Noy appoints 11 new judges in MM

President Aquino has appointed 11 new judges in Metropolitan Trial Courts (MeTC) in Metro Manila.

In an appointment letter received by the office of Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno in the Supreme Court on Thursday, the President has filled vacancies in trial courts in the cities of Makati, Caloocan, Quezon, Manila and Pasay. Appointed as new judge of Makati City MeTC Branch 66 was Niño Delvin Embuscado, son-in-law of SC Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin.

One of lawyers in Bersamin’s office in the high court, Juliet Azarraga Chonyongco, was also appointed as judge of Caloocan City MeTC Branch 53.

Another lawyer working for the judiciary, Maria Ella Cecilia Dumlao-Escalante, was named the new judge of Quezon City City MeTC Branch 35. He was the chief-of-staff of Court of Appeals Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao and also a law professor and author of law books.

Two other appointees were designated in the Quezon City MeTC: Boomsri Rodolfo for Branch 38 and Don Ace Mariano Alagar for Branch 43.

In the Caloocan City MeTC, Maria Lorenza Barias Siosana was appointed new judge of Branch 49.

In Manila, the new MeTC judges are Michelle DivinaDelfin for Branch 8, Minerva Alejandria-Bautista for Branch 16 and Paul Flor for Branch 20.

Remiebel Unica Mondia and Rolando de Guzman Jr. were named new judges of Pasay City MeTC Branch 45 and Branch 72, respectively.

The appointees were handpicked by the President from a list of nominees submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).

The seven-man council, which is constitutionally mandated to screen and vet nominees to the President for vacant posts in the judiciary and the Offices of the Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman, is chaired by Sereno, with exofficio members Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III and Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

Among the other members of the JBC are retired SC Justice Angelina SandovalGutierrez, who heads the executive committee and represents the retired SC Justice Sector; lawyer Jose Mejia, the academe; retired Court of Appeals Justice Aurora Santiago-Lagman, the private sector; and lawyer Milagros Fernan-Cayosa, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.