Lucas Bersamin

Lucas Purugganan Bersamin (born October 18, 1949) is the incumbent chairperson of the Government Service Insurance System and a member of its board of trustees.[1] He was the 25th Chief Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court, the highest court in the Philippines.[2] He was named by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the High Court as an Associate Justice on April 2, 2009. Prior to becoming an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, he was a member of the Court of Appeals.[3]

The Honorable Lucas P. Bersamin
Chairman of the Government Service Insurance System
Incumbent
Assumed office February 6, 2020
Appointed by	Rodrigo Duterte
Preceded by	Jesus Clint O. Aranas Rolando L. Macasaet (OIC)
25th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
In office November 26, 2018 – October 18, 2019
Appointed by	Rodrigo Duterte
Preceded by	Teresita de Castro
Succeeded by	Diosdado Peralta
163rd Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
In office April 3, 2009 – November 28, 2018
Appointed by	Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Preceded by	Adolfo Azcuna
Succeeded by	Henri Jean Paul B. Inting
Personal details
Born	October 18, 1949 Bangued, Abra, Philippines
Education	University of the Philippines (BA) University of the East (LL.B.)
Affiliation	Scintilla Juris Fraternity

Biography

Justice Bersamin earned his undergraduate degree from the University of the Philippines and graduated from the University of the East College of Law in 1973. He placed 9th in the 1973 Bar Examinations with an average of 86.3%. Justice Bersamin was then named fellow at the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute in Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.[4]

He was in private practice from 1974 until 1986, when he was appointed a trial court judge in Quezon City by President Corazon Aquino. Justice Bersamin was a professor at the Ateneo Law School, the University of the East College of Law, and the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law. He was special lecturer at the College of Law, University of Cebu in 2006. He continues to lecture for the Philippine Judicial Academy.

In 2003, Bersamin was elevated to the Court of Appeals by President Arroyo. In April 2009, through a midnight appointment, Bersamin was elevated by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, a few months before she stepped down from the presidency amid corruption cases that were going to be filed against her.

He was one of the associate justices who voted in favor of the quo warranto petition against Maria Lourdes Sereno,[5] which led to the appointment of Teresita de Castro as new Chief Justice, replacing Maria Lourdes Sereno. President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Bersamin as the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on November 26, 2018, succeeding Teresita Leonardo-De Castro.[6][7][8]

On February 6, 2020, Bersamin was appointed by President Duterte as the chairperson of the Government Service Insurance System and a member of the agency's board of trustees. He will serve the unexpired term of former GSIS President Jesus Clint Aranas that will end on June 30, 2020.[1]

He is the brother of former congressman Luis "Chito" P. Bersamin, Jr. of Abra, who was gunned down during a wedding ceremony[9] and brother of Abra former provincial governor Eustaquio P. Bersamin.[10]

Notes

1. Gita-Carlos, Ruth Abbey (February 14, 2020). "Ex-Chief Justice Bersamin named GSIS chair". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
2. "Metro News Today: Bersamin Is The New Chief Justice". League Online News. November 28, 2018.
3. "Arroyo appoints CA Justice Bersamin to High Court". GMANews.TV. 2009-04-02. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
4. "Justice Lucas P. Bersamin". Supreme Court of the Philippines. Archived from the original on 2012-01-23. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
5. Patag, Kristine Joy (May 11, 2018). "SC votes to oust Sereno". Philstar.com.
6. Lopez, Virgil (November 28, 2018). "SC Associate Justice Bersamin named new Chief Justice". GMA News Online. Retrieved 2019-06-28.
7. "Lucas Bersamin is the new Chief Justice: source". ABS-CBN News. November 28, 2018.
8. Patag, Kristine Joy (November 28, 2018). "Bersamin is Duterte's new chief justice". Philstar.com.
9. "Bersamin's brother elated over murder raps filed vs Valera". February 19, 2008.
10. Romero, Purple S. (April 2, 2009). "(Update) Bersamin is new SC justice". abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak.