Ceferino "Cefie" P. Padua (died February 25, 2015) was a Filipino labor lawyer, educator, and delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention.[1] He was the former president of the Lawyers against Monopoly and Poverty (LAMP) and served as a bar examiner on international and political law.
He was a member of the Liberal Party.[1]
Padua graduated with a law degree from the University of the Philippines. In 1947, he joined the Upsilon Sigma Phi.[2]
Padua then studied at Harvard University under Henry Kissinger.[3]
In 1956, Padua was Chief Legal Counsel of the Welfare Administration. He taught as a Professor of Law and Liberal Arts at Francisco College, Manila (founded by Senator Vicente Francisco) where he occasionally wrote in its law journal.[4] He also served as Assistant Attorney to the Francisco Law Office.[5]
In 1957, Padua was appointed Solicitor at the Office of the Solicitor General.[6][7]
In 2002, Padua questioned the validity of issuances made by the Toll Regulatory Board which authorized a 300%-increase in the toll rate collected at the South Luzon Tollway.[8][1]
Padua served as president of the Lawyers Against Monopoly and Poverty (LAMP), a group of lawyers that aimed to "dismantle all forms of political, economic or social monopoly in the country."[9] In 2012, Padua and LAMP questioned the constitutionality of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in the Philippines' General Appropriations Act for 2004.[9]
In 1970, he was elected as a Delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention representing the first district of Rizal Province.[10] At the time, it was reported that Padua was nearly ousted from his seat in the Constitutional Convention for supporting a "Ban-Marcos" resolution.[11]
His views on the Philippine sea territory during the proceedings of the Constitutional Convention has been cited to support the Philippines' claims in relation to the Treaty of Paris.[12]
In the 1992 Philippine Senate election, Padua ran as Senator under the Liberal-PDP-Laban Party. He later on withdrew from the race.
Padua was married to Nelie Balangue-Padua. They had four children: Belihu, Anthony, Reggie, and Blitz.[1] Padua is the maternal grandfather of English actress Rachel Grant.[3][13]
Padua died on February 25, 2015 at the age of 90.[1] The Padua family established a charity foundation called the Padua Charitable Fund.[14]