Court Ad Midas Marquez is newest SC associate justice
MANILA, Philippines — After years of applying to the Supreme Court bench, Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez is the newest associate justice of the highest court in the land.
"The Executive Secretary confirms the appointment of Mr. Jose Midas Pascual Marquez as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court vice Justice Edgardo L. Delos Santos," Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea told reporters.
Duterte’s newest appointee is expected to serve as SC justice for 15 more years or until 2036, when he reaches the mandatory age of retirement of 70.
Who is Marquez?
Marquez has been with the SC in 1991, joining the high court as a researcher while he was in law school. He later become a law clerk of several magistrates of the court until he was appointed the 14th court administrator of the SC.
As court administrator, he exercises supervision over 2,600 judges and court personnel nationwide. During the pandemic, Marquez has had to issue directives for court operations in accordance to health protocols.
Marquez also served as spokesperson of the SC during the courts of Chief Justices Reynato Puno and Renato Corona.
He has been consistently applying to join the SC bench, with his application backed by recommendations from Puno and several groups such as the Philippine Judges Association, Philippine Trial Judges League and Metropolitan and City Judges Association of the Philippines.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio opposed his application in 2018. The president's daughter accused the court administrator of trying to win her favor by supposedly working for the withdrawal of the disbarment case filed by the Sheriffs' Confederation of the Philippines against her.
He also served as one of the resources speakers at the House of Representatives’ during the impeachment proceedings against former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
Marquez is taking over the seat vacated by Delos Santos who opted for early retirement in June 2020. Marquez completes the 15-member SC bench.
Traditionally, newly appointed justices inherit cases left unresolved by the magistrate they are replacing—and among the high-profile petitions pending before Delos Santos’ chambers is the four-year-old Almora petition filed by victims of Duterte’s "war on drugs."
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