FRANCISCO I. CHAVEZ – (Feb. 06, 1947 –  Sept. 11, 2013)

Francisco Ibrado Chavez (also known as “Frank Chavez”) — dubbed and conferred the title “Tribune of the People” by the National Union of People’s Lawyers and by the Philippine Senate Minority block led by Senator Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr., Senator Manuel Villar and Senator Francis Pangilinan — is the Founding Partner of the Chavez Miranda Aseoche law firm.

At age 14, he left his family home and fended for himself to seek his fortune and confront his destiny. Under extremely adverse conditions, he completed AB English summa cum laude and, later went to Manila and finished Bachelor of Laws cum laude at the University of the Philippines.

He was chosen Bar Examiner in remedial law in 1985 (youngest at 38) and appointed Solicitor General of the Philippines in 1987 (youngest at 40). For law, justice and people, he fought the abuses and corruption of the governments of Marcos, Ramos, Estrada and Arroyo — in the process contributing to Philippine jurisprudence no less than seventy (70) cases decided by the Supreme Court. In December 2008, he was conferred a lifetime achievement award as “Tribune of the People” in recognition of Atty. Franz Chavez’s unwavering fight these past 38 years for freedom, justice, human rights, honesty in government service and Constitutional advocacy.

Frank devoted himself exclusively to private law practice and filed with the Supreme Court several public interest cases involving Constitutional and human rights, anomalous government contracts, dishonesty in public service, among others. He likewise apportioned some of his time providing free legal services to the poor, the needy and the oppressed with particular concern for sexually abused children by providing free legal services for the prosecution, conviction and imprisonment of offenders. He undertook various community projects involving housing, education and livelihood services as an active Director of the Rotary Club of Makati, the premier Rotary club in the City of Makati.

Frank also spent his free time to long-distance running; assault, speed and combat shooting; poetry writing; song recording; reading and writing. Before he died, Frank wrote his one and only novel entitled “Blighted”, about the corruption that has metastasized almost the entire government bureaucracy and the Filipinos’ way of life.

Frank died on 11 September 2013 due to a lingering illness. He is survived by his wife Jean, and three daughters Katrina, Stephanie and Ingrid, all of whom have their own families.