A seat at the boardroom table now stands empty.
EastWest Bank, controlled by the Gotianun family, is mourning the death of Independent Director Dean Jose Maria G. Hofileña, a respected legal scholar who helped steer the bank’s governance framework for nearly seven years.
In a disclosure, EastWest said Hofileña passed away on Feb. 27, 2026. He had served as an independent director since April 2019, chairing the Related Party Transactions Committee and sitting on the Audit Committee and the Corporate Governance and Compliance Committee.
The bank’s board and management expressed their “deepest gratitude for his invaluable contributions,” citing his role in strengthening oversight and reinforcing board independence during a period of heightened regulatory scrutiny in the banking sector.
Beyond the boardroom, Hofileña was widely known as Dean of the School of Law at Ateneo de Manila University. His leadership as dean officially began on June 1, 2018. The Supreme Court confirmed that he died of pneumonia.
He was a member of the Commercial Law Department of the Philippine Judicial Academy and served on the Supreme Court Sub-Committee that reviewed the New Code of Judicial Conduct for the Philippine Judiciary, which drafted the 2025 Code of Judicial Conduct and Accountability.
Known as “Joey” to colleagues, Hofileña built a distinguished academic and legal career. He earned his Bachelor of Laws degree from Ateneo Law School in 1987, graduating as class valedictorian and ranking 10th in the 1987 Bar Examinations. He later obtained a Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School in 1990. He also held a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Ateneo.
At EastWest, Hofileña brought his background in corporate law and governance to key oversight committees, particularly in reviewing related party transactions and strengthening compliance standards. He also served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Philippine Association of Law Schools.
The bank has yet to name a replacement for the independent director seat left vacant by his passing.
