Great Filipino Series- Roman A. Ozaeta on Stamp
Roman Ozaeta was a former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines (June 24, 1941 - May 16, 1950). Justice Ozaeta was born on February 28, 1891 in San Jose, Batangas to Julian and Florencia Ozaeta. Prior to his appointment by Manuel L. Quezon as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines (June 24, 1941 – May 28, 1946, and from September 19, 1948, to February 28, 1950), he was in the Court of First Instance of Nueva Ecija.
He was appointed Solicitor General in the Bureau of Justice on August 17, 1938 and served his term until 1940. He also became a Secretary of Justice on May 29, 1946 but later returned to the Supreme Court in 1948. He resigned his position in October of 1950 to head the law office of Ozaeta, Gibbs, and Ozaeta.
Roman Ozaeta received his elementary education from the public schools of Batangas. He ventured to Manila and worked his way through high school and graduated salutatorian of the Manila High School class of 1917. He obtained his bachelor of laws degree from the Philippine Law School in 1921 and passed the bar examinations that same year. He practiced law from January 1, 1922 to November 6, 1936.
Ozaeta was known as a brilliant jurist and a dedicated civic leader. His law practiced impressed many including President Manuel. L. Quezon and Carlos P. Garcia. He campaigned for the integration of all bar associations resulting in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).
In 1957, he was elected the first Filipino Baguio Country Club president. As General MacArthur would say "Imperialism was buried" and this was shown in the Baguio Country Club. He made a vision of the club, "One of a home away from home, not only for its members but also for the people working to make it so." Roman Ozaeta was married to Militona Hernandez with whom he had seven children.
He also authored and co-authored several books and publications some of these are: 1) An Approach Towards a More Viable RP-US Treaty co-authored with Jose R. Romero 2) Observations on the Draft Proposals of Dr. Salvador Araneta for Amendment to the Constitution with Jose E. Romero 3) The Pride of the Malay Race: A Biography of Jose Rizal by Rafael Palma. Translated from the Spanish by Ramon Ozaeta 4) Roberto Concepcion: Chief Justice of the Philippines 5) Speeches of Admission, 1943 Bar Examination, in Speeches on Bar Admission in the Philippines 6) Anthology of Writings from the Official Publication of the Philippine Constitution Association Concerning the National Polity.
The stamp of Roman Ozaeta above is part of a set of five stamps featured in the Great Filipinos Series IV- Decade of Filipino Nationalism issued on June 1. 1992.