MANILA, Philippines — Supreme Court Associate Justice Rodil Vaquilar Zalameda has been appointed as the country’s new Chief Justice, succeeding retiring Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo. The appointment was announced on Thursday, November 5, by Communications Secretary Lino Cayetano.
Chief Justice Zalameda will officially assume the top post in the judiciary on Saturday, November 7, following Chief Justice Gesmundo’s mandatory retirement on Friday, November 6, upon reaching the retirement age of 70.
“The President expresses his confidence that Justice Zalameda will discharge the responsibilities of Chief Justice with integrity, impartiality, and an unwavering commitment to the rule of law.”
Born on August 2, 1963, in Caloocan City, Zalameda is expected to lead the high court until his retirement on August 1, 2033. He earned his law degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1987 and was admitted to the Bar in 1988.
His extensive career in public and private legal service spans decades. He began his career in the judiciary as a branch clerk of court for the Makati City Regional Trial Court before entering private practice from 1990 to 1995. He later returned to government service, rising through the ranks to become the city prosecutor of Mandaluyong City in 2002—a distinction that earned him the “Ulirang Mandaleno” award in 2010.
Prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court, he served as an associate justice of the Court of Appeals for 11 years.
During his public interview with the Judicial and Bar Council, Zalameda emphasized the importance of maintaining institutional boundaries among government branches.
“Each branch of government is bound by its own constitutional mandate. Respect for these boundaries is one of the foundations of a constitutional government.”
He further added that the judiciary should not overstep into the domain of political branches “simply because we believe that we can.” However, he stressed that “when a constitutional question properly comes before the Court, the Judiciary must not hesitate to perform its constitutional duty.”