President Duterte has appointed Court of Appeals Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan as new Supreme Court associate justice, Malacañang announced Wednesday.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo confirmed the appointment of Gaerlan to the SC shortly before his scheduled oathtaking before Duterte in Malacanang Wednesday afternoon.
“The President has appointed as new justice of the Supreme Court – CA Justice Samuel Gaerlan, a graduate of San Beda,” Panelo said.
“The usual basis for appointing justices of the Supreme Court – competence and integrity,” Panelo said when asked why Gaerlan was named SC magistrate.
Gaerlan was chosen from a list of six contenders submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council last month. He fills the seat vacated by Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta who was promoted to Chief Justice.
Gaerlan, a law graduate from San Beda College, served as trial court judge before joining the Court of Appeals in 2009.
The appointment of Gaerlan, who was accompanied by his wife and two sons during his oathtaking, completes the 15-man SC.
He was chosen over CA Justices Manuel Barrios, Ramon Garcia, Jhoseph Lopez, and Eduardo Peralta, and SC Administrator Jose Midas Marquez.
Gaerlan is Duterte’s 11th appointee among the incumbent SC justices. The President’s appointees now constitute more than the majority of eight justices in the SC.
This is on top of Peralta’s appointment last Oct. 23.
Gaerlan will be assigned to the SC Third Division to complete the regular membership of five justices per division.
The 10 other appointees of the President in the SC are – in the order of seniority – Associate Justices Andres B. Reyes Jr., Alexander G. Gesmundo, Jose C. Reyes Jr., Ramon Paul L. Hernando, Rosmari D. Carandang, Amy C. Lazaro Javier, Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, Rodil V. Zalameda, Mario V. Lopez, and Edgardo L. delos Angeles.
The other members of the SC are – also in the order of seniority – Senior Associate Justice Estela M. Perlas Bernabe and Associate Justices Marvic Mario Victor F. Leonen and Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa. (Genalyn Kabiling and Rey Panaligan)