Aquino appoints 3 new CA justices

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino has appointed three new associate justices of the Court of Appeals (CA).

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the new CA justices are Ma. Luisa Quijano-Padilla, Renato Francisco and Jhosep Lopez.

The three will replace Associate Justice Josefina Salonga, who retired Feb. 14; Juan Enriquez Jr., who is retiring on June 30; and Antonio Villamor on July 4.

Lopez is a member of the Liberal Party and was a Manila councilor for four terms.

Padilla is president of the Quezon City RTC Judges’ Association. He is handling the P15-million civil suit filed against former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo by the health workers arrested by the military on suspicion of being communist rebels, or the so-called “Morong 43.”

Francisco was president of Bulacan RTC Judges Association for two years. He ranked 17th in the 1973 Bar examinations and scored 100 percent in criminal law.