Retired justice Antonio Eduardo Nachura dies

MANILA, Philippines – Retired Supreme Court justice Antonio Eduardo Nachura died on Sunday, March 13.

The Supreme Court confirmed Nachura’s passing. He was 80.

“We offer our sincere and deep condolences and prayers. Justice Nachura will always be remembered as one of those few who served in the highest levels of all three branches of the government,” said Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo.

Nachura’s death was mourned especially by lawyers, from veteran attorneys to law students, regretting the loss of one bright mind in their fold.

Nachura is a son of Catbalogan City who studied law at San Beda College. He excelled from as early as then, placing 7th in the 1967 national bar exams. From then he became a law professor and bar reviewer, later regarded as an expert in political and constitutional law.

He was also remembered by the High Court as an educator, citing a phrase often said by Nachura: “Before I was anything, I was first a teacher.” Nachura was a law professor at Arellano Law School, later serving as its dean.

During the Ramos administration, he was an undersecretary for the then-Department of Education, Culture, and Sports (now the Department of Education).

He was elected as the Representative of the 2nd District of Samar in 1998 and 2001, but failed to clinch a third term. In 2006, he was named Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and then Solicitor-General by then-president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Nachura was appointed to the Supreme Court by Arroyo in February 2007. He served in the High Court until his retirement in June 2011.

Nachura was also a staunch advocate of federalism. In 2018, he joined the Charter Change consultative committee formed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Nachura is survived by his wife, Conchita Sison-Nachura, and their four children: Hazel Annalou, Katherine Joy, Raymond, and Antonio Jr. – with Rambo Talabong and Aika Rey/Rappler.com