Negros Oriental judge wins Chief Justice Arellano Award

CEBU, Philippines – Judge Rafael Crescencio Tan Jr, of the Regional Trial Court-Branch 30 in Negros Oriental, brought honor to the province for being a recipient of the Chief Justice Cayetano Arellano Award for judicial excellence.

Tan, received his award during ceremonies held at the Centennial of the Manila Hotel last September 18, which was graced by Supreme Court Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. He received a gold trophy and P75,000 cash prize.

The award body cited Tan for “his moral integrity and moral character as a public servant and private citizen.” He has demonstrated competence, efficiency, effectiveness in managing his caseload, of which he only had 81 pending cases as of December 31, 2013.

Tan was also recognized for his “effective implementation of the one-day examination of witness rule, the continuous trial of cases, and pre-trial technique.”

His independence of mind, judicial decorum, knowledge of the law, and other skills and traits prompted at least seven prominent personalities to nominate him for the award.

Tan was nominated by City Prosecutor Eleizer Escorial, Visayan Daily Star-Dumaguete Bureau chief Rene Genove, Dean Mikhael Lee Maxino of the Silliman University College of Law, Integrated Bar of the Philippines Negros Oriental chapter president Cyrus Riconalla, City Administrator William Ablong, Father Nathaniel Gomez of the Colegio de Sta. Catalina de Alejandria, and the Dumaguete City Council headed by Vice Mayor Woodrow Maquiling Sr.

Tan emerged number one among two other finalists—Judge Jocelyn Dilig of RTC Branch 47 in Palawan and Judge Andres Soriano of Makati— who were screened and chosen from nine nominees.

Since the inception of the award in 1991, Tan was the only recipient from Negros. It was his second after winning the Justice Alex Reyes Award for Judicial Excellence in 2002 when he was Municipal Trial Court judge.