Cayetano Arellano

Cayetano Simplicio Arellano y Lonzón (March 2, 1847 – December 23, 1920) was the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines under the American Civil Government. Cayetano Arellano had occupied a high position in Aguinaldo's government. He worked with the Americans under General Otis and re-established the Audiencia Territorial as the Supreme Court. He served as Chief Justice from 1901 until his retirement on April 12, 1920, making him the longest to serve as chief justice in Philippine history.

Early life
Don Cayetano was born in Udyong (now Orion), Bataan to Servando Arellano, a peninsular Spaniard and Crispora Lonzón, a Bataan native. He started as a working student in Colegio de San Juan de Letran. After finishing his high school he transferred to University of Santo Tomas, where he finished his Bachelor of Philosophy in 1862 and Bachelor of Theology in 1867, he then continued studying and finished law in 1876. During the Spanish regime, he was appointed as a Magistrado Suplente of the Audiencia Tribunal de Manila. He later become the Chief Justice of the Provisional Supreme Court created by the military in 1899.

Arellano, together with Pedro Paterno, Benito Legarda, Florentino Torres and Felipe Buencamino, testified before the Schurman Commission that the Philippines was not yet ready for self-rule. Together they formed the Federal Party to "promote the annexation of the Philippines as a state". In lieu of this objective, they petitioned the U.S. Congress to create representation, as well as a Philippine Congress and a federal Court.

Upon the onset of the American civil government in 1901, US President William McKinley appointed Arellano as the first Supreme Court Chief Justice.

Personal life
Arellano was married to Doña Rosa Bernas, with whom he had one child, a daughter named Asunción (later married to Dr. Gregorio Singian ), born in 1881.

He died on December 23, 1920, at the age of 73. Arellano rests in the Don Cayetano Arellano Mausoleum at La Loma Cemetery, alongside his wife Rosa, who died on April 7, 1929. His daughter, Asunción Arellano de Singian (1881-September 04, 1923), also rests beside them. Nearby lie the tombs of Gregorio O. Arellano (September 6, 1921-January 19, 1943) and Josefa Arellano, among other relatives.