MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino has appointed 23 judges in Central Luzon.
The names of the new judges were listed in a one-page transmittal letter received by the office of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno in the Supreme Court earlier this week from Malacañang.
The judges are assigned in different regional trial courts (RTC), municipal trial courts (MTC), municipal trial courts in cities (MTCC) and municipal circuit trial courts (MCTC) in the provinces of Bulacan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Aurora, Zambales, Pampanga and Bataan.
Appointed as RTC judges are Gorgonio Elarmo of Malolos, Bulacan RTC Branch 77; Marion Jacqueline Poblete of Balanga, Bataan RTC Branch 3; Amelita Corpuz of Dinalupihan, Bataan RTC Branch 96; Isidra Arganosa-Maniego of Malolos City, Bulacan RTC Branch 7; Efren Tienzo of Malolos City, Bulacan RTC Branch 13; and Frazierwin Viterbo of Guimba, Nueva Ecija RTC Branch 33.
In Nueva Ecija, the President appointed as judges Roberto Ricardo Kanapi for San Jose City MTCC Branch 2, Rachelle de Guzman Ernie of Zaragosa MTCC, Emmanuel Paynor of San Antonio MTC, Jamila del Rosario Cruz-Sarga of Rizal MTC, Kristine Aquino Ferrer of Lupao MTC, Michael Benedick Aleta of Pantabangan MTC, and Ian Ramoso of Talugtog MTC.
Also appointed as judges were Jocelyn Gamboa-Delos Santos of San Fernando City, Pampanga MTCC Branch 4 and Vincent Lamug of Iba, Zambales MTC.
The other appointees are Judges Mario Pocholo Telan of Baliuag, Bulacan MTC; Juan Ranola Jr. of Hagonoy, Bulacan MTC; Maria Cristina Botigan-Santos of San Ildefonso, Bulacan MTC; Ryan Scott Robinos of Tarlac City MTCC Branch 1; Regina Balmores Laxa of Gerona-Ramos-Pura, Tarlac 5th MCTC; Stanley Marvin Pengson of Laur-Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija 3rd MCTC; Julius Java of Quezon-Licab, Nueva Ecija 1st MCTC; and Julieta Isidro-Reyes of Dingalan, Aurora MTC.
The appointments were made after a thorough selection process by the seven-member Judicial and Bar Council chaired by Sereno.
The constitutional body tasked to vet nominees to posts in the judiciary and the Office of the Ombudsman has two ex-officio members, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Senator Aquilino Pimentel III; and four regular members, lawyers Jose Mejia from academe and Milagros Fernan-Cayosa from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, retired Court of Appeals Justice Aurora Santiago-Lagman from the private sector, and a vacant post for the sector of retired justices.