Who was Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Meinrado “Menmen” Paredes?
In 1980, after earning my bachelor’s degree, I looked for a job that would allow me to pursue my dream of studying law and becoming a lawyer. As a graduate of the University of the Visayas (UV) and former editor of The Visayanian News (the university’s student publication), I tried my luck at The Freeman.
At the time, Atty. Pachico “Cheking” Seares was the editor-in-chief, while the late Nito Jabat served as weekend editor. The Freeman, one of Cebu City’s leading daily newspapers, was owned by the late Jose “Dodong” Gullas, who was then vice president of UV.
I was fortunate enough to be hired by Attorney Seares as a proofreader. Aside from proofreading, he would occasionally ask me to run errands, which included bringing the affidavits of publication he had signed to a lawyer for notarization.
Following his instructions, I would go to the law office of the late Atty. Greg Escasinas and Atty. Menmen Paredes on D. Jakosalem St., just a stone’s throw from The Freeman editorial office on Manalili St. That was the first time I met Attorney Menmen.
Believe it or not, his notarial fee was only P5 per affidavit. From then on, I regularly brought our affidavits of publication to him — not merely because his fee was modest, but because his office was conveniently close. Little did I know that this routine errand would mark the beginning of a friendship and professional acquaintance that would span decades.
A few months later, fortune smiled on me once again. Following the untimely passing of freelance police reporter Joe Martinez, Attorney Seares appointed me as a cub police reporter. Barely a year later, I became a regular news reporter assigned to cover the courts and the Provincial Capitol.
As a court reporter, I came to know Attorney Paredes beyond his notarial desk. He was one of Cebu’s most respected human rights lawyers and an active member of the Free Legal Assistance Group (Flag), the organization founded by the late senator Jose W. Diokno. He represented individuals accused of rebellion during the Marcos dictatorship, taking on cases that many lawyers dared not touch.
In almost every rally against the dictatorship, Menmen was there — never flamboyant, never seeking attention, but always standing firmly for the rule of law and the protection of civil liberties. Soft-spoken and unassuming, he became a favorite source for reporters covering the politically charged cases he handled.
One of those reporters was Maryjane Carabuena of dyRC, who would later become the station’s manager. What many of us in the media never imagined was that after years of covering Attorney Paredes, Maryjane would eventually become Mrs. Paredes.
Menmen was among those Flag lawyers who refused to be intimidated despite receiving death threats. He continued defending his clients, convinced that every person deserved competent legal representation regardless of the accusations against them. Some of those rebellion cases, if memory serves me right, were eventually dismissed for lack of evidence.
His courage became even more evident following the disappearance of Fr. Rosaleo “Rudy” Boller Romano on July 11, 1985 — one of Cebu’s most prominent and still unsolved abduction cases. Menmen, together with his fellow Flag lawyers, filed a petition for habeas corpus in an effort to compel the government to account for the missing priest. By then, I was already in Manila reviewing for the 1985 Bar examinations, but I closely followed developments back home.
Then came the Edsa People Power Revolution in February 1986, a defining moment that restored Philippine democracy. With the return of democratic institutions came new opportunities for many who had fought for justice during the dark years of martial law.
Menmen eventually exchanged the role of human rights advocate for the robe of a judge, becoming presiding judge of the RTC in Cebu City. It was a fitting appointment for a man whose legal career had been built on integrity, fairness and fidelity to the Constitution.
After taking my lawyer’s oath in May 1986, I immediately entered private practice. The next time I met Menmen, he was no longer simply “Attorney” but “Your Honor.”
Throughout the many years that I appeared before him as counsel, I never once saw Judge Paredes raise his voice at lawyers appearing in his courtroom, no matter how heated or contentious the proceedings became. He maintained order not through intimidation, but through quiet authority, patience and courtesy. He earned respect because he first gave it.
Even after his mandatory retirement at the age of 70, Menmen remained active in Flag. Although I no longer saw him regularly in court, I will never forget what he once told me in Cebuano: “Bay, hangtod ta mamatay, ‘bay, aktibista gyud ta.” (“My friend, until the day we die, we remain activists.”)
Those words perfectly captured the man. To Menmen, being an activist was never about street protests or political labels. It was about an unwavering commitment to justice, human dignity and the courage to stand beside the powerless when it mattered most.
Judge Menmen leaves behind a legacy that cannot be measured merely by the number of decisions he penned or the years he served on the bench. His true legacy lies in the lives he defended, the lawyers he inspired and the quiet decency with which he lived his life.
He was, in every sense of the word, a gentleman. And before he became an honorable judge, he was already an honorable man.
To Maryjane, their children and the entire Paredes family, we extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences. May Judge Menmen’s memory continue to inspire those who believe that the law is at its noblest when it serves justice with compassion, humility and courage.