Supreme Court Associate Justice Rodil V. Zalameda will succeed Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed him to the country’s top judicial post.
Presidential Communications Office Acting Secretary Lino Edgardo Cayetano announced the appointment Thursday, a day before Gesmundo’s retirement on November 6.
Cayetano cited Zalameda’s more than 30 years in government, including his work as court official, prosecutor and magistrate of the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court.
He also noted that Zalameda served under several administrations, from former president Fidel V. Ramos to former president Rodrigo Duterte, who appointed him to the Supreme Court in 2019.
“Justice Zalameda brings more than three decades of distinguished service to our judicial system. From his early years as a court official and public prosecutor, to his service in the Court of Appeals, and ultimately, the Supreme Court. He devoted his professional life to the administration of justice,” Cayetano said.
Zalameda spent 11 years at the Court of Appeals, where he chaired its 17th Division, before joining the Supreme Court in August 2019.
He began his government career as a Makati Regional Trial Court branch clerk after passing the 1988 Bar examinations. He later became Mandaluyong City prosecutor in 2002 and received the city’s Ulirang Mandaleño award in 2010.
Asked about doubts over Zalameda’s independence, Cayetano said the administration believes in the impartiality of the Judiciary.
“The decision you’re talking about is the decision of a division. We believe in the impartiality, and we look forward to working with the new Chief Justice,” he said.IMT
