Creselda G. Baldonado
Creselda “Dang” G. Baldonado is a Partner and a member of the Firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department. For over three decades, she has built a distinguished career founded on professional integrity and an unwavering commitment to the rule of law, specializing in labor, high-stakes litigation, and criminal law. She was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1992 and is currently an active member of the Rizal-San Juan-Mandaluyong Chapter of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.
Ms. Baldonado holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Adamson University (1987, cum laude) and a Bachelor of Laws from San Beda College (1991). She recently broadened her expertise by becoming a licensed Canon lawyer, earning the degree Juris Canonici Licentiatus (J.C.L.) from the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas (2026, magna cum laude). Her licentiate thesis presented a comparative study of the factors affecting penal liability under Canons 1323, 1324, and 1326 and Articles 11 to 15 of the Philippine Revised Penal Code, exploring their relevance in canonical and Philippine civil law practice.
This rare dual expertise in Philippine civil law and canon law enables her to navigate complex intersections of the two legal systems. This is particularly valuable in marriage and family matters, Church governance, temporal goods, and penal law for misconduct involving both the clergy and the laity, including cases with overlapping civil, criminal, or administrative implications.
Ms. Baldonado’s Canon Law degree qualifies her to serve in ecclesiastical tribunals as a Judge, Defender of the Bond, Advocate, or Procurator, among other roles. Balancing salus animarum (the salvation of souls) in ecclesiastical law with the restoration of justice for the State, she provides precise, effective representation across both legal systems, further strengthening the Firm’s commitment to safeguarding the interests and welfare of its clients.