Philippines appoints 78 new judges, including 4 from Mindanao

DAVAO CITY (April 12)—-—The Philippine judiciary has 78 new judges, four of whom are in Mindanao.

The new Mindanao judges include Cherry Lynn M. Trinidad-Geocaniga (Branch 9, RTC, Davao City, Davao del Sur),  Chester C. Castaños (Branch 34, RTC, Panabo City, Davao), Bai Ashrafia Aymee A. Biruar (Branch 14, RTC, Cotabato City, Maguindanao), and Ysnaira A. Ibrahim (Branch 13, RTC, Cotabato City, Maguindanao).

Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo administered the oath of office to 78 newly appointed judges of the first and second-level courts at the En Banc Session Hall and the Dignitaries’ Lounge of the Supreme Court in Manila on March 26, 27, and 28, 2025.

Among the new magistrates, 53 will serve in the Regional Trial Courts (RTC). At the same time, 25 will preside over first-level courts, including the Metropolitan Trial Courts (MeTC), Municipal Trial Courts in Cities (MTCC), Municipal Trial Courts (MTC), and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts (MCTC).  These judges are distributed across the National Capital Judicial Region (NCJR) and Judicial Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12.

The President of the Philippines has the exclusive authority to appoint judiciary members. Still, this power is not absolute, as it is subject to the constraints set forth by the Constitution and the JBC process.

Chief Justice Gesmundo reminded the newly appointed judges that only members of the Judiciary are constitutionally mandated to embody the qualities of competence, integrity, probity, and independence.

This shows the higher standards expected of judges, given their crucial role in upholding justice and maintaining public trust in the legal system.

The Chief Justice also highlighted the SC’s efforts to improve the justice system through innovative reforms. These include measures to reduce case backlogs, make justice more accessible, and ensure faster case resolution, demonstrating the SC’s commitment to a more efficient and responsive Judiciary.

The appointment of the new judges supports the goals of the SC’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027 (SPJI), which focuses on boosting court efficiency, encouraging innovation, and expanding access to justice.