President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has appointed two trial court judges as associate justices of the Court of Appeals (CA) and the head of the Supreme Court’s (SC) Fiscal Management and Budget Office (FMBO) as associate justice of the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA).
Appointed as CA associate justices were Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judges Selma Palacio Alaras and Wilhelmina B. Jorge Wagan. Alaras and Wagan took over the posts vacated by retired CA Associate Justices Gabriel T. Ingles and Edgardo A. Camello, respectively.
Appointed CTA associate justice was SC-FMBO Chief Corazon G. Ferrer-Flores who took over the post vacated by Associate Justice Juanito C. Castaneda.
The three new members of the appellate courts took their oaths of office before Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo late Wednesday afternoon, Oct 19.
Their appointment papers were transmitted to Chief Justice Gesmundo by Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin. The transmittal letters were dated Oct. 11, 2022.
The three appellate court justices are the first appointees of President Marcos Jr. in the judiciary.
The President appointed the two CA associate justices from among the 13 nominees named by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) in a letter sent last July 8. There were 10 JBC nominees to the vacant CTA post.
The JBC nominations were signed by Chief Justice Gesmundo as ex officio chairperson; Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla, ex officio member; and Jose Catral Mendoza, Toribio E. Ilao Jr., Noel Gimenez Tijam and Franklin J. Demonteverde as members.
The JBC is the constitutional office that accepts, screens and nominates appointments in the judiciary. Under the Constitution, the President has 90 days to fill up a vacant post.
TAGS: #SC #CA #CTA