ON HIS NINTH TRY, a senior member of the Court of Appeals, Associate Justice Martin Villarama, finally made it to the Supreme Court.

Villarama, 63, was sworn in by Chief Justice Reynato Puno Saturday afternoon at the Dignitaries Lounge of the New Supreme Court Building on Padre Faura Street in Manila.

His oath-taking was witnessed by his wife, Supreme Court en banc Clerk of Court Luisa Dizon-Villarama; son Carlo; Supreme Court Associate Justices Lucas Bersamin and Diosdado Peralta and his wife Court of Appeals Justice Fernanda Lampas Peralta; and media members who were notified of the appointment just a few hours before.

Villarama is the 166th magistrate to be appointed to the high court, according to the Supreme Court public information office.

This was his ninth nomination to the shortlist of nominees submitted to Malacañang by the nine-member Judicial and Bar Council which includes the incumbent Chief Justice, former Supreme Court justices, the justice secretary and lawmakers.

During the 71st anniversary of the Court of Appeals in 2007, Villarama was recognized by his peers as one of the justices who had the least number of pending cases.

With his appointment, all the sitting Supreme Court magistrates are appointees of President Macapagal-Arroyo. Puno was appointed by former President Fidel Ramos but he was appointed chief justice by Ms Arroyo in December 2006.

Villarama replaced retired Associate Justice Consuelo Ynares-Santiago, an appointee of former President Joseph Estrada. She retired on Oct. 15.

Before her term ends on June 30, 2010, Ms Arroyo will appoint two more Supreme Court justices. One will replace Associate Justice Leonardo Quisumbing, an appointee of former President Fidel Ramos, who retired Wednesday.

Associate Justice Minita Chico-Nazario, who was also appointed by Ms Arroyo, is set to retire on Dec. 5.

Puno is slated to retire next on May 17, 2010. But Ms Arroyo will not be able to appoint his replacement because the ban against appointments during the election period starts on Jan. 10, 2010.

Villarama obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree from the Manuel L. Quezon University (MLQU) after completing his BS in Business Administration degree at De La Salle University.

He began his law career as a technical assistant in the Legal Research Division (now Office of the Chief Attorney) of the Supreme Court.

He worked as legal counsel/corporate secretary for various companies until he rejoined the judiciary in 1986 when he was appointed a Regional Trial Court judge in Pasig City. He served as executive judge from 1992 to 1996.

He was a recipient of the Ulirang Ama Award for Law and Judiciary and Katangi-tanging Anak ng Angat, Bulacan, in 2003.

He was promoted to the Court of Appeals in March 1998 where he served as chair of the Fifth Division and supervising justice of the Judicial Records Division.

He served as examiner of Labor and Social Legislation in the 2004 bar examinations. He is also a member of the Supreme Court subcommittee on the Revision of Rules on Criminal Procedure and a lecturer at the MLQU School of Law.

Villarama was born on April 14, 1946, in Manila. He and his wife Ma. Luisa have two children: Dr. Clarissa Villarama-Cellona, a dermatologist, and Carlo, a recent bar examinee.