ROCES:
A Tradition in Philippine Print Media
One of the most prominent law practitioners in the Philippines today, Katrina Legarda shot into the limelight as a prosecutor in the long and arduous battle that saw the conviction of a member of Congress for statutory rape. Since then, Atty. Legarda continues to be recognized for championing the rights of women and children. Her expertise in family law, as well as the legal aspects of business, politics, society and government has made her a sought-after resource person in television and radio talk shows.
During the impeachment proceedings against former president Joseph Estrada, Atty. Legarda co-hosted the daily coverage of On Trial over the ABS-CBN News Channel 21. She also went on-board as a legal expert during the live coverage of EDSA Dos on Channel 2. By March 2001, Atty. Legarda her own program, By Demand, a weekly talk show over Channel 21 that analyzes current affairs and social issues from a legal-based perspective.
Born in Manila, Katrina Legarda spent her childhood and teenage years in England, where her mother, Carmita was the first Filipino woman academician at the University of Oxford. She graduated with a degree in History (with Honors) from the University of Bristol and then returned to the Philippines to take her Bachelor of Laws at the UP Diliman.
Right after passing the bar in 1981, Atty. Legarda became an associate at the ACCRA Law Office and moved swiftly up the ladder of corporate law until she left the firm as a partner in 1992. Some of her more prominent cases with the firm were "Pres. Corazon Aquino vs. Max Soliven, Luis Beltran, et. al" (regarding libel), "PCGG vs. Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr. , Maria Clara Lobregat, et. al" (regarding issues on SMC shares, the coconut industry and sequestrations), "Gov. Lito Osmeña's citizenship case before the COMELEC and the Supreme Court", among others.
Since leaving the ACCRA, she has pursued independent practice, as well as delved into the fields of media and communications via her legal columns in Savvy Magazine and the Sunday Times. She also co-authored the book, A Time to Love, A Time to Leave, with veteran journalist Jullie Yap Daza, as well as contributed essays to the publications Women with Fire and Pinay: Autobiographical Narratives by Women Writers. From July to December 1999, Atty. Legarda served as President/Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of the Manila Times, where she also maintained a bi-weekly column, "Kat's Calls".
*Photo and article were gathered from the ABS-CBN News website.
Home |
Who
are the Roces? | History
of Journalism in the Philippines | Copyright©
2002 by Sassy Mae C. Sumulong |