MalacaÑang has appointed 19 new judges for various courts in Luzon.
In a Jan. 17, 2017 transmittal letter to Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea informed her of the new judges earlier recommended by the Judicial and Bar Council for posting in regional trial courts in Quezon, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Palawan, Marinduque, Rizal and Romblon.
The new judges include former Department of Justice Prosecutor Aristotle Reyes who will be assigned to RTC Branch 15 in Lucena City, Quezon Province. Reyes is a veteran prosecutor who handled sensitive cases in the DoJ such as the P6.4- billion shabu shipment.
Former Antipolo City Prosecutor Jennifer Santos-De Lumen has been appointed judge of Cainta, Rizal RTC.
The other appointees include Ismael Macasaet as judge for RTC, Branch 1, of Batangas; Noel Lindog for RTC Lipa City, Batangas; Raquel Aspiras-Sanchez for Tagaytay City, Cavite; Adeliza Magno-Gingoyon of RTC Imus, Cavite; Flordeliza Cabanlit-Fargas of RTC Trece Martires, Cavite; Suwerte Ofrecio-Gonzales of RTC Sta. Cruz, Laguna;
Myla Villavicencio-Olan of RTC San Pablo, Laguna; Virgilio Gesmundo of RTC Calamba, Laguna; Eugene Ricardo Parrone of RTC Boac, Marinduque; CAtherine Marino-Monsod of RTC Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro; Cefelene Goco of RTC Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro;
Rosalie Ang Lui of RTC Naujan, Oriental Mindoro; Arlene Bayuga Guillen of RTC Puerto Princesa, Palawan; PAtricia Angeles Cataquiz of RTC Sariaya, Quezon; Anna Zita Abuda Caballegan of RTC Antipolo City, Rizal and Donna Borda Pascual of RTC Romblon.
Meanwhile, the Judicial and Bar Council has transmitted to Malacañang its shortlist of candidates for vacancy at the Court of Appeals following the retirement of Associate Justice Leoncia Dimagiba last December.
The JBC, concurrently chaired by Sereno voted to endorse the nomination of the seven aspirants, namely: Manila Regional Trial Court Judge Ma. Celestina Cruz-Mangrobang, Quezon City RTC Judge Mary Angelene Quimpo Sale, Manila City RTC Judge Merianthe Pacita M. Zuraek.
Also included in the shortlist were Judges Emily Alino-Geluz, Dorothy Montejo-Gonzaga, Mia Joy Oallares-Cawed, and Rowena de Juan-Quinagoran.
The nominees have been submitted to President Duterte to choose Dimagiba’s replacement in Pursuant to Article VIII, Section 9 of the 1987 Constitution.