Harriet Demetriou
Chair of the Commission on Elections
In office
January 11, 1999 – January 21, 2001
PresidentJoseph Estrada
Preceded byLuzviminda Tancangco
Succeeded byAlfredo Benipayo
Associate Justice of the Sandiganbayan
In office
August 28, 1995 – February 14, 1998
PresidentFidel V. Ramos
Preceded byBienvenido Vera Cruz
Succeeded byRodolfo Palattao
Personal details
NationalityFilipino

Harriet Obias Demetriou is a Filipino lawyer and retired judge. She served as the chairperson of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) from 1999 to 2001, the first woman to serve in that post. Prior to that, she was an associate justice of the Sandiganbayan, serving from 1995 to 1998. As presiding judge of the Pasig regional trial court, she presided over the trial for the murders of Eileen Sarmenta and Allan Gomez, in which Calauan, Laguna mayor Antonio Sanchez and his accomplices were convicted in 1995.

Career

Regional Trial Court Judge

Demetriou, the then-judge of Pasig regional trial court, handed down the March 1995 verdict against former Calauan, Laguna mayor Antonio Sanchez and six others (then-PNP Calauan Deputy Chief George Medialdea, Luis Corcolon, Rogelio "Boy" Corcolon, Zoilo Ama, Baldwin Brion, and Pepito Kawit) for the rape-slay of 21-year-old Mary Eileen Sarmenta and the killing of 19-year-old Allan Gomez in June 1993.[1]

Chair of the Commission on Elections

On January 11, 1999, she was appointed by President Estrada as Chairman of the Commission on Elections. After the events of January 2001 that led to the ouster of President Estrada from power, Demetriou tendered her courtesy resignation which was accepted by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.[2]

Demetriou was the lead counsel for the core officers of the Magdalo Group, who led the siege on the Oakwood hotel on July 27, 2003.[3]

Personal life

Demetriou is Roman Catholic, and is a devotee of the Our Lady, Mary, Mediatrix of All Grace.[4] She has sued exorcist priest Winston Cabading for offending religious feelings over the priest's alleged mockery of the Marian image which is not recognized by the Holy See.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "'A plot hatched in hell': Timeline of the Gomez-Sarmenta murder case". ABS CBN News. August 22, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  2. ↑ Araneta, Sandy. "Comelec chief resigns". Philstar.com. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  3. ↑ access library
  4. ↑ "Harriet Demetriou on case vs exorcist: It's about law, not church doctrine". Rappler. 27 May 2023. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
  5. ↑ Esmaquel, Paterno II (2023-05-24). "Why an exorcist priest was arrested for 'offending religious feelings'". Rappler. Retrieved 2024-01-19.


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