{{Short description|Filipino judge (born 1948)}} {{Philippine name|Jose|Velasco}} {{Use Philippine English|date=April 2023}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honorable | honorific_suffix = | name = Presbitero J. Velasco Jr. | image = File:Gov Presby (cropped).jpg | caption = Portrait, 2021 | office = Governor of Marinduque | 1blankname = {{nowrap|Vice Governor}} | 1namedata = Romulo Bacorro Jr. (2019–2022) <br /> Adeline Angeles (2022–2025) | term_start = June 30, 2019 | term_end = June 30, 2025 | predecessor = Romulo Bacorro Jr. | successor = Melecio J. Go | office2 = 157th Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines | term_start2 = March 31, 2006 | term_end2 = August 8, 2018 | appointer2 = Gloria Macapagal Arroyo | predecessor2 = Artemio Panganiban | successor2 = Jose Reyes Jr. | office3 = Associate Justice of the Philippine Court of Appeals | term_start3 = April 22, 1998 | term_end3 = August 8, 2003 | appointer3 = Joseph Estrada | office4 = Judicial and Bar Council member from the Integrated Bar | term_start4 = January 7, 1993 | term_end4 = March 22, 1995 | appointer4 = Fidel V. Ramos | predecessor4 = Leon Garcia Jr. | successor4 = Francisco Santiago | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1948|08|08}} | birth_place = Pasay, Rizal, Philippines | spouse = Lorna Quinto Velasco | children = Vincent Michael<br />Lord Allan Jay<br />Tricia Nicole | blank1 = Affiliation | data1 = Sigma Rho | alma_mater = University of the Philippines{{which|date=September 2025}} {{small|(BA, LL.B)}} | party = PFP (2024–present) | other_party = PDP–Laban (2018–2024) }} '''Presbitero Jose Velasco Jr.''' (born August 8, 1948) is a Filipino lawyer who served as governor of Marinduque from 2019 to 2025 and as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from 2006 to 2018. He was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on March 31, 2006.
==Early life and education== Born on August 8, 1948, in Pasay, Velasco attended public schools such as J. Sumulong Elementary School (where he finished First Honorable Mention) and the University of the Philippines (UP) Preparatory School, respectively, for elementary and high school.
He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from UP,{{which|date=September 2025}} finishing the course in only three years. He went on to take up his Bachelor of Laws from the same university. At the UP College of Law, Velasco was a member of the Order of the Purple Feather Honor Society and served on the Editorial Board of the Philippine Law Journal. He graduated eighth in the Class of 1971. He placed sixth in the 1971 Philippine Bar Examination with a bar rating of 89.85%.<ref>[http://www.tan.org.ph/files/proj_scaw_AJ.asp tan.org.ph, APPLICANTS TO THE SUPREME COURT ASSOCIATE JUSTICE POST]</ref>
==Legal career== [[File:Velascojf.JPG|thumb|left|150px|Chambers of Presbitero J. Veslasco Jr. in the new Supreme Court of the Philippines building.]] thumb|Offices and library in the chambers.
Velasco engaged in private law practice for 20 years before joining the public sector as a regular member of the Judicial and Bar Council in 1993.
He served as Undersecretary of the Department of Justice from 1995 to April 1998. He was concurrently Commissioner of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board. He was also Chairman of the Board of Pardons and Parole, Commissioner of the Commission on Settlement of Land Disputes, and Member of the Committee on Privatization.
In 1998, he was appointed Court of Appeals Justice. He was ranked eighth in disposition of cases when he was named Court Administrator in 2003.
Justice Velasco has also served the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) in several capacities: as its National President in 1987, as Commissioner of the IBP Committee on Bar Discipline, and as Honorary Chairman and Past National Co-Chairman of the IBP National Committee on Legal Aid.
He was awarded Most Outstanding Jurist by the Consumers Union of the Philippines in 2000.
==Supreme Court of the Philippines (2006–2018)== Velasco was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on March 31, 2006. He retired from the post on his 70th birthday on August 8, 2018.
==Governor of Marinduque (2019–2025)== In 2018, Velasco filed his candidacy for Governor of Marinduque for the 2019 elections in which he won ending the rule of the Reyes clan, which has ruled Marinduque for almost two decades. He was re-elected in 2022.
Velasco opted not to seek reelection in 2025 to instead run for representative of Marinduque's at-large congressional district, aiming to replace his term-limited son. However, he lost to Reynaldo Salvacion.
==Personal life== Justice Velasco is married to Lorna Quinto-Velasco with whom he has three children: Vincent Michael, Lord Allan Jay, and Tricia Nicole. Tricia (Ateneo Law School, Juris Doctor program) passed the 2008 Philippine Bar Examination.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gmanews.tv/examresult/surnamev |title=- GMA News Online - The go-to site for Filipinos everywhere - Latest Philippine News |website=www.gmanews.tv |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522042846/http://www.gmanews.tv/examresult/surnamev |archive-date=May 22, 2011}} </ref>
==Electoral history== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:85%; text-align:center;" |+Electoral history of Presbitero Velasco Jr. ! rowspan="2" style="background:#eaecf0;" |Year ! rowspan="2" style="background:#eaecf0;" |Office ! colspan="2" rowspan="2" style="background:#eaecf0;" |Party ! colspan="4" style="background:#eaecf0;" |Votes received ! rowspan="2" style="background:#eaecf0;" |Result |- ! style="background:#eaecf0;" |Total ! style="background:#eaecf0;" | % ! style="background:#eaecf0;" |{{abbr|2=Position|P}}. ! style="background:#eaecf0;" |Swing |- !2019 | rowspan="2"|Governor of Marinduque | rowspan="2" style="background:{{Party color|PDP–Laban}};"| | rowspan="2"|PDP–Laban |66,526 |62.73% |1st | {{n/a}} | {{Won}} |- !2022 |61,848 |48.12% |1st | {{n/a}} | {{Won}} |- !2025 | Representative (Marinduque at-large) | style="background:{{Party color|Partido Federal ng Pilipinas}};"| | PFP |56,527 |43.41% |2nd | {{n/a}} | {{Lost}} |}
==Some notable opinions== *[http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2006/august2006/G.R.%20No.%20130974.htm ''Manotoc v. Court of Appeals'' (2006)] — on requisites for valid service of summons *[http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2006/october2006/150135.htm ''Spouses Algura v. LGU of the City of Naga'' (2006)] — on exemption of indigents from filing fees *[https://www.chanrobles.com/cralaw/2018maydecisions.php?id=399 ''Republic of the Philippines v. SC Chief Justice Sereno'' (2018)] — concurring and dissenting opinion on the Quo warranto petition against Maria Lourdes Sereno *[https://elibrary.judiciary.gov.ph/thebookshelf/showdocs/1/63545 ''Senator Leila de Lima v. Hon. Juanita Guerrero'' (2018)]<ref>{{cite news|last=Punay|first=Edu|title=SC votes to keep De Lima in jail|url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/10/10/1747606/sc-votes-keep-de-lima-jail|access-date=July 24, 2025|work=Philstar.com|publisher=Philstar Global Corp.|date=October 10, 2017|location=Manila, Philippines}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Buan|first=Lian|title=Supreme Court explains decision keeping De Lima in jail|url=https://www.rappler.com/philippines/185242-sc-decision-dismiss-de-lima-velasco/|access-date=July 24, 2025|work=Rappler|publisher=Rappler Inc.|date=October 14, 2017|location=Manila, Philippines}}</ref> — on Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204's jurisdiction over the arrest of Senator Leila de Lima
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070226185349/http://www.supremecourt.gov.ph/justices/j.velasco.php Justice Presbitero J. Velasco Jr. (Official Supreme Court Webpage)]
<!-- Succession table --> {{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef | before = Romulo Baccoro Jr. }} {{s-ttl | title = Governor of Marinduque | years = 2019–2025 }} {{s-aft | after = Melecio Go }} {{s-legal}} {{s-bef | before = Leon Garcia Jr. }} {{s-ttl | title = Judicial and Bar Council Representative from the Integrated Bar | years = 1993–1995 }} {{s-aft | after = Francisco Santiago }} {{s-bef | before = Artemio Panganiban }} {{s-ttl | title = Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines | years = 2006–2018 }} {{s-aft | after = Jose Reyes Jr. }} {{s-end}}
{{Philippine Supreme Court composition |CJ=Sereno |years=2012–2018 |court1=2017 August 14 |court2=2017 July 12 |court3=2017 July 7 |court4=2017 March 8 |court5=2017 January |court6=2016 December 29 |court7=2016 December 14 |court8=2016 January |court9=2014 August |court10=2014 May |court11=2012 November |court12=2012 August }} {{Philippine Supreme Court composition| CJ=Corona| years = 2010–2012 | court1 = 2011 September | court2 = 2011 June | court3 = 2010 May }} {{Philippine Supreme Court composition| CJ=Puno|years=2006–2010 |court1=2010 January |court3=2006 December }}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Velasco, Presbitero Jr.}} Category:1948 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century Filipino judges Category:21st-century Filipino judges Category:Associate justices of the Supreme Court of the Philippines Category:Governors of Marinduque Category:Justices of the Court of Appeals of the Philippines Category:People from Marinduque Category:People from Pasay Category:Ramos administration personnel Category:University of the Philippines alumni