Jose W. Diokno

Birth Name: Jose Wright Diokno

Date of Birth: February 26, 1922

Place of Birth: Manila, Philippine Islands

Date of Death: February 27, 1987

Place of Death: New Manila, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines

Ethnicity: Filipino [Dinagat, Tagalog], English, distant Han Chinese, Punjabi Indian, Irish, Mexican, Spanish [Castilian, Galician]

Jose W. Diokno, also known as Jose Diokno, was a Filipino nationalist, lawyer, and statesman. He was Secretary of Justice, from January 2, 1962 to May 19, 1962, Senator of the Philippines, from December 30, 1963 to September 23, 1972, and Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Human Rights, from March 18, 1986 to January 23, 1987. He was known as the “Father of Human Rights.”

He was the son of Leonor Wright and Ramón Diokno (Ramón Diokno y Marasigan), a statesman, jurist, and prominent nationalist. His father was Senator of the Philippines, from May 25, 1946 to December 30, 1949, and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, from February 10, 1954 to April 21, 1954. His mother was a British mestiza. His grandfather, Ananías Diokno, was the only Philippine Revolutionary Army general to lead a full-scale military expedition to the Visayas against the Spanish forces. A more distant ancestor was Spanish naval officer, colonial official, and viceroy of New Spain, Félix Berenguer de Marquina.

Jose was married to Carmen Reyes Icasiano, until his death, with whom he had ten children. His children include historian, academic, and government official Maris Diokno and lawyer, educator, human rights advocate, and broadcaster Chel Diokno. His grandson is film director, producer, and screenwriter Pepe Diokno (Jose Lorenzo Aromin Diokno III).

Jose’s paternal grandfather was Ananías Diokno y Noblejas (the son of Ángel Diokno and María Andrea Noblejas y Sauza). Ananías was born in Taal, Batangas, Captaincy General of the Philippines. María was the daughter of Juan Noblejas and Restituta María del Carmen Sauza y Berenguer de Marquina. Restituta was the daughter of Santiago Sauza y de los Ríos, a Spanish-Mexican of Galician descent, and of Ysabel Berenguer de Marquina y Sumulong. Ysabel was the daughter of Félix Ignacio Juan Nicolás Antonio José Joaquín Buenaventura Berenguer de Marquina y FitzGerald, Viceroy of New Spain, and of Demetria Sumulong y Lindo. Jose’s great-great-great-great-grandfather Félix was the son of Ignacio Berenguer de Marquina y Pascual de Riquelme, a Spaniard, and of Mary FitzGerald, an Irish of distant English descent.

Jose’s paternal grandmother was named Paulina Marasigan.

Jose’s four times great-grandmother Demetria was the daughter of Fortunato Sumulong y Singh, a Filipino of Dinagat, English, and Punjabi Indian descent, and Li Xiaoli (later María Andrea Lindo), a Chinese immigrant from Fujian province.

Jose was a third cousin of lawyer Francis Garchitorena. Jose’s great-great-grandparents, Juan Noblejas and Restituta María del Carmen Sauza y Berenguer de Marquina, were also Francis’ great-great-grandparents.

Source: Genealogy of Jose Diokno – http://www.geni.com