Duterte appoints 2 CA justices to Supreme Court

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte appointed yesterday Court of Appeals (CA) Justices Edgardo delos Santos and Mario Lopez as new Supreme Court justices.

Delos Santos and Lopez replace Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza and Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, who retired on Sept. 26 and Oct. 26, respectively.

The two were sworn in by Duterte at Malacañang last night.

Duterte’s latest appointments are his 7th and 8th, respectively, out of the current 15-member composition of the high court, a clear majority who will decide on pending crucial cases involving the administration.

Delos Santos and Lopez are getting into the SC as petitions challenging the legality of anti-drug operation Oplan Tokhang, and the Philippines’ withdrawal from the International Criminal Court are before the highest judicial body.

The Cebu-based appellate court justice Delos Santos wanted to end his four-decade career in government service at the high tribunal.

A native of Palompon, Leyte, Delos Santos was known as the habal-habal driver judge of Dumaguete City who succeeded associate justice Gabriel Inglis as executive judge of the Visayas station.

Delos Santos is a graduate of the University of San Carlos in Cebu where he earned his bachelor of laws degree.

Delos Santos initially served as a municipal trial court judge in Dumaguete and later became regional trial court judge in Bacolod before his appointment to the appellate court.

Meanwhile, La Union native Lopez finished his law degree at the San Beda College and graduated cum laude. He later took his master of laws at the University of Santo Tomas.

He served as prosecutor of the Tanodbayan, now known as the
office of the Ombudsman in 1985 and became executive judge of Batangas City in 1997 before his appointment to the Court of Appeals.