Abraham Florendo Sarmiento Sr. (8 October 1921 – 3 October 2010) was a Filipino jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from 1987 to 1991. He was a prominent figure in the opposition to President Ferdinand Marcos’s martial‑law regime and was appointed to the Court by President Corazon Aquino.
Early life and education
Born in Santa Cruz, Ilocos Sur, Sarmiento completed his primary and secondary schooling in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, graduating as valedictorian of his high‑school class. During World War II he joined the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) and participated in underground resistance against the Japanese occupation.
After the war, Sarmiento earned a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the University of the Philippines College of Law in 1949, where he was a member of the Alpha Phi Beta fraternity. He also authored a biography of José Abad Santos, a former chief justice of the Philippine Supreme Court.
Legal and political career
Admitted to the Philippine Bar, Sarmiento entered private practice and later formed law partnerships with Senators Gerardo Roxas and Justiniano Montano. In 1967 he established his own firm, Abraham F. Sarmiento Law Office.
He was elected as a delegate from Cavite to the 1971 Constitutional Convention, serving as its vice‑president. Following the declaration of martial law in 1972, Sarmiento’s son, Abraham “Ditto” Sarmiento Jr., became an outspoken student journalist; after Ditto’s arrest and subsequent death in 1977, Sarmiento intensified his involvement in human‑rights advocacy.
He co‑founded several opposition organizations, including the National Union for Democracy and Freedom, the Philippine Organization for Human Rights, and the United Nationalists Democratic Organizations (UNIDO). From 1985 to 1987 he served as chief legal counsel and governing‑council member of Lakas ng Bayan (LABAN), helping to shape the anti‑Marcos coalition that eventually supported Corazon Aquino’s candidacy.
Supreme Court service
Appointed by President Aquino, Sarmiento took office as Associate Justice on 26 January 1987. During his tenure he participated in landmark decisions concerning constitutional law, civil liberties, and electoral disputes. He retired from the bench on 7 October 1991 and was succeeded by Justice Flerida Ruth Romero.
Personal life
Sarmiento married Irene Pascual; they had four children, including Abraham Jr., who is remembered as a martyr of the anti‑Marcos struggle. He died in Prague, Czech Republic, on 3 October 2010 at age 88.
Legacy
Abraham Sarmiento is regarded for his contributions to Philippine jurisprudence and his steadfast opposition to authoritarian rule. His legal opinions continue to be cited in discussions of constitutional interpretation, and his activism is commemorated by human‑rights groups and scholars of Philippine political history.