CA Visayas gets 3 new justices

CEBU, Philippines - Three new justices were recently appointed to the Court of Appeals-Visayas Station. 

Associate justices Pablito Perez, Geraldine Fuiel-Macaraig and Gabriel Robeniol are now filling in the vacancies at CA-Visayas Station.

Executive Justice Gabriel Ingles said Perez will sit as senior member of the 20th division while Macaraig and Robeniol will sit as junior members of the 19th and 20th division, respectively, replacing associate justices Rene Francisco, Jhosep Lopes and Christine Jacob. 

Before Perez was appointed as senior member of the 20th division, he first served at the CA-Mindanao Station in Cagayan de Oro City.

Perez, in a press release, has been a law professor and dean, a general counsel, a private law practitioner and head of a corporate law department for more than 30 years. 

Perez graduated cum laude at the Ateneo de Manila University taking up A.B. Degree in Philosophy before taking his law degree in San Beda College where he graduated as valedictorian. 

He holds a Master of Laws Degree from the University of Pennsylvania, one of the top five law schools in the United States.

Macaraig, on the other hand, was a trial court judge in Marikina City. She became a vice executive judge then executive judge for two terms from 2007 to 2011. During her term as presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court Branch 192 in Marikina City, she received the Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos Award for judicial excellence. 

Macaraig took her law degree at the University of Santo Tomas where she graduated as magna cum laude.   Robeniol is a former associate solicitor at the Office of the Solicitor General. He was a partner at Feria Tantoco Robeniol Law Office where he headed the litigation and intellectual property section. 

There are three divisions in CA-Visayas Station.

One of these, the 18th division, is headed by Ingles as chairman, Justice Marilyn Lagura-Yap as senior member and Justice Germano Francsico Legaspi as junior member. 

In the 19th division, Justice Edgardo delos Santos sits as the chairman, Justice Edward Contreras as senior member and Macaraig as junior member. 

In the 20th division where Perez now serves as senior member and Robeniol as junior member, Justice Pamela Ann Abella Maxino serves as the chairman. 

Ingles welcome the appointments of the three new justices.

“Personally and in behalf of the Visayas Station, I most warmly welcome them and am certain that they can help render swift and impartial justice for all so that we can fulfill our own vision to be a highly credible court worthy of public trust,” Ingles said. — (FREEMAN)