Haydee Yorac (March 4, 1941-September 13, 2005) was a Filipino politician.

Early life

Yorac was born on March 4, 1941 in Sarabia, Negros Occidental. She earned a Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines in 1962. She also earned a Master of Arts major in Public International Law, minor in Anthropology from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, USA, in1981.

Private career

Yorac taught and served in the Admissions Screening Committee of the University of the Philippines College of Law. She was an Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of the Philippines Diliman and a Senior Researcher of the University of the Philippines Law Center.

Public career

She was appointed by then President Corazon Aquino to serve as Commissioner of the Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in 1986. Later, she was appointed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as Chairwoman of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), an independent agency tasked to recover the ill-gotten wealth of deposed President Ferdinand Marcos, his family and cronies.

Yorac vied for a seat in the Philippine Senate in the 1998 national elections but lost.

For restoring public trust to the PCGG and a lifetime dedicated to public service, Yorac received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for government service.

Death

Yorac battled with cancer and died on September 13, 2005 in Chicago, Illinois. Her remains were buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. She was succeeded as PCGG Chairperson by veteran lawyer and constitutionalist Camilo Sabio.

Publications

• "Legal Status of Mercenaries"
• "Preventive Detention and Metaphysics of Repression"
• "Child Custody Determinations: A Reappraisal"
• "The Philippine Claim to the Spratly Island Group," Philippine Law Journal
• Philippine Treaty Series, Vols. 1-4, 6-7 (editor)

Professional and Civic Affiliations

• Integrated Bar of the Philippines
• Philippine Society of International Law
• American Society of International Law
• Free Legal Assistance Group (National Board Member)
• U.P. Alpha Phi Omega Sorority (Formerly U.P. Kappa Phi Omega Sorority)