With newest justice, Arroyo’s SC appointees now 14 of 15

By SOPHIA DEDACE, GMANews.TV

Published January 5, 2010 3:57pm

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has appointed a Court of Appeals justice to the Supreme Court â€“ the 14th Arroyo appointee in the 15-member high court. With the appointment of Justice Jose Mendoza, Chief Justice Reynato Puno remains the only non-Arroyo appointee in the SC. Puno was appointed in 1993 by then President Fidel Ramos. Mendoza, the last appointee to the SC before President Arroyo bows out of office in June 2010, replaces retired Associate Justice Minita Chico Nazario, who hung up her robes in December 2009.

Who is Justice Jose Mendoza?

Source: SC Public Information Office

Newly-appointed Supreme Court Justice Jose Mendoza, a Batangas native, earned his law degree from the San Beda College of Law and passed the Bar examinations in 1971. He was in private practice before serving as the Court of Appeals' Research Attorney in 1977. He was also a Confidential Attorney of the Supreme Court in 1985. In 1985, he was appointed Presiding Judge of the Sta. Cruz, Laguna Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 26 and was named Executive Judge of the same RTC in 1992. From 1994 to 2003, he served as Presiding Judge and, later, as Executive Judge of the RTC of Quezon City. In July 2003, he was appointed to the Court of Appeals as an Associate Justice.

Among the high profile cases Mendoza handled in the appellate court was the reversal of a lower courtâ€™s ruling on the controversial Best World (BW) Resources case. In April 2009, Mendoza ordered the reinstatement of criminal charges against eight people, including Filipino-Chinese businessman Dante Tan, a crony of former President Joseph Estrada. Tan, who is reportedly hiding in Australia, is allegedly responsible for insider trading and manipulation of BW Resourcesâ€™ stocks. The 1999 scandal is perceived to be the worst to hit the Philippine stock market. With the appointment of Mendoza, the 15 members of the high court are as follows:

RAMOS APPOINTEE

Reynato Puno (appointed by former President Ramos in 1993, named by Mrs. Arroyo as Chief Justice in December 2006) ARROYO APPOINTEES
Antonio Carpio (appointed in October 2001, to retire in October 2019 when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70)
Renato Corona (appointed in April 2002, to retire in October 2018)
Conchita Carpio Morales (appointed in September 2002, to retire in June 2011)
Presbitero Velasco (appointed in March 2006, to retire in August 2018)
Antonio Nachura (appointed in January 2007, to retire in June 2011)
Teresita Leonardo de Castro (appointed in December 2007, to retire in October 2018)
Arturo Brion (appointed in March 2008, to retire in December 2016)
Diosdado Peralta (appointed in January 2009, to retire in March 2022)
Lucas Bersamin (appointed in April 2009, to retire in October 2019)
Mariano del Castillo (appointed in July 2009, to retire in July 2019)
Roberto Abad (appointed in August 2009, to retire in May 2014)
Martin Villarama (appointed in November 2009, to retire in April 2016)
Jose Perez (appointed in December 2009, retirement date unavailable)
Jose Mendoza (appointed in January 2010, retirement date unavailable)

Watchdog groups like the Supreme Court Appointments Watch and the Bantay Korte Suprema had earlier voiced concern that President Arroyo would appoint her allies to help her retain some degree of legal immunity and evade prosecution after she steps down from office. During her rocky nine-year presidency, President Arroyo survived several controversies, allegations of corruption, and impeachment complaints. MalacaÃ±ang has repeatedly brushed aside these issues and vowed that President Arroyo's appointees are independent, noting that appointees to the SC are picked from the shortlist submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), the constitutionally-created body to screen and vet nominees to judicial positions.- KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV

Tags: josemendoza, supremecourt