Marcos names 3 new associate justices

President Marcos has named two new associate justices of the Court of Appeals (CA) and an associate justice of the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA), his first appointees to the judiciary since he assumed office in June, Malacañang announced on Thursday.

The President appointed on Oct. 11 Selma Palacio Alaras and Wilhelmina Jorge-Wagan as associate justices of the CA while Corazon Ferrer-Flores was designated associate justice of the CTA, according to Undersecretary Cheloy Garafil, officer in charge of the Office of the Press Secretary.

“Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo has administered the oath of office of the newly appointed justices. The Palace and the entire nation wish them well,” Garafil said in a statement.

Alaras previously served as presiding judge of Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 62, while Jorge-Wagan was presiding judge of Pasay City RTC Branch 111.

In 2019, Alaras sentenced to life imprisonment Horacio Hernandez Herrera, a Mexican national believed to be part of the Sinaloa drug cartel of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, for selling P12 million worth of cocaine. Herrera arrived in the country on Oct. 28, 2013, reportedly for drug dealing operations in connivance with a Chinese syndicate. He was arrested in a 2015 sting operation in Makati City.

In March 2018, she meted out life terms to James Riach and Ali Memar Mortazavi Shirazi, two Canadians with alleged links to a Mexican drug cartel,

Alaras teaches at San Beda University College of Law, San Beda College Alabang School of Law, and the University of Makati School of Law.

Bedan roots

Jorge-Wagan was the Pasay City judge who convicted blogger Manuel “Boy” Mejorada of cyberlibel over his remarks against former Sen. Franklin Drilon.

Mejorada, a former Iloilo provincial administrator, was found guilty on four counts over his Facebook posts that accused Drilon of corruption in connection with some infrastructure projects in the province, including the Iloilo Convention Center and several roadworks.

Jorge-Wagan teaches law at San Beda University. She obtained her Bachelor of Laws degree from San Beda in 1993 after completing a Bachelor of Arts course from Divine Word University, Tacloban City, where she graduated magna cum laude.

She became RTC judge in January 2006 after a five-year stint as municipal trial court judge of Calamba City. She joined the judiciary in 1994 as court attorney under CA Associate Justice Romeo Callejo Sr.

Jorge-Wagan is a recipient of the St. Benedict Service Award from San Beda and a member of the World Jurist Association.

SC background

Prior to joining the CTA, Ferrer-Flores, who became a lawyer in 1987, worked as the Supreme Court’s deputy clerk of court and as chief of the Fiscal Management and Budget Office.

The CTA handles cases involving violations of the National Internal Revenue Code and the Tariff and Customs Code. It also has jurisdiction to review by appeal decisions of the commissioners of the internal revenue and customs bureaus involving disputed assessments, tax refunds, customs duties and import seizure and detention, as well as decisions of RTCs on local tax cases.

Alaras and Jorge-Wagan replaced former CA associate justices Gabriel Ingles and Edgardo Camello, who retired on Feb. 27 and May 19 this year, respectively.

Ferrer-Flores took the place of former CTA associate justice Juanito Castañeda, who reached the mandatory retirement age on June 24.

—WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH

READ: Marcos appoints three more officials to key admin posts