| Honorific-Prefix: | The Honorable |
| Regino C. Hermosisima Jr. | |
| Office: | 4th member of the Judicial and Bar Council for retired Supreme Court justices |
| Term Start: | November 24, 1997 |
| Term End: | July 9, 2001 |
| Appointer: | Fidel V. Ramos |
| Term Start2: | September 10, 2001 |
| Term End2: | July 9, 2005 |
| Appointer2: | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo |
| Term Start3: | October 4, 2005 |
| Term End3: | July 9, 2009 |
| Appointer3: | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo |
| Term Start4: | July 9, 2009 |
| Term End4: | July 9, 2013 |
| Appointer4: | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo |
| Successor4: | Angelina Sandoval Gutierrez |
| Predecessor: | Jose C. Campos |
| Office5: | 136th Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines |
| Term Start5: | January 10, 1995 |
| Term End5: | October 18, 1997 |
| Appointer5: | Fidel Ramos |
| Predecessor5: | Abdulwahid Bidin |
| Successor5: | Fidel Purisima |
| Office6: | 15th Associate Justice of the Sandiganbayan |
| Term Start6: | May 16, 1986 |
| Term End6: | January 10, 1995 |
| Appointer6: | Corazon Aquino |
| Predecessor6: | Newly created seat |
| Successor6: | German Lee Jr. |
| Birth Date: | 18 October 1927 |
| Birth Place: | Cebu, Philippine Islands |
Regino Campos Hermosisima Jr. (born October 18, 1927) of Banilad and Sibonga, Cebu, Philippines, is a 4-termer regular member of the Judicial and Bar Council. Appointed on December 17, 1997, by Fidel Ramos, he was reappointed on September 12, 2001, and on October 4, 2005, by Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Hermosisima Jr. was initially appointed to the Supreme Court as an Associate Justice on July 10, 1995, and retired on his 70th birthday on October 18, 1997.
Hermosisima was born on October 18, 1927, at Cebu, Philippine Islands. Hermosisima Jr. graduated Valedictorian at the Sibonga Elementary School (1933–1940) and Salutatorian at the Cebu Provincial High School (1940–1941). He earned his Associate of Arts and his law degree with cum laude from the University of Visayas (1948–1952). He passed the Bar Examinations in 1953 with a fair rating of 83.45%.
Hermosisima Jr. started his career as Law Professor, Criminal Law and Criminal Law Review at the University of Visayas, Cebu City; he taught Evidence at the Far Eastern University, Manila and Trial Technique and Moot Court at the San Sebastian College; he was a Bar Reviewer in Criminal Law at the University of Visayas and FEU, and Bar Examiner, Criminal Law, 1999 Bar Examination.
Hermosisima Jr. attended post-graduate studies of Program for Executive Development at the Development Academy of the Philippines (1975) and at the University of the Philippines Law Center, Institute and Seminars.
Hermosisima Jr. began his legal career in private law practice (1953; 1955–1966) by establishing the famous Hermosisima Law Offices at Cebu, Basilan City, and Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur. He was Technical Assistant in 1954 of the House of Representatives, Manila, City Councilor, Basilan City (1960–1963), Vice-Mayor, Basilan City (1963), chair, Eighth Amnesty Commission in 1973 at Mindanao (appointed by the then Secretary of Justice Vicente Abad Santos, while serving as CFI Judge of Basilan City).
Hermosisisa Jr. rose from the ranks. He had 31 years in the judiciary, starting as trial judge (20 YEARS): Judge, Court of First Instance (1966–1976) Basilan City and Province; Judge, CFI of Cebu (1976–1979), Branches IX and XI; Judge, Circuit Criminal Court (1983–1986), Cebu City, Branch XVIII, Region 7.
Hermosisima Jr. was appointed by Corazon Aquino as Sandiganbayan Justice (9 years) (May 16, 1986 – July 18, 1995), and was promoted as an Associate Justice on July 10, 1995, and retired on his 70th birthday on October 18, 1997. He is the incumbent chair of the Board of Trustees, University of Cebu. He was awarded a Medal of Honor as the most distinguished alumnus of the University of Visayas.
See main article: Assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr.. On December 2, 1985, Justice Manuel Pamaran of the Sandiganbayan rendered judgment in Criminal Cases Nos. 10010-10011 acquitting all the 16 accused, who allegedly killed Benigno Aquino Jr. However, the Supreme Court nullified the proceedings, which is regarded as a "sham",[1] and ordered a retrial of the cases before the Sandiganbayan (Galman vs. Sandiganbayan, 144 SCRA 43, 1986).
In his 177 pages decision dated September 28, 1990, Hermosisima Jr.'s Sandiganbayan found the said accused guilty as principals of the crime of murder in both Criminal Cases Nos. 10010 and 10011, and he sentenced them to reclusion perpetua in each case. The judgment became final after this Court denied petitioners’ petition for review of the Sandiganbayan decision for failure to show reversible error in the questioned decision, as well as their subsequent motion for reconsideration. In August 2004, the said accused asked the High Tribunal to re-open the case, but the last appeal was denied.[2]
On August 21, 2007, (Aquino's 24th death anniversary), Enrile stated that the case of the 14 soldiers incarcerated for 24 years now, due to the assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr. should be reviewed for clemency. Enrile paid for the legal services of the soldiers during their trial and said the soldiers and their families have suffered enough. 15 soldiers of the Aviation Security Command were sentenced to double life imprisonment for the double murder of Aquino and scapegoat Rolando Galman,[3] and one of them had died. They were all initially acquitted in December 1985, by the Sandiganbayan' Manuel Pamaran, but the Sandiganbayan's Regino C. Hermosisima Jr. (promoted to Supreme Court Justice and incumbent 3 termer Judicial and Bar Council regular member) convicted them on September 28, 1990.[4]
On the 24th anniversary of the death of Benigno Aquino Jr., Cory stated that she had forgiven the 14 incarcerated soldiers for the assassination of her husband but she would not ever nod to appeals for their release.[5]
On August 21, 2007, the 24th anniversary of Ninoy's murder, 2 guns that altered the course of Philippine history are rusting away in the drawers of the Sandiganbayan. The first is the charcoal-toned Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum pistol, with a grip made of deer horn, was discovered near the body of Rolando Galman, and was marked "Exhibit 32. Its twin or the 2nd gun surfaced when the Supreme Court ordered a retrial in 1986. This 2nd gun, which has the same serial number "K919079" as the first one was marked as "Exhibit 12," and really added to the mystery of Aquino's assassination. Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Regino C. Hermosisima Jr. in a 177-page decision promulgated in September 1990, incarcerated the 16 soldiers who were already acquitted by Manuel Pamaran's Sandiganbayan. In the 1990 judgment, the gun's owner was Col. Octavio Alvarez, who retired from the military on March 7, 1985.
Both the Agrava Board report and the Hermosisima Jr. court resolved that it was either a .45 cal. or a .38 cal. pistol that was used in killing Aquino, thereby dismissing Olivas’ magnum theory, which pointed to Rolando Galman as the killer and the weapon as the .357 Magnum pistol. The court maintained that it was Moreno who shot Aquino but that he used a different gun. But the real weapon and the masterminds are still unaccounted for after 24 years. Meanwhile, the 2 mysterious Magnum revolvers will remain at the Sandiganbayan’s bodega until the return of Capt. Felipe Valerio, the group commander of the Avsecom 805th Special Operations Squadron, might be the last key to Aquino's death.[6]
In April 2004, Hermosisima Jr. was duly appointed chair of The Change Management Committee's Technical Group, with the function of restructuring and strengthening of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) and the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA).[11]
On March 10, 2006, Hermosisima Jr. delivered a brilliant speech on the Judicial and Bar Council Strategic and Operations Planning Workshop at the Pan Pacific Hotel, Adriatico, Manila.[12]
Likewise, he stated in his JBC message that the Council aims to nominate the "best and the brightest" among the applicants. In support, he cited Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., justice of the Supreme Court of the United States - (T)he rectitude and the fairness in the way the courts operate must be manifest to the members of the community, particularly to those whose interests are affected by the exercise of their functions.[13] [14]
Hermosisima Jr. was past President of the Councils of YMCA movements in Asia and Pacific countries and Territories and incumbent Member of Executive Committee, Standing Committees and Task Groups For the Quadrennium:2004-2007 and Member also of the CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS, YMCA.[15] [16] On November 27, 2005, the feast day of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Hermosisima Jr. was reelected national President of the YMCA, Philippines (established in 1911, 94 years ago).[17]
Hermosisima Jr. was also:
Hermosisima Jr. wrote brilliant ponencias: Sombongh v. Court of Appeals, Atok Big Wedge Mining Company v. Intermediate Appellate Court, Catholic Bishop of Balanga v. Court of Appeals, Equatorial Realty Development Inc. v. Court of Appeals, Estate of Mariano San Pedro vs. Court of Appeals, GMRC, Inc., et al. v. Court of Appeals, Islamic Directorate of the Philippines v. Court of Appeals, De Santos v. Hon. Angeles, Defensor-Santiago, et al. v. Comelec, inter alia.
Hermosisima Jr. lives at a small condominium at the Capitol Estates, Fairview, near the St. Peter Parish and Ever Gotesco, Fairview, Quezon City.
Papa Ino to his grandchildren Regino is married to Rosemary P. Navarro of Alaminos, Pangasinan, and Lamitan, Basilan Province. They were blessed by God with very good children: Atty. Marceliano Hermosisima, Assistant Vice-President, Trust Department, Philippine National Bank; Mr. Mario Hermosisima, businessman; Dr. Carol Hermosisima-Carabaña, Asst. City Health Officer, Zamboanga City; Dr. Monalisa Hermosisima, Chua, Consultant Physician, Chong Hua Hospital, Cebu City; and Dr. Beverly Ann Hermosisima, Consultant Physician, Chong Hua Hospital, Cebu City.[18]