Jesuit priest and constitutionalist Joaquin Bernas has passed away, accounting to multiple sources. He was 88.
Bernas' death was confirmed by Church-run Radyo Veritas and the Ateneo School of Law.
A former president of Ateneo De Manila University, Bernas was among those who drafted the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
The "major legacy" of the 1987 Charter that is still in effect today, Bernas said, is a prohibition on incumbent presidents to seek reelection. This will prevent potential abuse of the vast powers of the office, he said in a 2014 opinion piece for the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Bernas wrote the article at a time when then President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino expressed openned to a rewrite of the Constitution that was borne out of the restoration of democracy in 1986, led by his mother, Former President Corazon Aquino.
The President has a dual role -- chief executive and head of state -- he said. "As can readily be seen, this broad, general enumeration of presidential powers can be dangerous in the hands of an unscrupulous person or one who is hungry for power," he said.
Bernas finished law at the Ateneo Law School and later on became dean of the institution. He was eventually given the title Dean Emeritus upon his retirement. He also authored several books on law.
