Major revamp at Court of Appeals

Newly appointed Court of Appeals (CA) Presiding Justice Romeo Barza has implemented a major shake-up in the appeals courts with the designation of new chairs for its 17 divisions.

Barza issued Office Order No. 1-17 a few days after President Rodrigo Duterte tapped him to head the appeals court on Dec. 8.

Besides his appointment, the movement in the appeals court was also triggered by the death of Associate Justice Florito Macalino and the retirement of Associate Justice Leoncia Dimagiba, who had reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 in the judiciary.

Barza, one of the justices who rejected detained Sen. Leila de Lima’s petition, which challenged her indictment for drug trafficking, will chair the First Division starting Dec. 11.

He will be joined by Associate Justices Mario Lopez and Victoria Isabel Paredes as senior and junior members, respectively.

Associate Justice Gabriel Ingles was tasked to lead the court’s unit in Cebu City while Associate Justice Romulo Borja was chosen to head the appeals court in Mindanao based in Cagayan de Oro City.