Malacañang has appointed seven more associate justices of the Court of Appeals (CA), along with 39 new judges of the regional trial courts (RTCs) and metropolitan trial courts.
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea transmitted the appointment papers of the new CA magistrates and judges to Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo on Monday.
President Rodrigo Duterte appointed the following as new CA associate justices, namely: Mercedita G. Dadole Ignacio, Jaime Fortunato A. Caringal, Eduardo S. Ramos Jr., Jill Rose S. Jaugan Lo, Jose Lorenzo R. Dela Rosa, Rex Bernardo L. Pascual, and Emily L. San Gaspar Gito.
Except for Pascual who was an assistant solicitor general and Ramos who was undersecretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways, all the new CA justices were former RTC judges.
Ignacio took over the post vacated by the late Justice Priscilla J. Baltazar Padilla who was promoted to the Supreme Court (SC) in 2020; Caringal, post of now SC Justice Ricardo R. Rosario; Ramos, post of retired Justice Celia C. Librea Leagogo; Lo, post of now SC Justice Jhosep Y. Lopez; Dela Rosa, post of retired Justice Edgardo T. Lloren; Pascual, post of retired Justice Elihu A. Ybanez; and Gito, post of the late Justice Franchito N. Diamante.
The new RTC judges include Bernard De Rivera Rosario, Branch 120, Caloocan City; Manuel Isidro Rosauro Antonio V. Barrios, Branch 126, Caloocan City; Nerina Casandra N. Anastacio Mendinueto, Branch 199, Las Pinas City; Vladimir B. Bumatay, Branch 56, Makati City; Ruth S. Pasion Ramos, Branch 59, Makati City.
Karla Regina D. Valera Chua, Branch 147, Makati City; Joeven D. Dellosa, Branch 208, Mandaluyong City; Elizabeth M. Lim, Branch 211, Mandaluyong City; Aileen N. Saquing Agacita, Branch 213, Mandaluyong City; Delight Aissa A. Salvador, Branch 29, Manila; Maria Lourdes E. Mislang, Branch 39, Manila;
Philip Charles G. Santos, Branch 45, Manila; Juliet C. Azzaraga Chanyongco, Branch 49, Manila; Maria Luwalhati C. Cruz, Branch 259, Parañaque City; Jennifer B. Escorpezo Bayaua, Branch 151, Pasig City; Louie Brian R. Sze, Branch 87, Quezon City; Carlo D. Villarama, Branch 217, Quezon City; Karen C. Maramba Firme, Branch 227, Quezon City; and Desiree Gertude G. Orquiola Moldez, Branch 163, Taguig City.
Appointed MeTC judges were May Rachel S. Nolasco Silangil, Branch 50, Caloocan City; Diomer L. Priela, Branch 96, Mandaluyong City; Anna Carmi R. Calsado Amoroso, Branch 97, Mandaluyong City; Sherwin Peter O. Pulayan, Branch 1, Manila; Christopher S. Dimatatac, Branch 2, Manila; Venice B. Buagnin, Branch 9, Manila; Maria Gwendolyn B. Marquez Dizon, Branch 21, Manila;
Alvin Greg G. Pua, Branch 23, Manila; Adolfo T. Lopez Jr., Branch 24, Manila; Jedyne Venita O. Tejada, Branch 76, Marikina City; Jamara Leigh C. Fernandez, Branch 95, Marikina City; Cesario N. Sudario III, Branch 80, Muntinlupa City; Madeline B. Mendoza Guinto, Branch 87,
Parañaque City; Pauline F. Alejandre, Branch 88, Paranaque City; Karen Christine S. Redlock, Branch 89, Paranaque City; Placido O. Garcia III, Branch 91, Paranaque City; Bethany V. Conde Punzalan, Branch 69, Pasig City; Noel M. Ortega, Branch 33, Quezon City; Angela Francesca M. Din, Branch 116, Taguig City; and Gia Angeli R. Geraldez Abarquez, Branch 74, Taguig City.
Last March 4, Chief Justice Gesmundo received the appointment paper of Quezon City RTC Judge Arthur Oliveros Malabaguio as associate justice of the Sandiganbayan. Malabaguio took over the post vacated in 2020 with the demise of Associate Justice Reynaldo P. Cruz.
Last February, the President appointed 76 trial court judges.
Also, last February, the President appointed retired Commission on Elections Commissioner Antonio T. Kho Jr. as SC associate justice. He took over the post vacated last Jan. 9 by retired Associate Justice Rosmari D. Carandang who has been appointed by the SC as chancellor of the Philippine Judicial Academy, the judiciary’s education arm.