Philippine President Marcos Names Justice Rodil Zalameda as Next Chief Justice
Key Takeaways
- •President Marcos named 63-year-old Supreme Court Justice Rodil V. Zalameda as the Philippines' 28th chief justice, announced one day before incumbent Alexander G. Gesmundo reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70.
- •Zalameda is the first chief justice appointed by Marcos, and his tenure will run until August 2033, extending past the end of Marcos's term in 2028.
- •He was chosen from a five-name Judicial and Bar Council shortlist that also included Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa, Japar B. Dimaampao, and Jose Midas P. Marquez.
- •The appointment timing ensures the court is led by a named successor rather than an acting chief justice, which Leonen would have assumed had no successor been named.
- •Marcos must fill another judicial vacancy following the Nov. 16 retirement of Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, whose seat must be filled from a Judicial and Bar Council shortlist.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has chosen Supreme Court Justice Rodil V. Zalameda as the Philippines' next chief justice, the Palace said on Thursday, just one day before the incumbent, Alexander G. Gesmundo, reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70.
"In selecting Justice Zalameda, the President recognizes the importance of experienced and principled leadership in preserving public confidence in our judicial institutions," Presidential Communications Secretary Lino Edgardo S. Cayetano told a news briefing on Thursday.
At 63, Mr. Zalameda becomes the first chief justice appointed by Mr. Marcos, whose term runs through 2028. As the tribunal's 28th chief justice, he will preside over the court that rules on the constitutionality of laws and official acts.
Mr. Gesmundo, the 27th chief justice of the high tribunal, was appointed by former President Rodrigo R. Duterte and steps down on Friday. Had a successor not been named, Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen would have taken over as acting chief justice. The one-day margin means the transition proceeds with a named successor at the helm rather than an acting chief.
A Caloocan City native born on Aug. 2, 1963, Mr. Zalameda completed his law degree at the Ateneo de Manila University in 1987 on an academic scholarship, according to the Supreme Court website. He passed the Bar in 1988 and began his career in the Judiciary as branch clerk of court at the Makati Regional Trial Court. After a stint in private practice beginning in 1990, he returned to government service in 1995 as a public prosecutor.
He rose to Mandaluyong City prosecutor in 2002 at age 39 and later served 11 years on the Court of Appeals, where he headed its 17th Division. Mr. Duterte elevated him to the Supreme Court on Aug. 6, 2019 — on his first application for the post — after he took part in the first written examinations ever administered to magistrate applicants.
His tenure as chief justice will run until August 2033, when he, too, reaches the mandatory retirement age — a horizon that extends past the end of Mr. Marcos's term in 2028.
Mr. Zalameda was chosen from a shortlist of five candidates drawn up by the Judicial and Bar Council, which also included Mr. Leonen and Associate Justices Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa, Japar B. Dimaampao and Jose Midas P. Marquez.
"We believe in impartiality, and we look forward to working with the new chief justice," Mr. Cayetano said.
Mr. Marcos now faces another judicial vacancy as well: the seat of Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, whose retirement takes effect on Nov. 16. Under the Constitution, that seat must likewise be filled from a shortlist submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council, the same body behind Mr. Zalameda's five-name list.
Source: BusinessWorld; reporting by Erika Mae P. Sinaking.
