Conchita Carpio-Morales

Conchita Carpio-Morales (konˈtʃɪta ˈkaɾpjo; born Conchita Claudio Carpio; June 19, 1941) is a former Ombudsman of the Philippines serving from 2011 to 2018. Prior to her appointment as Ombudsman, she held the post of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, served in the Lower Courts, as well as in the Department of Justice. She has secured appointments from five Philippine presidents: Ferdinand Marcos, Corazon Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III. A recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award, Carpio-Morales has been cited as a "fearless and indefatigable Ombudsman of the Philippines whose integrity and dignity restored the people's faith in the rule of law." Conchita "Chit" Claudio Carpio was born on June 19, 1941, in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, to Lucas Dumlao Carpio Sr., a Justice of the Peace (now equivalent to a trial court judge), and Maria Claudio Carpio. Her father was a member of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, while her mother was Catholic. She was baptized as a Catholic. When she was younger, she played marbles, climbed the Paoay Tower, and memorized Shakespeare's passages on the urging of her father. She said that she wanted to be a princess and perform in front of people, especially during fiestas. She also had dreams of being an opera singer. She says she did not consciously plan to be a lawyer, but grew up surrounded by law books and the Official Gazette. According to her, "Perhaps subconsciously, I found the law profession exciting." She attended Paoay Elementary School and spent her high school years at the Paoay North Institute. She achieved the honour as elementary and high school valedictorian. She was the only one among her six siblings who did not study in a Catholic school. Active in extra-curricular activities, the young Chit played volleyball, the piano, and even did ballroom dancing by the time she reached college. She then earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics at the University of the Philippines (UP), Diliman, in 1964.