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<img src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-15/cayetano-arellano.webp" alt="Cayetano L. Arellano" loading="lazy" />
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(Cayetano L. Arellano)
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Nobody could have predicted that this errand boy of friars would someday be chief justice of the Supreme Court.  At age two he lost his mother and at age five left by his father under the care of Dominican priest.
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In subsequent years, he was under the care of a parish priest of Binondo, Manila who supervised his schooling and who found him bright and industrious.
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At age 15, Arellano finished his Bachelor of Philosophy and Bachelor of Theology in 1867 at the University of Santo Tomas, and then continued studying and finished law in 1876.
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He was noted as a brilliant lawyer which was why government officials and other lawyers went to him for advice. He became a member of the ayuntamiento, a council of a municipality. He also served as a member of the consultative assembly during the final days of Spanish Regime.
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During American occupation, Arellano, who believed in a strong colonial government, helped the Americans organize the local governments, accompanying <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1717/september-15-1857-william-howard-taft-first-civil-governor-of-the-philippines-was-born-at-cincinnati-ohio" class="news_link">William H. Taft</a> on his trip to the provinces.
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Arellano, together with <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/962/today-in-philippine-history-february-27-1858-pedro-paterno-was-born-in-sta-cruz-manila" class="news_link">Pedro Paterno</a>, <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/2823/today-in-philippine-history-september-27-1853-benito-legarda-vice-president-of-the-malolos-congress-was-born-in-binondo-manila" class="news_link">Benito Legarda</a>, Florentino Torres and <a href="https://kahimyang.com/articles/2931/felipe-buencamino-a-controversial-figure-in-philippine-history-was-born-on-august-23-1848" class="news_link">Felipe Buencamino</a>, testified before the Schurman Commission that the Philippines was not yet ready for self-rule.  They together formed the <i>Federalista Party</i> to "promote the annexation of the Philippines as a US state".
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Cayetano Arellano served as President of the Supreme Court when it was first created to replace the Spanish Audiencia in 1899 by the Military Government of General Otis.  He served in the civil goverment  from 1901 until his retirement on April 12, 1920, making him the longest serving Chief Justice.
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Arellano died on December 23, 1920 at the age of 73.
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Arellano High School in Sta. Cruz, Manila,  Arellano University which opened in 1938 as the Arellano Law College which has multiple campuses, including a law school, were named after him.  Plaza Guipit in Manila was also renamed Plaza Cayetano Arellano to perpetuate his memory.
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<h4>
Source
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<ol class="article-sources">
<li>
Philippine News Agency archives
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<li>
Photo credit:  Supreme Court of the Philippines
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</ol>

Cayetano Arellano first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, was born on March 2, 1847 in Orion, Bataan