Retired judge Codilla, 70

CEBU, Philippines – Retired Regional Trial Court Judge Ramon Codilla passed away yesterday at the Mactan Doctors’ Hospital. He was 70 year old. Codilla was in comatose before his death and doctors said he died due to cardiac arrest.

Marylou C. Galloyo, the youngest child and only daughter of Judge Codilla, said that they brought her father to the hospital last March 20.

The judge reportedly had his first heart attack on July 16 last year, weeks before he retired from the bench.  

Codilla’s body now lies in their house in Sangi, Lapu-Lapu City and will be buried this Sunday at the Mactan Memorial Park in Marigondon.

“My dad is a half Chinese, our grandfather is a pure Chinese but dad used our grandmother’s family name,” Marylou said.

Colleagues and court staff remember Judge Codilla as very friendly with the people he worked with.

RTC Branch 9 Judge Geraldine Faith Econg remembers JCodilla to be a joker with the clerks in his sala.

RTC Branch 58 Judge Gabriel Ingles remembers Codilla as the mild-mannered and soft spoken judge. Ingles said Codilla was very much dedicated to his job.

Codilla is best remembered when he risked losing his allowance from the city government after Mayor Tomas Osmeña allegedly ordered its withdrawal, because of the the judge’s order to release the vehicles impounded by the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM).

He was also the one who convicted former policeman Guillermo Wapile for the murder of journalist Edgar Damalerio in Pagadian City. Wapile was sentenced to life imprisonment.Codilla was also the one, who directed Sulpicio Lines, Inc. last May 15, 2008 to pay P550,000 to an army officer, who survived the sinking of MV Princess of the Orient.

Another survivor was also awarded P200,000 while a couple got P1 million for losing a daughter.He ordered that Sulpicio Lines, Inc. be levied five percent of the total award as the cost of the suit ruling that the sinking amounted to gross negligence and incompetence on the part of the crew when MV Princess of the Orient sank in stormy weather off Batangas in 1998 with 70 confirmed dead and left 80 people missing.

Codilla was the oldest judge at the Regional Trial Court where he served for more than 20 years.

Codilla joined the bench starting with the Metropolitan Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) before his appointment to the RTC. — Jasmin R. Uy and Johanna T. Natavio/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)