SC appoints 3 deputy court administrators
Published Oct 28, 2025 10:02 am
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Updated Oct 28, 2025 01:17 pm
Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo (center), joined by Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justices Japar B. Dimaampao (third from right) and Jose Midas P. Marquez (second from right), and Court Administrator Ma. Theresa Dolores C. Gomez-Estoesta (rightmost) with newly confirmed and appointed Deputy Court Administrators Leo T. Madrazo (third from left), Lilian C. Barribal-Co (second from left), and Rainelda H. Estacio-Montesa (leftmost), on Oct. 27, 2025, at the SC Session Hall in Manila. (Photo courtesy of the SC Communications Office)
Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo administered the oath of office to the three deputies of the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) which administratively supervises all lower courts in the country for the Supreme Court (SC).
Those who took their oaths were Deputy Court Administrators (DCAs) Leo T. Madrazo, Lilian C. Barribal-Co, and Rainelda H. Estacio-Montesa who are in charge of operations, administration, and regional services of OCA, respectively.
The SC’s Office of the Spokesperson said the appointments were part of the High Court’s ongoing efforts to modernize the OCA.
A new central leadership team, headed by Court Administrator Ma. Theresa Dolores C. Gomez-Estoesta, will focus on strategy, policy, and innovation.
At the same time, the SC has started setting up the Offices of the Regional Court Manager (ORCMs) in all judicial regions to speed up court processes, reduce the administrative workload of executive judges, and harmonize procedures across trial courts for better performance.
As OCA functions are being decentralized, the roles of deputy court administrators for Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao are transitioning from geographic to functional.
The SC said that existing OCA offices will be reorganized to support digital transformation.
“This structure not only increases efficiency; it recognizes the need for local solutions, faster decision-making, and tailored support for our courts,” Chief Justice Gesmundo said.
DCA Madrazo served as a Prosecutor in Davao City from 1996 to 2009. He began his judicial career as presiding judge of the first Municipal Trial Court in Cities in Davao City from 2009 to 2017, and later served as presiding judge of Branch 11, Regional Trial Court (RTC), Davao City from 2017 to 2018. He was DCA for Mindanao in 2018.
DCA Barribal-Co started her career at the SC in 1990 under the OCA and rose from the ranks. She became chief of the OCA’s Financial Management Office until her appointment as assistant court administrator in 2017. A certified public accountant, she previously served as a revenue examiner for the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
DCA Estacio-Montesa was a private law practitioner. She joined the judiciary as clerk of court of Branch 199, Metropolitan Trial Court, Las Piñas City, where she served until 2006. She was appointed presiding judge of Municipal Trial Court, Alubijid, Misamis Oriental from 2006 to 2012, while also serving as acting presiding judge and assisting judge in various courts.
Prior to her appointment as DCA, she was presiding judge of Branch 46 of Manila RTC, a special commercial and cybercrime court, and acting presiding judge of Pasig City RTC since March 2024.