Fr. Joaquin Bernas. (Photo courtesy of Radio Veritas)
MANILA – Malacañang on Saturday mourned the passing of Jesuit lawyer, Fr. Joaquin Bernas, who was among the framers of the 1987 Constitution.
“We express our condolences to the friends and colleagues of Father Joaquin Bernas who died early morning today, March 6, 2021,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.
Bernas, 88, died early Saturday, according to a memorandum released by Ateneo Law School Dean Jose Maria Hofileña and posted on his Facebook page.
Hofileña did not disclose the cause of Bernas’ death.
“May his (Bernas) soul, through the mercy of God, rest in eternal peace and happiness,” Roque said.
Hailing Bernas’ contributions to the country, he said the Jesuit priest leaves a legacy of “legal excellence and passion for humanity and the rule of law to the nation.”
“A great Jesuit educator, he mentored generations of Filipino students, lawyers, legal academics, and researchers. A noted constitutionalist, Father Bernas was one of the framers of the 1987 Philippine Constitution whose interpretation of the law had been cited in numerous legal arguments,” Roque said.
Bernas served as dean emeritus of the Ateneo Law School.
He was also president of the Ateneo de Manila University from 1984 to 1993 and a member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission that drafted the 1987 Philippine Constitution. (PNA)
