PRESIDENT Duterte has named John Zurbito Lee and Eleuterio Larisma Bathan as associate justices of the Court of Appeals.
The Supreme Court Public Information Office said Lee will replace Associate Justice Dorothy Montejo-Gonzaga, who resigned in November last year, while Bathan will take on the post vacated by Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao, who was appointed to the SC last year.
The appointment papers of Lee and Bathan were transmitted to the SC last Wednesday by the Office of the Executive Secretary.
Before his appointment, Bathan served as the presiding judge of Branch 92 of the Quezon City regional trial court who sentenced Unday Macadato, alias Solaiman Omar, an alleged Maute terrorist, for illegal possession of an explosive device in 2019.
Lee is a private lawyer whose portfolio includes working at the Marcos Ochoa Serapio Tan firm where Liza Araneta Marcos, wife of presumptive president Ferdinand Marcos Jr., worked.
Prior to his CA appointment, Lee served the managing partner of Lee Yu Rigets Law where he handled taxation law, estate planning, corporate law and special projects.
There are still two vacancies left in the appellate court — the post of Associate Justice Gabriel Ingles who retired last February 27 and Associate Justice Edgardo Camello who retired yesterday.
At the Supreme Court, Marvic Leonen is now senior associate justice after the retirement last week of Estela Perlas Bernabe who reached the mandatory retirement age of 70.
Leonen was appointed to the SC in November 2012 by then president Benigno Aquino III. He can will reach the mandatory retirement age in 2032.
As senior associate justice, Leonen is second in line in seniority to Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo.
Aside from being the SAJ, Leonen also took his oath yesterday before Gesmundo as the chairperson of the Senate Electoral Tribunal.
Meanwhile, presumptive president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will have to wait until 2025 before he can make his own appointment to the SC. This after President Duterte appointed Court of Appeals Justice Maria Filomena Singh to take the place left by the retirement of Perlas Bernabe.
Singh’s appointment completed the 15-member SC. With Singh’s appointment, Duterte has named 13 justices to the SC.
Leonen and Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa were appointed by Aquino. Caguioa will retire in 2029.
The justice nearest to retirement is Associate Justice Mario Lopez who will turn 70 in 2025.
Lopez was named to the SC in 2019.
Gesmundo and Associate Justice Amy Lazaro Javier are next in line to retire.
Gesmundo and Javier will both leave the Judiciary in 2026 after reaching the mandatory retirement age.
Associate Justice Henri Jean Paul Inting will retire in 2027 followed a year later by Associate Justices Samuel Gaerlan and Ricardo Rosario.
Associate Justices Rodil Zalameda, Jhosep Lopez, and Japar Dimaampao will all retire in 2033.
Meanwhile, Associate Justices Jose Midas Marquez and Antonio Kho Jr. will retire from the Judiciary in 2036. — With Jocelyn Montemayor
