Jose Sison

Jose Sison
Born
Jose C. Sison

(1938-04-07)April 7, 1938
DiedJuly 23, 2026(2026-07-23) (aged 88)
OccupationsLawyer, television presenter
Years active1988–2020 (as a presenter)
Notable workIpaglaban Mo!
SpouseJosie Sampedro
Children6 (inc. Jopet)

Jose C. Sison (Tagalog: [hoˈse ˈsisɔn]; April 7, 1938 – July 23, 2026) was a Filipino lawyer and the television presenter of Ipaglaban Mo!.

Early life and education

Jose C. Sison was born on April 7, 1938. He studied at the University of Santo Tomas from elementary to college. He obtained his bachelor's degree in 1957. He also graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University and passed the Philippine Bar Examinations.

Career

Sison was known for being the host of the drama anthology Ipaglaban Mo! which featured real life legal cases brought to the Supreme Court. It first aired on IBC in 1988 before it transferred to ABS-CBN from 1992 to 1999 and RPN from 1999 to 2000 and from 2004 to 2005. The full title of the series was Kapag May Katwiran... Ipaglaban Mo! which also became a catchphrase that is attributed to him.

In 1995, Sison appeared (as himself) in Ipaglaban Mo: The Movie, which was written by National Artist Ricky Lee and directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya. In 1997, Sison reprised his role in Ipaglaban Mo: The Movie II, which was also written by Lee and directed by Rory Quintos.[citation needed]

Sison reprised his role when Kapag nasa Katwiran, Ipaglaban Mo! aired on GMA News TV (now GTV) from 2012 to 2013. He was joined by his son Jopet Sison as co-host. The Sisons remained hosts of Ipaglaban Mo! during its second ABS-CBN run producing new episodes from 2014 to 2020 when production halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic with reruns aired until 2024.

Personal life and death

Sison was married to Josefina "Josie" Sampedro with whom he had six children; the eldest being a daughter and the rest being his sons including Jopet.

Sison died on July 23, 2026, at the age of 88. His wake was being held in Quezon City and he would be interred in Antipolo, Rizal.

References

  1. 1 2 "Veteran lawyer Jose Sison passes away at age 88". GMA News. July 23, 2026. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  2. ↑ Rivera, Amanda Luella (July 24, 2026). "Thomasian lawyer, 'Ipaglaban Mo' host Jose Sison dies at 88". Varsitarian. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  3. 1 2 Dela Cruz, Liezel (July 24, 2026). "The decades-long history of Atty. Jose Sison's iconic legal drama anthology 'Ipaglaban Mo!'". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  4. ↑ Sampang, Dianne (July 23, 2026). "'Ipaglaban Mo' long-time TV host Atty. Jose Sison dies". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  5. ↑ "'Ipaglaban Mo' TV host, lawyer Jose Sison dies at 88". DZRH News. July 24, 2026. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  6. ↑ Dela Cruz, Liezel (July 24, 2026). "The decades-long history of Atty. Jose Sison's iconic legal drama anthology 'Ipaglaban Mo!". ABS-CBN News.
  7. ↑ Cua, Aric John Sy (July 23, 2026). "Jose Sison, lawyer and TV host, dies at 88". The Manila Times. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Jose C. Sison, Ipaglaban Mo lawyer, 88". The Philippine Star. July 24, 2026. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  9. ↑ "'Ipaglaban Mo' ni Atty. Jose Sison balik-ABS-CBN" [‘Ipaglaban Mo’ of Atty. Jose Sison returns to ABS-CBN]. Bandera (in Filipino). Philippine Daily Inquirer. June 1, 2014. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  10. ↑ Dela Cruz, Liezel (July 24, 2026). "The decades-long history of Atty. Jose Sison's iconic legal drama anthology 'Ipaglaban Mo!'". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved July 24, 2026. The program thrived, with replays also airing on DZMM TeleRadyo, until 2020, when "Ipaglaban Mo!" stopped producing fresh episodes due to quarantine restrictions amid the pandemic.
  11. ↑ Untalan, Sherylin (July 13, 2026). "Is defense lawyer Sheila Sison the daughter of lawyer Jose Sison? Here's what we found so far". GMA News Online. Retrieved July 24, 2026.
  12. ↑ Aquino, Lyza (July 24, 2026). "Former TV host Atty. Jose Sison remembered by loved ones at QC wake". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved July 25, 2026.