MANUEL G. ARAULLO
(1853-1924)
Manuel Araullo y Gonzales, eminent jurist,
was born in Batangas
on January 1, 1853.
He was educated at the Ateneo Municipal
but later on transferred to the Colegio de San Juan de Letran where he received
his Bachelor of Philosophy degree. He went on to study theology but shifted to
law at the University of Santo Tomas. He completed his Bachelor of Laws degree
in 1876. While still a student, he won a prize for his essay Labor Omnia
Vincit.
Araullo passed the bar in 1877 and
proceeded to practice law. Eager to continue his studies, he left for Spain and
there completed his doctorate in law in ]878. He travelled extensively through England
and France, practiced law for a while in Spain but decided to return to the
Philippines in April 1879
His educational attainment and his
brilliant record caused him to be appointed to a number of distinguished
positions. He was made a Relator de la Audiencia, an office he held for
ten years. He also served, on a concurrent basis, as secretary to the
government and as Abogado Fiscal de Audiencia of Manila. He was tranferred to
Cebu in 1890, and there promoted to Fiscal de Audiencia Territorial. Araullo
became so popular that he was literally swamped with offers of important
positions. He became Promotor Fiscal of Binondo; lawyers and Fiscal of the
Audiencia in Manila; Magistrado Suplente for four years and Letrado en la
Intendencia General de Hacienda. Araullo resigned his government offices to
accept a professorial chair at the Uhiversity of Santo Tomas from 1892 to 1898
where he taught Derecho Mercantil y Hacienda Publica.
On May 28, 1899 Araullo was appointed
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a position he held for two years. In
1931,he became the judge of the Court of First Instance of Pampanga.
On January 1, 1913, he was named Chairman
of the Code Committee created with Washington L. Goldsborough, Francisco
Ortigas, Rafael del Pan and Thomas A. Street as members. The Committee had been
created by the Philippine Legislative and it was charged with delicate duties
to revise the civil, commercial, penal and procedural codes, the mortgage and
land registration acts, and to prepare new codes in accordance with modern
principles of law and customs of the country. When this job was accomplished,
Araullo was again reappointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 1913.
He served in that capacity until his appointment as Chief Justice on 1 November
1921. He succeeded Chief Justice Victorino Mapa and became the third Filipino
to hold such an office. He served as Chief Justice until his death on July 16,
1924.
To perpetuate the memory of this brilliant
jurist, the former Manila Evening Grammar School was renamed Araullo High
School in 1947.