.com