[] Presiding Justice Econg ends absence of a Cebuano on high seat of national judiciary, which a long time ago had a Hilario Davide Jr. and a Marcelo Fernan.
[] News media remind the public of this part of Econg’s record: acquitting a number of high-profile government officials accused of corruption. That may taint but hardly diminish Cebu’s honor and pride in having a native of the island province occupy a much-coveted position on the national scene.
ECONG SWORN IN. Associate Justice Geraldine Faith Abracia-Econg took her oath as presiding justice of the Sandiganbayan Monday, January 3, 2025, before Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo at the SC en banc session hall.
Econg thus becomes the 11th presiding justice of the anti-graft court, filling the vacancy created by the retirement of PJ Amparo Cabotaje-Tang last November 7, 2024.
She now leads and manages the court that under the Constitution will try government officials and personnel accused of corruption. Its jurisdiction covers top officials and high crimes such as plunder, graft and other related offenses. And her retirement from the judiciary won’t come until August 6, 2037.
FIRST FOR CEBU. More significantly to Cebu, she is the first native of Cebu island province to hold the high judiciary position -- “equal in rank to the Court of Appeals consists of 20 associate justices and one presiding justice.” It’s next to the highest position of SC chief justice, which Cebuanos Hilario Davide Jr. and Marcelo Fernan had filled.
Econg was born in Cebu, earned her law degree from the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, and had served as presiding judge of the city’s Regional Trial Court Branch 9.
FOLLOWED HERMOSISIMA. Econg was appointed on January 20, 2016 associate justice in the anti-graft court by then president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.
She followed fellow Cebuano Regino Campos Hermosisima Jr. at the Sandiganbayan.
Hermosisima is listed in published materials as coming from Banilad, Cebu City and Sibonga, Cebu and a 1953 graduate of the University of the Visayas College of Law (cum laude). He was associate justice of the Sandiganbayan from May 16, 1986 to January 10, 1995.
From the anti-graft court, Hermosisima was named associate justice of the Supreme Court, which he served from 1995 until his retirement on October 18, 1997. He was later appointed to the Judicial and Bar Council, serving as one of four regular members (for the retired Supreme Court member slot), in four consecutive terms, from November 24, 1997 to July 9, 2013.
It took 11 years for another Cebuano, Econg, to join the anti-graft court, counted from Hermosisima’s exit in 1995. Hermosisima is #15 and Econg #60 in the 75-person list of Sandiganbayan justices.
NOT WITHOUT SOME SOUR NOTE. Econg’s promotion to Sandiganbayan presiding justice was accompanied with or followed by a reminder from a number of news outlets that:
-- Because of the presidential appointment, Econg now heads the anti-graft court that handles the cases of alleged ill-gotten wealth against President Marcos Jr.’s family;
-- She was among the associate justices who voted to acquit Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla of plunder in relation to the pork barrel scam of 2018;
-- Econg was also among the justices who dismissed the pork-barrel-related plunder case against Juan Ponce Enrile, the president’s chief legal counsel; she and another AJ had been pulled into the special division after the original division of three AJs didn’t reach a unanimous decision.
-- She is also the author (“ponente”) of the decision that threw out the last six coconut levy cases against the late Ferdinand Marcos Sr., Imelda Marcos and other “cronies” of the former president.
-- Interesting to Cebuanos, Econg handled the case of parricide against Ruben Ecleo Jr. (from which she later inhibited, one of six judges who did); she also handled claims against the Mactan-Cebu International Airport;
-- Econg was one of two AJs who dissented to the ruling (in a vote of 3-2) that rejected then congresswoman Gwen Garcia’s motion to dismiss the charges filed against her in connection with the P98 million Balili properties. Econg joined Division 2 after it had voted, 2-1. In 2020, the Sandiganbayan ultimately acquitted Garcia.
-- The IBP questioned her and another AJ’s appointment, citing then president Noynoy Aquino’s alleged disregard of clustering nominees in six list, but the SC ruled the appointments to be valid, saying the Judicial & Bar Council cannot restrain the president’s power to appoint.
SHE CHOSE NOT TO BE A HEROINE. What Econg said in response to the flap over the Revilla acquittal may apply as well to other controversies that involved her. “Yes, I know it’s unpopular,” she said then, “I would’ve loved to be a heroine by convicting him. But at the end of the day, I’m bound to rule based on evidence presented by both the prosecution and defense.” At the end of the day too, she got the seat of presiding justice.
RELATED:
[] “Bzzzzz: Cebu’s Associate Justice Econg voted for Gwen in Sandiganbayan ruling.”
[] “Seares: Econg chose to be unpopular: she freed Revilla”
CONTROVERSIES HAVEN’T DIMINISHED CEBU PRIDE over the appointment of Econg. They may have tainted it to some degree but the big honor to Cebu remains and many Cebuanos rejoice.