Judge Guanzon: A woman beyond legacy

BACOLOD. Judge Frances Villena Guanzon. (Contributed photo)
BACOLOD. Judge Frances Villena Guanzon. (Contributed photo)

"NO MASTER but law, no guide but conscience, no aim but justice."

That is how Judge Frances Villena Guanzon lives in her prosecutorial and judicial years. She renders justice fairly and sees to it that the scale is always balance.

Recently, Judge Guanzon, who demonstrated meritorious service as judge and as an alumna, was awarded an Alumni Achievement Award by the Cadiz City High School, Cadiz High School, Cadiz Provincial High School and Dr. Vicente F. Gustilo Memorial National High School Alumni Association during its 73rd Grand Alumni Homecoming last January 18-19, 2020.

A lifetime achievement awardee, Judge Guanzon graduated valedictorian from Cadiz City High School in 1970, now Dr. Vicente F. Gustilo Memorial National High School. She was also the president of the Supreme Student Council and associate editor of the Radiator, their school paper.

Upon graduation from high school, she received the Gerry Roxas Leadership Award and the Insular Life Gold Medal Award.

She finished her Bachelor of Science in General Science at Silliman University in Dumaguete City and obtained her Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos in Bacolod City. Being the president of the Supreme Student Council and the Barrister's Club of UNO-R, she was awarded upon graduation the Golden Star Award for Leadership. She was also the University's Best Debater and Best Speaker during the University's Annual Debating Contest in 1980.

She was admitted to the Bar in 1980 and was appointed as Assistant City Prosecutor of Cadiz City in 1988 until she was promoted as City Prosecutor of the same municipality in 1991.

She had served Cadiz City as City Prosecutor for a period of 19 years. During her tenure as City Prosecutor, she was commended by then Justice Secretary Franklin M. Drilon for her excellent performance. She had cleansed the image of the City Prosecutor's Office and dispelled doubts of the people that there was corruption in that office. As City Prosecutor, she acted as counsel for indigent complainants and victims of crimes of the City and prosecuted their cases in Court where she had successfully prosecuted almost 90 percent of them and sent the perpetrators to jail.

In a span of 19 years, Judge Guanzon had assisted several thousands of indigent Cadiznons and victims of crimes and obtained justice for the wrong done to them or to their families. She left the Office of the City Prosecutor in 2007 with a zero backlog cases for preliminary investigation when she was promoted as the Executive/Presiding Judge of the Regional Trial Court of Bago City on March 27, 2007, the position she holds up to the present, with jurisdictions covering the municipalities of Valladolid, San Enrique, Pulupandan and the City of Bago.

Judge Guanzon presided several thousands of heinous crimes without favor to anyone. Aside from presiding over cases filed in Court, she issues arrest warrants, denies or grants bails, and resolves motions. The most burdensome job of a judge is to make decisions that will either free the accused or send him to jail. The decisions are based on facts and supported by jurisprudence which the judge should do research. To free an accused is even more dangerous, thus judges, like Judge Guanzon, are always on the look-out for safety of their lives.

Judge Guanzon's reputation as an honest, dedicated, competent and incorruptible public servant is a common knowledge in Cadiz City where she was the city prosecutor and she carried the same reputation in Bago City as Regional Trial Court Judge.

She is set to retire from the government service in June next year with 33 years of honest and dedicated public service.

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