Last May 12, the SC held a necrological service, mass, and vigil in honor of retired Supreme Court Justice Jose Y. Feria. Aside from Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno, Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) member Dean Amado L. Dimayuga and Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA) Chancellor Ameurfina A. Melencio-Herrera also extolled the late Justice.

Justice Jose Y. Feria was an active member of the academe prior to his appointment in 1986 to the Supreme Court where he had served for a year before retiring at 70.

Justice Feria, who had “loved the academe and honed the minds of many lawyers,” will be remembered for his “authoritative commentaries on civil procedure and criminal procedures,” said Chief Justice Puno.

Justice Feria taught at the Lilian College of Law (1936 to 1940) and the University of Santo Tomas (1940 to 1984). He was dean of the UST Faculty of Civil Law from 1979 to 1985. Likewise, he was a lecturer at the University of the Philippines Law Center and at the Instituto de Derecho Processal, Colegio de Abogados in Madrid, Spain.

He has authored the book Civil Procedure, Provisional Remedies & Special Civil Action and several articles on Constitutional Law, the Annotation on Judiciary Reorganization Act, the Interim Rules of Court, and the 1985 Rules on Criminal Procedure. He was also a delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention.

The son of the late SC Justice Felicisimo Feria, Justice Feria died of a lingering illness at the age of 91 on May 8, 2008. He is survived by his spouse Concepcion and children Ma. Martha, Felicisimo, Ma. Lucia, Jose, Jr., 18 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren.