Duterte appoints judge who ordered Sunvar eviction to Sandigan

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed the Makati City Regional Trial Court judge who ordered the eviction of the Rufino and Prieto-owned Sunvar Realty Development Corp. from the Mile Long property to the Sandiganbayan.

The Supreme Court Public Information Office announced on Monday the appointment of Judge Maryann Corpus-Mañalac to the anti-graft court.

The appointment letter is dated December 8.

Last August, the Makati judge ordered the Sunvar Realty Development Corp. to vacate the Mile Long property.

The Rufino and Prieto clans also own the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the daily that President Rodrigo Duterte has criticized for supposedly “attacking” his administration. Tycoon Ramon Ang, a friend of Duterte, is set to take over the Prietos' stake in the Inquirer group.

Corpus-Mañalac takes the seat vacated by former Associate Justice Maria Cristina Cornejo who passed away on September 3 after a year of battling a serious illness.

Private lawyer appointed to Court of Appeals

The SC also announced the designation of private lawyer Walter Ong to the appellate court.

Ong takes the seat vacated by Associate Justice Noel Tijam who now sits among the Supreme Court justices.

Ong is the brother of dismissed Sandiganbayan Justice Gregory Ong.

Gregory Ong was dismissed for "gross misconduct, dishonesty and impropriety." He was linked to alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles. He was accused of "serious transgressions" when he acquitted her in 2010 of criminal charges from anomalies in the government purchase of 500 Kevlar helmets for the Marines.