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Speech delivered by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P. A. Sereno during the PRAISE Retirement Luncheon on August 18, 2017 at the Training Center, G/F Centennial Building, Supreme Court, Manila

Thank you. Salamat at pinagbigyan ninyo ako ngayong tanghaling ito.

Alam kong medyo naantala nang kaunti, nang bahagya ang inyong

pananghalian. (Thank you for inviting me this afternoon. I know that I have

disrupted your lunch for a little bit, please forgive me.)

I actually just came from inducting the officers of the Association of Law

Students of the Philippines; and you could just see their hunger for words of

assurance that they are on the right path. And actually I was talking to them

about the journey that they will have to take through law, and I was saying, “is

it possible for the Supreme Court to reach young students while they are still

idealistic and before they are released to the professional world where they

will get exposed sometimes really to corrupt practices?” Some may choose to

stand on their integrity and retain their values; others will choose to succumb

to the system. But whatever it is, I think all of us, those of older generations;

have a duty to these young people. We must give them a way out of a system

that lives on compromises and trading behind tables. In other words, is it

possible for us to show them a better way to live? And that is why I was so

touched by the Supreme Court Choir. When I was standing for the doxology, I

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thought how inspired their choice was, has been for the doxology, and they

were saying about where can we flee from your presence Lord, if we go to the

highest heavens, you are there; if we go to the very depths of hell, you are

there; wherever we turn God is there.

And so, I am indeed grateful for those who are celebrating their long

years of service with the Supreme Court, grateful that they have kept their

faith with the Court. Not one of them has actually allowed the Court’s name to

be tarnished in their service.

But I know that despite the fact that some of them might be heaving a

sigh of relief, medyo hindi na ho kayo kailangan gumising ng maaga masyado

at makipagbuno sa traffic, sa traffic na parang monstrous na ang tingin ninyo

ngayon. Alam kong may agam-agam kayo, may agam-agam kayo sa inyong

magiging routine. Hindi po madali na 30 years or 40 years may routine kayo,

alam ninyo eksakto ang gagawin ninyo, iyong mga issues na tatalakayin ninyo,

iyong mga taong kakasalimuhain ninyo, at alam ninyong pagdating ng

tanghalian ay sabay sabay kayong manananghalian at magpapalitan ng jokes

at ng Facebook posts. Alam po natin na masarap iyong comfort na alam

ninyong nasa pamilya kayo, pamilya ng Korte Suprema. Ngunit ngayon hindi na

ho kayo babalik sa inyong opisina araw-araw. Sino na ho ang kausap ninyo;

mayroon hong may mga kasamang asawa, aso, pusa; garden; mayroong mag

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Zu-Zumba buong araw, mayroong magFacebook buong araw. Ngunit hindi ho

madali na mag transition sa isang bagong buhay. Kaya’t kung maaari po sana

ay ibalik ko at sariwain natin ang salita na binigkas ng ating mga mangaawit

ngayon, iyong Supreme Court Choir po natin. (But I know that despite the fact

that some of them might be heaving a sigh of relief: you don’t have to wake up

early anymore and brave traffic, which can be described as “monstrous.” I also

know that you have some doubts especially about the new routine you will be

facing. Especially after 30 or 40 years of being used to doing a routine —

knowing exactly what to do, issues you will face, people you will mingle with,

knowing who you will be eating with during lunch while exchanging jokes and

Facebook posts — it will not be an easy transition. We have been used to

being around family, our family here in the Supreme Court. But now, you will

no longer be going to work here every day. Who will you be talking to now;

some of you have spouses; dogs or cats as pets; or maybe you will be

gardening; or dancing Zumba all day, or going over Facebook all day long. But

that transition will not be easy. That is why I’d like you to recall with me the

words sung by our Supreme Court Choir earlier.)

Kahit saan ho kayo manahan, saang landas man kayo dalhin ng ating

Panginoon, siya pa rin ang inyong patnubay. Siya pa rin ang mag-iingat sa inyo;

siya pa rin ang inyong proteksyon; siya pa rin ang magbibigay sa inyo ng pang

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araw-araw na pangangailangan; siya pa rin ang sa gabing kayo’y lumuluha at

nalulumbay, siya pa rin ang magbibigay sa inyo ng kasiyahan. At kung natapos

na po natin ang ating misyon sa buhay na ito, siya rin po ang ating

patutunguhan. Ang atin pong buhay dito sa mundong ito ay maikli lamang at

mayroon lamang po itong kahulugan kung inaalay po natin sa Poong Maykapal.

Kung hinayaan po nating sakluban niya ang lahat, ang kabuuan ng ating

pagkatao, maaari po tayong manalig na hindi niya tayo pababayaan. Pagka’t

paano po niya tayo kayang pabayaan? Minahal niya ho tayo higit sa buhay ng

kanyang anak. Hinayaan niyang magdusa ang kanyang anak upang hindi

lamang tayo ay makapiling hindi lamang sa buhay na ito, kung hindi sa buhay

na walang hanggan. (No matter where you go, whatever path our Lord brings

you, he is your guide. He will take care of you; protect you; provide for your

daily needs; and at night when you’re in sorrow and sad, he will give you

strength. And after we’ve served our time on earth, we will go back to rest

with him. Our life here in this world is only short and it will only have

meaning if we offer it to our God. If we offer everything to him, our entire

being, we can believe that he will not neglect us. For how will he neglect us?

He loved us more than he loved his own son. He allowed his son to suffer so

that not only can we live in this life, but also in eternal life.)

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Kaya’t kung maaari lamang po, nais ko po sanang magpaumanhin at

hilingin ko sa inyo na pagbigyan ninyo ako, kung maaari ko pong ipagdasal ang

bawa’t isang mag reretire po mula sa Korte Suprema. Maaari po sana tayong

tumayo. (If you will indulge me, I would like to apologize and ask you to please

allow me to pray for each and every retiree from the Supreme Court here with

us. Please, let us all stand.)

Ngunit gusto ko pong banggitin ang ilang katangi-tanging tao. Meron po

tayong isang napakabuting tao, si [Associate] Justice [Jose Catral] “Bambit”

Mendoza. Kapag naiisip ko nga po siyang mag reretire na at hindi na ho namin

makakapiling, nalulungkot po ako, may kasama hikbi po ang aking puso. Ngunit

sana po ay pagbigyan niya po at makasama ko rin siya sa isa naman pong

kapasidad. Gayun din po, alam ninyo po si Justice Mendoza, nagsimula po bilang

Research Attorney sa Court of Appeals at buong buhay po niya matapos na

naibigay po niya sa serbisyo hudikatura, napaka giting po ng kanyang serbisyo

sa larangan ng hustisya. (But before anything else, I would also like to mention

a few distinguished retirees. We have a very good man here with us,

[Associate] Justice [Jose Catral] “Bambit” Mendoza. Whenever I remember

that he is already retiring and we will no longer be working with him every

day, I feel very sad. That is why I hope he accepts a new beginning, to work

with me in another capacity. Justice Mendoza started as a Research Attorney

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in the Court of Appeals, and has since dedicated his entire life to work in the

judiciary. He has served with integrity and has been very admirable especially

in the field of justice.)

Mayroon po tayong tatlong napakagaling na mga bosses, si [Deputy

Court Administrator] Thelma [C. Bahia] na nagretire nung July po at mayroon

pong katumbas ng trentay nwebe (39) taon at higit pa sa hudikatura. (We also

have three outstanding bosses, first is [Deputy Court Administrator] Thelma

[C. Bahia] who retired last July and has been with the judiciary for more than

39 years.)

Gayon po si [En Banc Clerk of Court] Atty. [Felipa B.] Anama na

mamimiss ko po, si “Pepay”, na nanilbihan ho ng 43 years, and more than 43

years. (Another is [En Banc Clerk of Court] Atty. [Felipa B.] Anama, who I will

truly miss. “Pepay” served the judiciary for more than 43 years.)

At si [Deputy Clerk of Court and Chief Administrative Officer, Office of

Administrative Services] Atty. Eden [T. Candelaria], ang Miss Universe ng

buhay ko, for 44 years, 3 months and 17 days. (And lastly, [Deputy Clerk of

Court and Chief Administrative Officer, Office of Administrative Services] Atty.

Eden [T. Candelaria], whom I refer to as the "Miss Universe of my life”, she

served the judiciary for a total of 44 years, 3 months and 17 days.)

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Gusto ko rin po sanang banggitin ang pinakamatagal na nanilbihan sa

atin, si Ginoong Alfredo V. Tubaga [Cash Clerk III, Check Disbursement

Division, Fiscal Management and Budget Office] na magsisilbi ng 44 years, 10

months and 11 days. (Deserving of a special mention is the retiree who has

served the judiciary the longest, Mr. Alfredo V. Tubaga [Cash Clerk III, Check

Disbursement Division, Fiscal Management and Budget Office] who served for

a total of 44 years, 10 months and 11 days.)

Mayroon din po tayong mga rank and file, utility workers, isang driver,

at dalawa pong security guards. (Among the retirees, there are also those from

the rank and file, utility workers, one driver, and two security guards.)

Lahat po kayo ay naging makabuluhang mga kawani ng hudikatura.

Pantay-pantay po tayo — mula sa punong hukom hanggang sa

pinakamababang utility. Isipin po natin na sa mata ng Diyos, pare-pareho

lamang po tayo, wala po tayong ikinaiba. Pinanganak po tayong hubad at

walang possession, at ganoon din po tayo babalik. Kaya’t wala ho sa atin ni

isang puwedeng mangmata ng kahit sino, kasi pare-pareho lang ho tayo.

Nagkakaroon lamang po ng laman ang ating buhay sa tindi ng ating

pagmamahal sa isa’t isa. Kaya’t samahan ninyo po ako at ito po ay alam kong

pinapakinggan tayo ngayon ng Poong Maykapal. (All of you have played an

important role in the judiciary. Remember that we are all equal — from the

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Chief Justice down to the lowest ranking utility worker. Always remember

that in the eyes of our God, we are all the same and equal. We were born with

nothing and without any possessions, and we return to our God in the same

manner. So never look down on others because we are all equals. Our lives

will only have meaning when we show each other how much we love others.

So please join me in prayer because I know our God is listening to us.)

Panginoong naglikha ng bawat isa sa amin, bago pa man kami nahulma

sa sinapupunan ng aming ina, kinilala mo na po kami, bawat hakbang namin at

bawat paghinto sa aming buhay, ikaw po ang naggawad ng lahat ng aming

gawain. Ngayon po kami ay manunumbalik sa pribadong buhay at sinasariwa

po namin ngayon sa araw na ito ang lahat ng masasaya at malulungkot ring

araw na aming nagugol sa aming tahanan dito sa hudikatura, lalong lalo na sa

Korte Suprema. (To our Almighty Creator, even before we were conceived in

our mother’s womb, you already knew us; you’ve granted us everything we

have. As we retire and now go back to our private lives, we look back at all the

happy and sad days we experienced in our home in the judiciary, especially

here at the Supreme Court.)

Panginoon, hindi po namin matumbasan ang kabutihan mo sa amin —

paano mo po ginabayan ang bawa’t isa sa amin, sa aming personal na buhay at

sa aming propesyonal na buhay, paano mo hinayaang magkasapat sapat ang

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aming munting kita sa pang araw-araw at sa pangangailangan ng aming mga

mahal sa buhay, paano mo po kami binigyan ng liwanag sa kung anong tamang

gawain upang ang paninilbihan namin sa iyo at sa bayan ay maigtingan pa ng

pang araw-araw naming kasiyahan sa aming trabaho. (Lord, we will never be

able to match how good you are to us, how you guided each and every one of

us in both our personal and professional lives, how you made sure that we had

enough every day to meet our family’s daily needs, how you led us to the right

path of service to you and others, strengthened by the daily gratifications at

work.)

Panginoon, sino po ang aming tatakbuhan kung hindi ikaw lamang? Wala

na po kaming masasandalan. Marami po sa amin dadaan sa kahinaan ng

katawan. Sino po ang aming titingnan kung hindi ikaw lamang. Kalingain mo

po kami pagka’t nararamdaman po namin ang kahinaan na dulot ng mga taong

mahabang naglipas na. Panginoon, hindi po namin alam ang aming gagawin

ngayon sa araw araw. Bigyan mo po ng kahulugan ang pang araw-araw

naming buhay; buhayin mo po ang espiritu ng serbisyo sa aming mga kaluluwa

gaya ng ginawa mo sa lahat ng dekada at mga taong ito. Ikaw lamang naman

po ang nagbigay sa amin ng kapasidad na magmahal sa kapwa. Tulungan mo

po kami na sa aming mga kasama sa bahay, pamilya man o hindi, sa aming mga

kapitbahay, at sa bawat karaniwang tao na makikilala namin, ipakita namin

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ang kagitingan ng pagmamahal mo sa amin. Tulungan mo kaming

paliwanagan sila ng kabutihan mo, oh Diyos, at gabayan mo po kami habang

araw-araw ay hinahanap rin namin ang iyong mukha, ang iyong liwanag, ang

iyong kagandahan. (Lord, to whom shall we go, if not to you? There is no one

else we can lean on to. Some of us will experience weakness; who else will we

look up to, but you? Watch over us as we feel the weakness caused by people

who have long gone. Lord, we do not know what we will be facing every day.

Help us find meaning in our daily lives; enlighten the public servant in us like

you have been doing in the past. You are our only source of strength to love

others. Help us in our dealings with those we live with, whether they are

family or not, our neighbors, and anyone we will meet, that we may be a

reflection of your love for us. Help us demonstrate your goodness oh Lord, and

guide us as we search for your daily presence, light, and beauty.)

Panginoon wala po kaming mararating sa aming pagsisilbi sa bayan,

kung hindi ikaw at ikaw lamang ang magbibigay ng gabay sa amin.

Nararamdaman po namin ang pressure na napakataas po ng expectation ng

aming taong-bayan, ang hinahanap po nila ay malinis na paninilbihan, ang

hindi pagkamal ng pera, kung hindi ang pagbukas ng puso sa hinaing ng kapwa.

Bigyan mo po kami ng katapangan upang ipagmalaki namin ang aming

pagmamahal sa bayan at pagmamahal sa kapwa. Huwag niyo po kaming

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bigyan ng pangingime na sabihing “ang bawat Pilipino ay aming kapatid” at

ang puso namin ay bukas at malaki upang yapusin ang bawat kapwa namin.

(Lord we would not have any reason or purpose for being public servants if it

were not for your guidance. We know that society has high expectations for

us, we feel the pressure. They’re expecting honesty in service, one that has no

room for greed but instead has an open heart to the needs of the people. Give

us the strength to be proud of our love for our country and others. Help us to

proudly say that “every Filipino is our brother or sister,” and that our hearts

are always open to embrace our fellow Filipinos.)

Panginoon, sana po’y hindi ito ang pagwawakas ng aming relasyon sa

isa’t isa dito sa hudikatura. Nawa’y bigyan mo po kami ng kalakasan upang

magkita pa rin at magtawanan at magparty at magsayawan at magkantahan

pa. Hayaan mo pong sa pamamagitan ng ano mang paraan, teknolohiya man o

pisikal na paghaharap sa isa’t isa, ay sariwain namin ang aming pagmamahal

at pagkakaibigan sa bawat isa. Lagi mo pong tulungan kaming isaisip na wala

pong kabuluhan ang aming buhay kung wala ka, o Ama. (Lord, we hope that

today will not be the culmination of relationships developed here in the

judiciary. We pray for the chance to still see each other, to laugh and party, to

dance and sing. Allow us to still be connected, in whatever manner — through

technology or physically seeing each other — that we may preserve the love

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and friendships built. Always remind us that we are nothing if not for you, oh

Lord our Father.)

Salamat po at hinihingi ko po ang pagbasbas sa bawat isang retiree

namin ngayon na mahal na mahal po namin, at alam po naming hindi na buo

ang Korte Suprema kung wala po sila. Basbasan mo po sila ng kalakasan,

kasiyahan ng kaluluwa, kaginhawaan, kalinawagan sa pang araw-araw,

kabuluhan sa pang araw-araw na gawain, katatawanan, kasiyahan, at higit

pang maraming karanasang magpapayaman sa kanilang buhay. Gabayan mo

rin po ang kanilang mga pamilya — mahal na mahal rin po namin ang kanilang

mga pamilya — saan man sila naroroon. At kung ang iba sakanila ay

maglalakbay sa malayong bayan, bigyan mo po sila ng seguridad. Ingatan mo

po sila, ingatan mo po ang kanilang katawan, ingatan mo po ang kanilang isip,

ngunit lalong lalo na, ingatan mo po ang kanilang kaluluwa. (I thank you Lord

and ask that you bless each retiree with us today, whom we love; we know

that the Supreme Court will not be the same without them. Bless them with

strength, inner peace, comfort, enlightenment every day, meaning in their

daily chores, laughter, happiness, and above all greater experiences to enrich

their lives even more. Guide their families — we also love their families —

wherever they may be. And to some of them, who will be traveling to far

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places, please protect them and keep them safe. Keep them safe from harm,

not just physically and mentally, but most especially spiritually.)

Muli binibigay po namin ang buong katauhan namin sa iyo, oh Ama.

Bigyan mo po kami ng kaligtasan, bigyan mo po kami ng kasiyahan, bigyan mo

po kami ng buhay na walang hanggan. Marami pong salamat sa iyong

ginintuang pagbasbas sa aming mga buhay. Sa ngalan ni Hesus, Amen (Again,

we offer ourselves to you, oh Lord. Continue saving us, bringing us happiness,

and leading us to eternal life. Thank you so much for all the blessings you have

bestowed upon us. In the name of Jesus, Amen.)