FILIPINO LAWYER IS PHILIPPINE AMBASSADOR-DESIGNATE TO CANADA
By Tony A. San Juan, OCT-Retired
Toronto-Canada
November 9, 2020
According to the Embassy of the Philippines, he is to succeed Ambassador Petronila Garcia who served in Ottawa from 2014 to 2020. The Ambassador-designate arrived in Canada on October 17, 2020, and is scheduled to present his credentials to Honourable Julie Payette, Governor-General of Canada later this year.
Philippine Ambassador-designate R. Robles has a distinguished career in the Philippine private and public sectors. He also practiced law and is known as the founder and Senior Partner of Robles, Brillantes, Ricafrente, Nachura, & Aguirre Law Firm. An honors law graduate of San Beda College in 1967, he passed and topped the bar examinations in the same year. He holds a master's degree from Harvard University, USA.
In his storied legal career, Robles at 27 years old, served as the third-youngest delegate to the 1971 Philippine Constitutional Convention as a representative of the 1st district of Quezon. As chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Bodies, he led in studying the laws on the Civil Service Commission, Commission on Elections, and Commission on Audit. He was also selected in 1974 as one of "The Outstanding Young Men" (TOYM) awardees in law.
In the academic world, Robles also has the distinction of being one of the founders of Arellano University School of Law and served as its Dean of the School of Law, and also as a Professor of Law at San Beda College from 1977 to 1983. He was the youngest law dean in the country at that time.
During the term of President Ferdinand Marcos, he authored in 1978 the law creating the Office of the Ombudsman and earned the moniker "Father of Filipino Ombudsman or Tanodbayan". He is known as the principal author of the Philippines' Miranda Doctrine, and the Constitutional Rights of an Accused under custodial investigation.
He was nominated for Chief Justice following the impeachment of Renato Corona in 2012 but he declined. On January 23, 2018, Robles was appointed by President R. Duterte as a member of the Consultative Committee tasked to review the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines and served until August 19, 2018.
Atty. Rodolfo "Rudy" Robles was born on July 1, 1943 to former Quezon province governor Claro Robles, Sr. and Amparo Dia, and is married to Nora San Buenaventura.
"Tuloy po kayo" to the nicest and welcoming multicultural country in the world, Mr. Ambassador! Enjoy your stay and service here. ( Tony A. San Juan, OCT-Retired)