View source for Aniano A. Desierto

{{BLP sources|date=December 2010}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Aniano Aguilar Desierto
| office              = 2nd [[Ombudsman of the Philippines]]
| president           = [[Fidel V. Ramos]]<br>[[Joseph Estrada]]<br>[[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]]
| predecessor         = [[Conrado M. Vasquez]]
| successor           = [[Simeon V. Marcelo]]
| term_start          = August 4, 1995
| term_end            = August 2, 2002
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1935|4|25}}
| birth_place         = [[Cebu City]], [[Insular Government of the Philippine Islands|Philippine Islands]] {{flagicon|Philippines}}
| nationality         = [[Philippines|Filipino]]
| profession          = [[Politician]]
}}
'''Aniano Aguilar Desierto''' (born April 25, 1935) is a former [[Philippine Ombudsman|Ombudsman]] of the Republic of the [[Philippines]] from 1995 to 2002.<ref name="source1">(1 August 2010). [http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/letterstotheeditor/view/20100801-284409/Merceditas-Gutierrez-not-the-legitimate-Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez not the legitimate Ombudsman] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100804051700/http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/letterstotheeditor/view/20100801-284409/Merceditas-Gutierrez-not-the-legitimate-Ombudsman |date=August 4, 2010 }}, ''[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]'', Retrieved December 8, 2010</ref> He headed the Ombudsman Office which investigates all government officials who defy the law of conduct. He assumed the Office of the [[Philippine Ombudsman]] on August 4, 1995, as the second person to head the post.
==Personal life==
Desierto was born on April 25, 1935, in Cebu City. He received his secondary education at the [[University of San Carlos]] (USC) in [[Cebu|Cebu City]], where he also obtained an Associate in Arts. He later obtained [[Bachelor of Arts]] and [[Bachelor of Law]] degrees at the [[University of the Philippines]], Diliman in 1957, and was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1958. Desierto also took up General Management and Marketing Courses at the [[Ateneo de Manila University]] and a master's degree at the Philippine Christian University.
Desierto was the Provincial Division Manager of the [[Manila Broadcasting Company]] and of the Metropolitan Broadcasting Company. He is married to Commissioner Teresita A. Desierto.
==Career==
From 1961 to 1974, Desierto was engaged in private law practice in Cebu and [[Manila]].  He started his legal career in government when he was appointed as Judge Advocate, Office of the AFP Judge Advocate General in 1974. In 1988, he was appointed Deputy Judge Advocate General. He later served as The Special Prosecutor of the Prosecution Bureau of the Office of the Ombudsman from April 1, 1991, to August 3, 1995.
On August 4, 1995, he was appointed Ombudsman by then [[Philippine President|President]] [[Fidel V. Ramos]].  He served until he retired, or "finish(ed) my term" as he stated it, in August 2002.<ref name="retire2">Ubac, Michael Lim (3 August 2002). [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6Fg1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=iyUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1893,14993551&dq=aniano-desierto&hl=en Desierto going but not 'gently into that good night'], ''[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]'', Retrieved December 8, 2010</ref> He was criticized by some for not aggressively investigating and prosecuting cases of corruption.  After he left office, he unsuccessfully sought a slot on the country's Supreme Court.<ref name="post1">Robles, Jojo. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0o8VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yQoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4316,987210&dq=aniano-desierto&hl=en Pygmies in Robes], ''[[Manila Standard Today]]'', Retrieved December 8, 2010</ref><ref name="crit2">Palabrica, Raul J (30 June 2002) [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=m641AAAAIBAJ&sjid=dyUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3211,6531797&dq=aniano-desierto&hl=en Crucial choice of next ombudsman], ''[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]]'', Retrieved December 8, 2010</ref><ref name="balance">(29 October 1996). [https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GmYVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zQoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2426,4578168&dq=aniano-desierto&hl=en Justice, Not Popularity, Is Ombudsman's Mission], ''[[Manila Standard Today]]'', Retrieved December 8, 2010</ref>
== See also ==
* [[Philippine Ombudsman]]
* [[Department of Justice (Philippines)]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090427175820/http://www.ngkhai.com/pointcebu/profile/desierto.htm Aniano Desierto]
{{Philippine Ombudsman}}
{{s-start}}
{{succession box |
before= [[Conrado M. Vasquez]]      |
title= [[Philippine Ombudsman|Ombudsman of the Republic of the Philippines]]                                      |
years= 1995&ndash;'''2002'''|
after= [[Simeon V. Marcelo]]
}}
{{s-end}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Desierto, Aniano A.}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1935 births]]
[[Category:20th-century Filipino judges]]
[[Category:Ombudsmen in the Philippines]]
[[Category:People from Cebu City]]
[[Category:University of San Carlos alumni]]
[[Category:University of the Philippines Diliman alumni]]
[[Category:Arroyo administration personnel]]
[[Category:Estrada administration personnel]]
[[Category:Ramos administration personnel]]
[[Category:Ateneo de Manila University alumni]]
[[Category:Philippine Christian University alumni]]