Ni Roy C. Mabasa
Malacañang yesterday released the latest presidential appointees in the Judiciary and Executive branches of government led by Justice Romeo F. Barza as presiding justice of the Court of Appeals.
Barza is a native of Lupon, Davao Oriental and a graduate of the University of the Philippines-College of Law. He once served as a regional trial court judge in Batangas City prior to his appointment as CA justice on May 4, 2006.
Also appointed are Makati Judge Mary Anne Corpus-Manalac as associate justice of Sandiganbayan and Walter S. Ong as associate justice of the CA.
Corpus-Manalac was the judge of Branch 114 of the Makati Regional Trial Court who issued the vacate order against Sunvar Development Corp. from the Mile Long property in Makati City to the Sandiganyan.
Ong, on the other hand, is the brother of former Sandiganbayan Justice Gregory Ong who was dismissed by the Supreme Court in 2014 over links to businesswoman Janet L. Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the P10-billion “pork barrel” fund scam.
A graduate of the Ateneo Law School, Ong will replace Justice Noel Tijam, who was elevated to the Supreme Court.
Other appointees are Dr. Maria Rosario Singh Vergeire, Assistant Secretary, Department of Health, replacing Agnette de Perio Peralta; Ricardo Lopena Moldez, member, Human Rights Claims Board, replacing Jacqueline Veloria Mejia; and Frances Veronica del Rosario Victorino, member, board of directors, Natural Resources Development Corp.;
Emmanuel de Guzman, vice chairperson, Climate Change Commission, and Romeo Andres Sales, director of the Land Transportation Office, replacing Oliver Macaspac.
Victorino will serve the unexpired term of office of board member Felix Marinas Jr. that began on July 1, 2017 and will end on June 30, 2018.
