Women dominate judicial excellence awards

MANILA, Philippines - Women dominated this year’s judicial excellence awards of the Supreme Court (SC), which were conferred last week on three judges and a clerk of court for their exemplary services in the judiciary.

This year’s awardees were chosen from 69 nominees for their “integrity, dedication, and commitment to public service and the rule of law.”

They are Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 141 Mary Ann Corpuz-Mañalac (Chief Justice Cayetano Arellano Awardee); Angeles City, Pampanga RTC Branch 59 Judge Ma. Angelica Paras-Quiambao (Chief Justice Jose Abad Santos Awardee); Valenzuela City RTC Branch 269 Judge Emma Matammu (Chief Justice Ramon Avanceña Awardee) and Cagayan de Oro City RTC Branch 18 clerk of court Eileen Joy Pakino-Bonghanoy (Outstanding Branch Clerk of Court, Second-Level Courts Awardee).

Mañalac, a graduate of San Beda Law School in 1991, joined the judiciary in 1992 as clerk of court of Malolos, Bulacan RTC before serving the Office of the Ombudsman for nine years from 1994 to 2003. In 2004, she returned to the judiciary as judge in Sta. Cruz, Laguna RTC until 2007 when she was appointed to the Makati RTC.

She currently teaches law at the New Era University and has also lectured before various government agencies on public accountability, graft and corruption prevention, and Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (RA 6713).

Quiambao has been with the government for 25 years. She was with the Public Attorney’s Office from 1988 to 1993 before she was appointed judge of Clarkfield, Pampanga municipal trial court. She then became executive judge of Angeles City RTC from 2007 to 2010.

A San Fernando, Pampanga native, she finished law at Ateneo de Manila Law School in 1986. She has received various awards including the Public Service Award from the Society of Broadcast Journalists Inc. and Gintong Sikap Award from the Angeles City Lawyers League.

Matammu stood out for the sterling quality of her well-written orders and decisions. A University of the Philippines College of Law graduate, she also holds a Master of Laws degree from the University of Illinois.

She joined the government in 1998 and had served in the offices of retired Justice Artemio Panganiban and former Senator Leticia Ramos Shahani. She was also an assistant secretary in the office of the executive secretary in Malacañang during the previous administration.

Bonghanoy was chosen for her “significant contribution to the speedy disposition/resolution of cases before her court by ensuring that all pleadings/motions filed were correctly addressed and acted upon in a timely manner by the judge concerned.”

“She ensured that case records are complete by maintaining a log book and a monthly report of all the stenographic notes pending transcription. Additionally, she has been described as diligent in the submission of docket reports, and in the conduct of semestral inventory of cases,” the SC revealed in a statement.