MANILA, Philippines — A committee from the Supreme Court on Monday honored retired Associate Justice Noel Tijam for the rulings he wrote, as the justice stepped down from the tribunal.
On Monday, Tijam addressed his colleagues at the SC where he served for almost two years.
In a report by CNN Philippines, the SC Program on Awards and Incentives for Service Excellence committee gave Tijam a certificate of appreciation where his “landmark” ponencia of the quo warranto petition was cited.
Tijam wrote the main decision on the government’s quo warranto petition against former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno that declared her appointment as null and resulted in her ouster.
He also wrote the ruling that junked the petition of Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines challenging Republic Act 10932 or the Anti-Hospital Deposit Law due to the petitioners’ lack of legal standing.
In June last year, the SC’s First Division dismissed the Presidential Commission on Good Government’s appeal against the Sandiganbayan’s decision on the government’s P51 billion claim from the estate of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his cronies.
Tijam wrote the main decision.
A day before Tijam reached the mandatory retirement age of retirement of 70, the SC held a special ceremony to honor his service.
READ: Supreme Court justice Noel Tijam retiring
During the ceremonies last January 4, Tijam was given the Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos Award, a statuette of judicial excellence, and a plaque of recognition.
Justice Tijam received tokens on the occasion of his retirement: SC flag, Philippine flag, SC seal, Judicial robe, brass shingle, SC ring, SC pen, timepiece, Book of Decisions, The Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos Award, Statuette of Judicial Excellence, and a Plaque of Recognition pic.twitter.com/UIYkj6tX6x
— Supreme Court PIO (@SCPh_PIO) January 4, 2019
President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Tijam, his classmate at San Beda College of Law, to the high court on March 2017.
Prior to his designation at the SC, Tijam served as a Court of Appeals justice. He also served as a Quezon City regional trial court judge and worked as a legal consultant in various committees at the Senate.
Carandang addresses SC
Associate Justice Rosmari Carandang also addressed her colleagues for the first time during the flag-raising ceremony.
The SC Public Information Office quoted Carandang as saying that she would dedicate her work at the SC to God.
SC Justice Rosmari D. Carandang attends her first flag ceremony at the SC grounds in Faura, Manila. She says her work in the Court will be her “offering to God, [my] tithe to him.” pic.twitter.com/R7vj01YYBD
— Supreme Court PIO (@SCPh_PIO) January 7, 2019
Carandang is Duterte's newest appointee to the tribunal. He signed her appointment papers on November 26.
— Kristine Joy Patag