Who’s who: Chief justices at 6th ASEAN meet on environment

PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines – Several magistrates and representatives from the judiciary of the ASEAN members, as well as representatives from the Philippine Supreme Court and Asian Development Bank, are currently in Puerto Princesa, Palawan for the 6th ASEAN chief justices’ roundtable on environment.

Delegates are discussing environmental laws and action plans on issues raised. They will then come up with a non-binding agreement to help improve environmental laws amongst their respective nations within the ASEAN cooperation.

Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno served as the conference chair since the Philippines is hosting the two–day roundtable discussion. The ASEAN delegates were welcomed in Puerto Princesa last November 10 and they are expected to tour the island’s beauty on November 13.

A background on some of the delegates who graced the 6th ASEAN chief justices’ roundtable appears below:

Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno

Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno. Philstar.com/File

Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, the youngest to be appointed in the Supreme Court (SC) in this century, was the first appointee of former President Benigno Aquino III. She was initially appointed as the 169th Justice on Aug. 16, 2016 and was later on named as the 24th chief justice. She is expected to retire in 2030 after her 20-year service, which may also make her one of the longest-serving chief magistrates. Sereno was previously engaged in major international litigation as co-counsel for the Republic, and later on joined the Asian Institute of Management as Executive Director of its think-tank, the AIM Policy Center.

Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe

Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe. SC PIO/Released

Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe was appointed on Sept. 16, 2011. She was previously assigned at the Court of Appeals, where she served since March 2004 until she replaced Justice Conchita-Carpio Morales. The latter retired in June 2011 and was named the Ombudsman. Bernabe was also named the Metropolitan Trial Court Judge of the Makati City, Branch 66 in 1996 which lead to her promotion at the Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 124 of the same city.

Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta

Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta. SC PIO/Released

Former Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Diosdado Peralta was named the SC Associate Justice on Jan. 13, 2009. He was the third Sandiganbayan presiding magistrate to be appointed in the SC. He started his government service in 1987 as the Third Assistant City Fiscal in Laoag City until he later on served at the Prosecutor’s Office in Manila in 1988. He helped in the procedural crafting of the country’s environmental law.

Associated Justice Mariano del Castillo

Associate Justice Mariano Del Castillo SC PIO/Released

Associated Justice Mariano del Castillo was appointed at the SC on July 29, 2009. He has been in the Judiciary since 1989 as a Municipal Trial Court Judge of San Mateo, Rizal. He was then promoted to the RTC of Angeles City in 1992 and became the RTC Judge of Quezon City in 1995. Aside from his court services, Del Castillo became the Editor-in-Chief of Court of Appeals Journal from 2006 to 2009. He currently heads the Enhanced Justice on Wheels Committee of the Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Haji Kifrawi bin Dato Paduka Haji Kifli of Brunei Darussalam

Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Haji Kifrawi bin Dato Paduka Haji Kifli of Brunei Darussalam ASEAN/Released

Brunei Darussalam Chief Justice Dato Seri Paduka Haji Kifrawi bin Dato Paduka Haji Kifli is the chair of the ASEAN Law Association of Brunei Darussalam as he was involved in the association since November 1985. He became the first local chief justice by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan on Aug. 4, 2009. He was also a former chief registrar of the SC, principal counsel, judge of the intermediate court, probate officer, official receiver and magistrate in his 20 years of service in the Brunei Government.

Chief Justice Tun Arifin bin Zakaria of Malaysia

Chief Justice Tun Arifin bin Zakaria of Malaysia Kehakiman/Released

Hon. Justice Tun Arifin bin Zakaria 13th Chief Justice of Malaysia. He was named as the chief justice on  Sept. 12, 2011. Prior to serving the high court, he had served in various capacities in the Malaysian Government and Judicial Office and the legal department. He served as the President of the Sessions Court, Senior Assistant Registrar of the High Court, Federal Counsel and Senior Federal Counsel, Legal Advisor to Ministry of Primary Industries, Legal Advisor to the Public Services Department, Legal Advisor to the States of Malacca and Perak, Deputy Parliamentary Draftsman and Senior Federal Counsel of the Inland Revenue Department. In 1992, Arifin was appointed as a Judicial Commissioner of the High Court of Malaya and was later on appointed as the High Court Judge of Malaya in 1994 followed by his stint at the Court of Appeals and the Federal Court early 2000s.

Chief Justice Robert Torres Jr. of Guam

Chief Justice Robert Torres Jr. of Guam Guam Supreme Court/Released

Justice Robert Torres Jr. became the chief justice of the SC of Guam on Jan. 15, 2008. His first term ended on Jan. 18, 2011 and he was sworn in for his second term on Jan. 21, 2014. He has been working for the SC of Guam since Jan.2004. Torres is also a designated District Court Judge for the U.S. District Court of Guam and Justice Pro Tempore for the SC of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands. Having Filipino roots, Torres also took his Doctor of Laws and was awarded Honoris Causa from the University of Cebu.

Debora Stokes of Asian Development Bank

Debora Stokes of Asian Development Bank ADB/Released

Asian Development Bank’s representative is Debora Stokes, their Vice President for Administration and Corporate Management. She has been holding the posts since January 2016. In the past, she also served as the High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea and served as Australia’s Ambassador to Austraias the senior official in Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Australian Agency for International Development. She now handles the overall management of the bank’s operations of various departments of the bank.