Estelito Mendoza

Estelito Mendoza
Official portrait, c.1970s
Minister of Justice
In office
June 30, 1984  February 27, 1986
PresidentFerdinand Marcos
Prime MinisterCesar Virata
Preceded byRicardo C. Puno
Succeeded byNeptali Gonzales
23rd Governor of Pampanga
In office
November 19, 1985  February 25, 1986
Preceded byCicero Punsalan
Succeeded byBren Guiao
In office
March 3, 1980  June 30, 1984
Preceded byJuanita L. Nepomuceno
Succeeded byCicero Punsalan
Mambabatas Pambansa from Region III
In office
June 12, 1978  January 30, 1980
Solicitor General of the Philippines
In office
July 1, 1972  February 25, 1986
PresidentFerdinand Marcos
Preceded byFelix Q. Antonio
Succeeded bySedfrey Ordoñez
Personal details
Born(1930-01-05)January 5, 1930
Manila, Philippine Islands
DiedMarch 26, 2025(2025-03-26) (aged 95)
Political partyNationalist People's Coalition
Other political
affiliations
Kilusang Bagong Lipunan
SpouseRosa Adams
Children5
Alma materUniversity of the Philippines College of Law (LLB)
Harvard Law School (LLM)
OccupationPolitician
ProfessionLawyer

Estelito "Titong" Patdu Mendoza (January 5, 1930 – March 26, 2025) was a Filipino lawyer who served as Solicitor General of the Philippines from 1972 to 1986. As Solicitor General, he successfully defended the validity of the 1973 Constitution of the Philippines in the Ratification Cases. He was the Chairman of the United Nations General Assembly Legal Committee in 1976. He also served as Minister of Justice from 1984 to 1986, Member of the Batasang Pambansa from 1978 to 1980 and 1984 to 1986, and provincial governor of Pampanga from 1980 to 1984 and from 1985 to 1986. He was also the founding partner of Estelito P. Mendoza and Associates. In his long trial-lawyer career, he was dubbed as the "Attorney of Last Resort."