Judge Rafael Crescencio C. Tan Jr., Regional Court Administrator of the Regional Court Administration Office, 7th Judicial Region (RCAO 7) based at the Hall of Justice in Lapu-lapu City, was selected as one of the outstanding Chinese-Filipinos in the field of Public Service in this year’s Dr. Jose P. Rizal Award for Excellence. {{more}}
Judge Tan is also Presiding Judge of RTC Branch 30 in Dumaguete City, and a law faculty member of Silliman University.
Now in its 7th year, the Awards — launched last year by the Manila Times and the Kaisa Para sa Kaunlaran, Inc. — are given in recognition of noteworthy Chinese-Filipinos who have contributed to the country’s economic growth, social progress, and political stability.
Judge Tan was conferred the prestigious Dr. Jose P. Rizal Awards for Excellence on June 19, 2010 at the Kaisa-Angelo King Heritage Center in Intramuros, Manila, with Chief Justice Renato Corona as guest of honor and speaker.
Dedicated, hardworking, and guided by strict norms of ethics, Judge Tan has been in government service for the last 32 years. He first worked as a military man before joining the judiciary. He has been the Presiding Judge of RTC Branch 30 since July 22, 2005. Before his promotion, he was the Presiding Judge of the Municipal Trial Court of Sbiulan, Negros Oriental, a position he began to hold on June 1, 1999. While a Municipal Trial Court Judge of Sibulan, he was designated as an Assisting Judge of Branch 1, Municipal Trial Court in Cities of Dumaguete City from Feb. 1, 2000 to Jan. 25, 2005. He was also designated as Acting Presiding Judge of Branch 2, Municipal Trial Court in Cities from Jan. 5, 2005 to July 21, 2005.
Before he became a magistrate, Judge Tan served with the City Prosecution Office of Dumaguete City, first as a Prosecution Attorney II from Aug. 1, 1989 to July 1, 1996 and then as a Prosecutor (Fourth Assistant City Prosecutor) from July 2, 1996 to May 31, 1999.
Prior to that, Judge Tan had served — Jan. 16, 1974 up to April 30, 1989 — as a regular officer of the Philippine Army. He earned his commission after his graduation from the Officer Cadet School in Portsea, Victoria, Australia on Dec. 3, 1974. He resigned his regular commission when he became a lawyer in 1989, but was subsequently commissioned in the reserve force. He obtained his law degree from Silliman University in 1988, where he also finished his AB in Mathematics in 1970, and a Master’s degree in Public Administration in 1994 under the first batch of scholars of the Local Scholarship Program of the Civil Service Commission.
As an Army Officer, Judge Tan had exceptional achievements. His unit, the 51th Engineer Construction Battalion of the 52nd Engineer Brigade, was engaged in government electrification projects, and in the construction of houses for rebel returnees. He was company commander of Alfa Company, which built 50 housing units in Upi, Maguindanao in 1977. Alfa Company also constructed the power distribution lines in several towns of the provinces of Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, and North Cotabato, always ahead of schedule, enabling these towns to have electricity. For these feat, Judge Tan was a recipient of three Military Merit Medals.
While a prosecutor in Dumaguete, Prosecutor Tan managed his work so that at yearend of 1998, he had a zero backlog of cases assigned to him for preliminary investigation. As Municipal Trial Court Judge, at the end of the year 2001, he had a disposition rate of 96.31 percent for criminal cases, and 98.66 percent for civil cases. His outstanding job performance won him the prestigious Foundation for Judicial Excellence, and the Supreme Court of the Philippines Justice Alex Reyes Award as Outstanding Municipal Trial Court Judge of the Philippines for 2002.
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Negros Oriental Chapter also presented him with an Outstanding Service Award on May 23, 2003, in grateful recognition of his exemplary and commendable performance as Municipal Trial Court Judge and his proven dedication and commitment to service in improving the administration of justice in the province of Negros Oriental for the terms 2001 to 2003.
As a Municipal Trial Court Judge in Sibulan, he handled 484 cases, 338 criminal cases, and 146 civil cases. When he was promoted as a Regional Trial Court Judge, he left behind only 10 cases for the new MTC Judge to resolve. When Judge Tan became RTC Judge in Dumaguete in 2005, he inherited 296 criminal cases and 30 civil cases. By April1 2006, he had resolved 100 criminal cases and 23 civil cases. His speedy disposition of cases in his court earned him an editorial in the local newspaper, and the appreciation of the community.
Judge Tan has amply demonstrated his independence, intelligence, and industry in his professional career as Judge of the Regional Trial Court, which has been designated as a Special Court for drug cases.
He attributes his virtues to his military background, but more so to his parents — Crescencio Laingo Tan and Rosalina Amor Castor. His half-Chinese father was a US Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) soldier who served in World War II and had survived the Bataan Death March. He proudly remembers his parents inculcating in him the values of honesty and great ideals, making him meticulously prepare for his cases thoroughly, updating himself on law and jurisprudence.
As Regional Court Administrator of the pilot Regional Court Administration Office in the 7th Judicial Region, Judge Tan tackled the problems hounding the first and second level courts in the region. The RCAO was a milestone in judicial reform history. It became a shining jewel of the Supreme Court’s effort in decentralizing the administrative and financial functions of the Office of the Court Administrator. RCAO 7 sought to bring out the efficiency of support, services, and resources to the trial courts in the region.
RCAO 7 has been proven to be a success, that the Supreme Court has now established two more RCAOs in Regions 3 and 11.
Judge Tan is happily married to Dr. Betsy Joy Bustamante Tan, vice president for Academic Affairs of Silliman University, with whom he has two daughters: Maricris Joy working with Chinabank, and Mia Crisanee working with Globe Telecom.
“I dedicate this award to all the people of Negros Oriental, and also for me to strive better and to be of service to them, as I return to RTC Branch 30 Dumaguete City this July 1, 2010,” Tan said.
Greetings from family and friends.
Greetings from Silliman Medical Center Family.
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