MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has named two new Court of Appeals associate justices.
According to appointment papers released by the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals Associate Justice John Zurbito Lee will take the place of former CA magistrate Dorothy Montejo-Gonzaga.
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Associate Justice Eleuterio Larisma Bathan meanwhile took over the vacancy created when incumbent SC Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao was promoted to the high court.
Lee has 17 years of law practice under his belt, starting as an associate at the Zambrano & Gruba Law Offices.
He then later joined MOST Law, formerly Marcos Ochoa Serapio Tan Law Office. Louise Araneta Marcos, wife of presumptive president-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., was among the founding partners of the firm.
Lee then put up his own law firm. Prior to joining the appeals court, he was the managing partner of Lee Yu Rigets Law, where he “handled taxation law, estate planning, corporate law” among others.
Bathan meanwhile started his career in the Judiciary in 2006 as Municipal Trial Court in Cities judge in Batangas City. Before his newest appointment, he served as the presiding judge of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 29.
On Wednesday, Duterte also named CA Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh as the newest magistrate of the high court. Her appointment has completed the 15-member Bench of the SC. — Kristine Joy Patag