By Vann Marlo M. Villegas, Reporter
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has appointed Court of Appeals (CA) Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier as new Supreme Court (SC) associate justice.
This was confirmed by Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea in a text message.
Ms. Javier will replace Justice Noel J. Tijam who reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 on Jan. 5.
Ms. Javier has been with the CA since her appointment in 2007.
She graduated magna cum laude from the Philippine Normal University with an education degree. She earned her law degree from the University of Santo Tomas in 1982 where she graduated as class valedictorian and passed the bar the same year.
She worked as trial attorney at the Office of the Solicitor-General in 1983 and became assistant solicitor-general in 1994.
Meanwhile, Mr. Tijam was appointed by the President to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) to represent the academe, Justice Secretary and JBC ex-member Menardo I. Guevarra told reporters in a text message.
Mr. Tijam served the high court for over a year after his appointment on March 8, 2017 by President Rodrigo R. Duterte. He is the President’s second SC appointee following now-Ombudsman Samuel R. Martires.
Prior to his appointment, he also served as presiding judge of the Quezon City regional trial court (RTC) Branch 221 in 1994 and president of the Quezon City RTC Judges Association. He was then promoted to the Court of Appeals in 2003.
The JBC performs the “principal function of recommending appointees to the Judiciary.
The body is composed of the Chief Justice as ex officio Chairman, with the Secretary of Justice and a representative of the Congress as ex officio Members, a representative of the Integrated Bar, a professor of law, a retired Member of the Supreme Court, and a representative of the private sector.
Regular members are appointed for a term of four years and subject to the confirmation of the Commission on Appointments.
