a Silver Medalist Extra-Curricular Activities and a member of the Debating Team of the San Beda College of Law. Upon passing the bar in 1962, Justice Callejo, Sr. joined the Jose W. Diokno Law Office and eventually became the Head of the firm’s Trial Department. Later, he became a Partner in the Montenegro, Madayag, and Hernandez Law Office until his appointment to the Judiciary in 1986.

Justice Callejo’s career in the Judiciary has been characterized by probity, scholarship and diligence. He served as a Regional Trial Court Judge of the City of Manila from 1986 until his appointment to the Court of Appeals in 1994. He was named Outstanding Judge of Manila twice; first, in 1991 and then in 1994. Justice Callejo’s exemplary performance as a Judge was again recognized in 1992 when he was awarded the Cayetano Arellano Award for Judicial Excellence by the Foundation for Judicial Excellence. Prior to his appointment to the highest court of the land, Justice Callejo was the Chairman of the Tenth Division and of the Ethics Committee of the Court of Appeals, and a Member of its Committee on the Revision of the Internal Rules.

A gifted and dedicated teacher, Justice Callejo taught Criminal and Remedial Law at the San Beda College, Ateneo de Manila University and the Far Eastern University from 1987 to 2000. He was also a Lecturer in the Remedial Law Institute of the University of the Philippines Law Center. He is currently the Chairman of the Department of Criminal Law of the Philippine Judicial Academy, a position that he has held since 1998.

Justice Callejo continues to enrich his legal knowledge and expertise by regularly attending international and local legal seminars, including: World Jurist Association of the World Peace Through Law Center (Conference on International Terrorism) held in Madrid, Spain on April 14 to 18, 2002; Australian-Philippines Judicial Training Program held in Sydney, Australia on March 6 to 17, 2000; and, Experts Conference on the International Criminal Court held in Manila on October 16-18, 2001. Justice Callejo is married to the former Ma. Filipinas Villanueva. They are blessed with two children, Romeo Gerald Callejo, Jr. and Ma. Geraldine Callejo, who is married to Michel Geday, a French-Canadian Consultant in a hotel industry. Justice Callejo has a pulchritudinous, versatile, and brilliant granddaughter named Jacqueline Callejo-Geday.