Sandiganbayan mourns passing of Justice Cornejo, 66

Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Maria Cristina Cornejo died on Sunday afternoon, a year after a serious illness led to her prolonged absence and later her early retirement. She was 66.

“The court mourns her passing,” Presiding Justice Amparo M. Cabotaje-Tang said as she confirmed the development in a text message to the Inquirer on Monday.

Modest life

“She will be remembered as among those magistrates who served this country with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty and efficiency, and who led a truly modest life. She will be surely missed,” Tang said.

Necrological services are being prepared by the antigraft court for Cornejo, who died at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center. The court flew the Philippine flag at half-staff on Monday.

News of Cornejo’s death quickly spread on social media among lawyers and law students of the University of Santo Tomas, where Cornejo taught remedial and criminal law subjects.

Prior to her stint on
the Sandiganbayan, Cornejo served as executive judge of the Makati City Regional Trial Court. She was also a bar reviewer in remedial law and criminal law, as well as a lecturer for the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education.

Cornejo assumed the position of associate justice on May 1, 2010.

She was one of the justices who comprised the division that acquitted businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles of malversation on Oct. 28, 2010, over a dubious P3.8-million contract for the Philippine Marines’ purchase of Kevlar helmets in 1998.

Colon cancer

Cornejo had been diagnosed with acute cerebrovascular disease, controlled hypertension, systemic lupus erythematosus, pancytopenia, colon cancer stage 3, and acute kidney injury, according to a clinical abstract cited by the Supreme Court.

She went on prolonged sick leave from June 13, 2016. The Supreme Court on March 14 this year allowed her to retire early with full benefits, even as she was four years short of the mandatory retirement age of 70.