3 career judges take oath as new CA justices

MANILA, Philippines—Three career judges took their oath before Chief Justice Renato Corona as the newly appointed Court of Appeals justices filling up the remaining three vacant posts in the appellate court.

The appointment was contained in a one page transmittal letter to the Supreme Court dated Mar. 21, 2011 of Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr.

Appointed as new appeals court justices were Manila Regional Trial Court Judge Carmelita Salandanan-Manahan, Makati RTC Judge Zenaida Galapate Laguilles and Cavite City RTC Judge Melchor Quirino C. Sadang.

Both Manahan and Laguilles have immediately taken their oath before Corona late Monday afternoon.

Manahan, a graduate of Manuel L. Quezon University passed the Bar exam in 1990. She worked at the Public Attorney’s Office then became a prosecutor before her stint as a judge. She was once a Judicial Excellence Awardee of the Justice Ramon Avancena Award, the highest honor given by the high court to career judges.

Laguilles meanwhile is an expert in Remedial Law. She teaches law in various law schools including the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

She handled the case of the journalists who filed a P12.5 million class suit against First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo on 28 December 2006 accusing him of abuse of right when he filed 11 libel suits against 46 mediamen. Laguilles junked Arroyo’s motion to dismiss the case.

Sadang, on the other hand, is the son of the late Judge Quirino Sadang. He is a member of the Upsilon Fraternity in the University of the Philippines, the fraternity group where the late President Ferdinand Marcos and Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. belonged.

Earlier, President Benigno Aquino III already made appointments to fill up vacant seats at the Court of Appeals which included former Pasig RTC Abraham Borreta and Caloocan City RTC Judge Victoria Paredes, Cebu RTC Judge Gabriel Ingles and Pamela Ann Abella- Maxino.

The Court of Appeals is composed of 1 Presiding Justice and 68 Associate Justices pursuant to Republic Act 8246.