FEU Alumnus named Associate Justice of the Supreme Court

Associate Justice Ricardo R. Rosario, a Boys High School, and Political Science graduate of Far Eastern University is the newest member of the Supreme Court of the Philippines and we are fortunate to have been given an opportunity to know more about him through this online interview.

1. For the benefit of our readers, can you tell us more about yourself and your professional life?

I am Ricardo R. Rosario, at present an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. I was born on 15 October 1958 to Eduardo G. Rosario, a lawyer, and Anita R. Rosario, a lady police officer. I am fourth in a family of 13 children, and due to economic hardships caused mainly by having a big family, my father was forced to send us, his children, to public elementary schools.  

I am a proud graduate of the Far Eastern University (FEU) Boys’ High School and prouder even to be an alumnus of FEU A.B. Political Science Department. I took up law at Ateneo De Manila University and passed the bar in 1985. Before assuming a seat in the High Court, I was a legal officer of the National Bureau of Investigation; a corporate lawyer of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS); a prosecutor or fiscal of Quezon City; Presiding Judge of the Metropolitan Trial Court of Manila and Regional Trial Court of Makati City; and finally, an Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals.

I am married to Maridur V. Rosario, an official of the Bureau of Internal Revenue. I am a father to three wonderful children, Miguel Antonio, Anna Margarita, and Martha Alyssa, and grandfather to my only grandson, Renzo.

2. The Supreme Court is the apex of a lawyer’s dream and very few are chosen to be in your position right now. Can you share with us the journey that led you there?

Becoming a member of the Supreme Court is the dream of most law students. I was no exception, only that my dream to occupy a seat in the halls of the High Court was nurtured even before law school. I was only a teenager when I started hearing about how great the Supreme Court was, courtesy of my father who, while able to hold his own against the top guns of the legal profession, would still hold his breath at the ponencias of some magistrates he held in high esteem. 

I suppose it was at that point that I started to entertain the idea, if only for my father, that I would leave no stone unturned in pursuing my dream to making it to the High Tribunal. From then on, the trek to the Supreme Court started. Political Science in FEU, Ateneo law school, and various stations in the judicial department as well as the Department of Justice. It was a long and arduous climb, but I never stopped dreaming. The perseverance, all the preparation, the hard work, and most of all, the prayers and faith in God Almighty, finally paid off.

3. What do you think is the most important lesson that the Covid 19 pandemic taught you?

I am so used to looking at the bright side of things and I always see the glass to be half-full. True, the pandemic brought the world to its knees, and to some quarters, there is no bright side to this sorry global episode. 

Given the magnitude of this health crisis, I cannot but be amazed at the resilience of the human race, their will to survive at all costs, and the heroism seldom placed on display by many of its members. We need not go far, we only have to take a look at our Filipino community. Despite the imposition of some health protocols during the early stages of the pandemic, including prohibitions against leaving their own homes and the observation of physical distancing, many Filipinos, moved by the sad plight of their poor brothers and sisters put in direr situations because of the pandemic, left the comfort and safety offered by their very homes, so that they could offer help to their less fortunate neighbours. It was a moving sight to behold, those of philanthropic men and good Samaritans putting themselves in harm’s way just to ensure that the next fellow would not die of hunger.  

The bottom line, the virus did restore our trust in humanity.

4. Why did you choose to study at FEU? What were your most memorable moments there?  

Honestly, enrolling in FEU High School was not my choice, but the decision of my father who, I could only surmise,  took into consideration FEU’s reasonable fees and the quality of education it offers. In fact, the majority of my siblings attended FEU at one point or another, precisely for its affordable tuition and great system of education. It would turn out later that my father made the right decision in choosing FEU, so much so that in college, I opted to take up AB Political Science where else, but at Far Eastern University.

Of course, the most memorable moments would be the two commencement exercises that I was fortunate to join. Those were the culmination of my hard work, a full validation that in the eyes of my alma mater, the Far Eastern University, I was all set to join the world as an educated and well-rounded man.

5. Which of the FEU core values of Fortitude, Excellence, and Uprightness do you think more of these days?

As judge or magistrate, I do not think I could give more importance to any one of the FEU core values over the other. In fact, not only should all three values be applied to members of the judiciary, but they should be observed by every individual, even laymen, as the cornerstones of their dealings. But as a judge or justice, I am expected to render my decision without fear and against all forms of adversity (fortitude), in a manner fully and perfectly in accord with the law and jurisprudence (excellence), so as to give justice to parties, people and entities who have been wronged in one way or another (uprightness). If I should be true to my calling as a member of the Supreme Court, then I should submit to the demands of all three virtues, without exception, and without any one of them given preference over the other.

6. How did FEU help you become the person that you are today?

I would like to think of myself as a God-fearing man who subscribes strongly to the spirit of fair play in man’s dealings with his fellows. FEU instilled in me the three virtues aforesaid, and by observing them faithfully and allowing them to guide me in my decision-making, I am certain that my decisions shall be fair, the kind of fairness required and dictated by our Constitution and statutes.

7. What advice can you give to your fellow Tamaraws?

My fellow Tamaraws, trust me when I say that the FEU educational system will eventually serve you in good stead. Take full advantage of the benefits that our university is at present offering you. Under their guidance, a good future is in the offing. However, please be reminded that your success ultimately will not depend on your alma mater, because the saying that you hold your future in your own hands, to my mind, is an adage that rings true for all eternity.