Vicente Ericta

Vicente Ericta was a Filipino lawyer. He served as the 99th Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from November 20, 1981 to May 11, 1982.

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Behalf Of alexis ericta

Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 10:01 PM

To: erictabash@yahoogroups.com

Cc: adericta

Subject: [Group:Erictabash2001] Thank you note from the Ericta Clan in

Honoring One of Our Own

To Our Great Ericta Clan

Thank you.

I sent the following Thank You note to those who shared their condolences to our Clan in the passing of one of our own.

On behalf of the Ericta Clan and My Mom, Brothers and Sisters, may I thank you for thinking of us when we lost our father, Justice Vicente G. Ericta. I will always treasure the bond you have extended our family.

Our father served 40 years – as a guerilla leader and intelligence officer in World War II for 4 years and as a government public servant for 36 years. His 4 year effort during the war was recognized by American Liberating Forces who installed him as Military Mayor of Laoag City in 1945 in absentia. He retired as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 1982.

Our Family is very thankful to the Supreme Court for providing two of its Honor Guards to accompany him for 24 hours throughout the observance of his wake. We are also very grateful to the Supreme Court for honoring him on the Supreme Court Grounds in full assembly of the Honor Guards and the Employees of the Court on February 23, 2007, the day prior to his burial.

Three of his good friends eulogized him that day in the Session Hall of the SC in the assembly of SC employees. Retired Justice Hugo Gutieriez Jr waved to the audience the 6 line resume he submitted to the Supreme Court to become a member to show his humility. Retired Justice Abraham Sarmiento simply called him Manong Vic over and over to recount the days when he was the junior lawyer. Chief Justice Reynato Puno observed his independence, integrity and courage noting that it is rare for a newly appointed Justice to clash with senior members, including the Chief Justice Enrique Fernando, recognized by UP for his rare genius. Justice Puno went on to read from the SC records three decisions he penned to reverse the positions of his senior colleagues and that of the Chief Justice. In the last case, he said, “In one sentence, he changed the majority opinion by stating ‘Public Will must prevail over the opinions of the Justices.’ “

Know that he lived a full life. Very few people live a life successfully in the pendulum that swings from fighting a war that he called “Hell” to turning the wheels of justice. In between, he shunned religion and politics and remained quiet. He rose only in times to challenge those who usurped the acts of God, and politicians who usurped public will.

Our father was the last sibling of four, orphaned when he was 8 month old. In his generation, he was the last of 10 Ericta males that faced World War II. Five of them were married or minors. Four of the remaining five Erictas turned guerillas against the Japanese. His first cousins Vicente Ericta Flor was captured and watered tortured by the Japanese and died from the trauma a few years after the war. Antonio Ericta Flor was beheaded. Johnny Ericta Flor, machine gun tail-gunner and the youngest, died in California in 2001 in Los Angeles, draped in the American Flag for his services as a US Veteran. Our father, Vicente Garma Ericta, the object of a vicious Japanese manhunt, survived two bullet wounds and a death jump and lived to be 92 years old.

He wanted to live to 100 years old. He lived a poor man’s life, with very little taste for material things. He had been consistently generous to serve the public against its enemies in War and Peace.

It is not hard to see that he is your own.Alexis D. Ericta

To: erictabash@yahoogroups.comFrom: mabelhoffman@yahoo.comDate: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 15:27:12 +0000Subject: [Group:Erictabash2001] Memories of Uncle Vic

Uncle Vic - that's how my family knew him. To my dad, the late Dr. Tomas Acosta, Uncle Vic was his best friend, his counselor, his staunch supporter. My dad would always light up and get so animated, recounting how he and Uncle Vic studied together - he for medicine, Uncle Vic for law - until the wee hours of the morning, and highlighting that with then walking to the "panaderia" for hot, freshly-cooked Chinese doughnuts (bunuelos), as their reward for their hard night of studying. Then, in later years, when my dad and mom ("Auntie Dol" to extended family) were domiciled in the US and had to conduct property business from afar, my dad would say Uncle Vic was the only person he could trust for wise, legal advice. My dad never ceased proclaiming how Uncle Vic was the straightest, most principled, most honest person he knew.My own personal memories of Uncle Vic, Auntie Senang, and their family date back to my growing up years through high school in Laoag. Later on, while in UP, of 44 West Point, Quezon City, where Uncle Vic's family occupied the "first door" of the apartment building in Uncle Mel Acosta's compound. And so is left etched in my mind and heart these images: Uncle Vic - my dad's confidant, the wise and high-minded judge, a model of loyal friendship; Auntie Senang - the charming, gracious life partner and matriarch; their bustling brood of cousins galore. In this sad time, my happy thought is that now Uncle Vic, my dad, and my mom are re-living their past lives in an unending sharing of affection and love. And that they are all truly still here with us to continue guiding and inspiring us. Uncle Vic has accomplished his life mission; he now reaps the rewards forever.Much love - Mabel Acosta Hoffman