Marawi-born CA justice tops JBC list for SC

MANILA, Philippines -  The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has listed eight nominees for the vacant Supreme Court (SC) associate justice seat with Court of Appeals (CA) Justice Japar Dimaampao, a native of war-torn Marawi City, getting the most number of votes.

During its regular meeting yesterday, the JBC included eight names in its shortlist to replace SC Associate Justice Jose Mendoza, whose compulsory retirement is on Aug. 13.

The shortlist will be submitted to President Duterte.

Duterte’s first two appointees in the SC are Associate Justices Noel Tijam and Samuel Martires. 

Dimaampao and Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Alexander Gesmundo each got seven votes from the JBC while CA Presiding Justice Jose Reyes Jr. received six votes. 

It’s also a tie for CA Justices Apolinario Bruselas Jr. and Ramon Paul Hernando, who each garnered five votes, while CA Justices Rosmari Carandang and Amy Lazaro-Javier got four votes each. 

Born in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur on Dec. 27, 1963, Dimaampao is the son of former Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Magdara Dimaampao. 

He was a law professor, Bar reviewer and expert in taxation laws. Before joining the appellate court, he was a former prosecutor and judge of the Mandaluyong City regional trial court (RTC).

Gesmundo was a former Bar examiner and law professor. He was a former commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) then became assistant solicitor general before entering the judiciary.

Reyes is the son of former CA Presiding Justice Andres Reyes Sr. After passing the Bar in 1978, he worked as a prosecutor and served as municipal trial court judge in Makati and later became an RTC judge in San Mateo, Rizal before he joined the CA.

Hernando, on the other hand, is a former prosecutor and a former RTC executive judge in San Pablo, Laguna and later served as RTC judge in Quezon City until he was appointed to the appellate court.

He is a three-time Bar examiner and a law professor. He worked as court attorney to the late SC Justice Florenz Regalado. 

Carandang previously worked for the Aguiluz Law Office and later worked for property developer Filinvest.

Meanwhile, Javier joined the Office of the Solicitor General in 1983. She has also been teaching political law, commercial law and civil law.