Magdangal Elma, a veteran lawyer who served as an Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals and a key legal adviser across several administrations, died Sunday at the age of 86.

Elma held prominent roles in government under four different presidents, including serving as Presidential Assistant for Legal and Judicial Affairs and Acting Executive Secretary to the late President Corazon “Cory” Aquino.

Under former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, he was appointed chairperson of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel. He also served as Presidential Assistant for Special Concerns under the late President Benigno Aquino III.

Born in Lucban, Quezon, on 2 January 1939, Elma was a highly decorated legal scholar. He received both his bachelor’s and law degrees cum laude from the University of the Philippines and obtained a Master of Laws from Yale Law School in 1962.

Elma was the first Filipino editor of The Lawyers Co-operative Publishing Company and authored The Aquino Presidency and the Constitution.

He was a name partner at the Belo Gozon Elma Parel Asuncion & Lucila Law Offices and served on the board of several corporations, including PLDT Inc. and the Philippine National Oil Company.

The family is expected to release details regarding the wake and burial soon.