I am gratified by the improving quality of recent appointments to the judiciary as shown by the very impressive academic credentials of the four latest appointees to the Court of Appeals last month, infra:
Justice Myra G. Fernandez
Justice Myra Garcia Fernandez, 46, was Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 18 Judge and Acting Judge of Branches 12 and 37 from 2004 up to the time she was named to the CA.
Previously, Justice Fernandez served as Manila Metropolitan Trial Court (MeTC) Branch 10 Judge, Acting Judge of Branches 28 and 6, and as Manila MeTC Executive Judge. She also had stints in private practice and as law clerk in the Supreme Court (SC) for Justices Leo D. Medialdea and Josue N. Bellosillo.
A consistent honor student, the lady magistrate obtained her Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Santo Tomas (UST), cum laude, and Bachelor of Arts degree, also cum laude, from the same university. Armed with a masters degree in International Studies from the De La Salle University in Manila, she is currently taking her Master of Laws studies at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, an endeavor she began in 2009.
Justice Fernandez is a three-time Judicial Excellence Awardee, winning in the categories of Best Pre-Trial Judge, Outstanding MeTC Judge, and Best Decision Civil Case.
Justice Fernandez has had a number of relevant trainings, including that on Public International Law from the Hague Academy of International Law in Netherlands in 2008.
She teaches law at the PLM, as well as the Unibersidad de Manila.
Justice Eduardo B. Peralta, Jr.
Justice Eduardo Basa Peralta, Jr. holds the distinction of being the first graduate, cum laude, of the San Beda Graduate School of Law in 2005. In 2008, he finished his Doctor of Civil Laws degree from the UST Graduate School, earning in all 45 units a flat 1.0 grade.
Justice Peralta started his career in the Judiciary in 1989 as a freshman lawyer in the Office then CA Justice Jose A.R. Melo. He served as Manila MeTC, Branch 13 Judge from 1995 to 2002 when he was appointed as Judge of the Manila RTC, Branch 17.
The 47-year old judge has authored Perspectives of Evidence (2005 Edition) and co-authored The 1991 Revised Rule on Summary Procedure: Revisited (2001 with 2003 Revisions), and Handbook on Summary and Small Claims Procedure, and Bouncing Checks Law (With Notes on Ejectment and Karatungang Pambarangay Law), currently under proofreading.
Justice Peralta was awarded Outstanding RTC Judge of Manila during the 437th Founding Anniversary Celebration of the City of Manila in 2008.
Justice Peralta is currently a part-time professor at the Angeles University School of Law in Pampanga, teaching land titles, criminal law, evidence, criminal law review, thesis writing, and practice court. He has also taught at the San Beda College of Law, Lyceum College of Law, and San Sebastian College of Law, all in Manila. He is a member of the Sub-Committee of the SC on the Revision of the Rules on Criminal Procedure
Justice Nina G. Antonio-Valenzuela
Forty-five year old Justice Nina Geluz Antonio-Valenzuela first joined the Judiciary as technical assistant to then SC Justice Ameurfina A. Melencio Herrera. She later on served as Chief Legislative Staff Officer at the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET), detailed at the Court. She then worked in the Office of CA Justice Buenaventura Guerrero before becoming MeTC Manila Branch 28 Presiding Judge in 2000. In 2004, she was promoted to Presiding Judge of the Manila RTC Branch 28.
Justice Valenzuela has completed academic subjects for Master of Laws ladderized program for judges at the Philippine Judicial Academy-San Beda College of Law Consortium and was a participant in the “Improvement of Judicial Fairness and Efficient Judicial Administration” seminar under the auspices of the Supreme Court of Korea and Korea International Cooperation Agency in South Korea in 2008.
A University of the Philippine alumnus (College of Law, and College of Social Sciences and Philosophy), she currently teaches law at the Adamson College of Law.
Justice Ramon Paul L. Hernando
Justice Ramon Paul Layugan Hernando began his government career as Legislative Staff Officer at the Senate Electoral Tribunal under then Justice Edgardo L. Paras in 1991. He later served under the Office of Justice Florenz D. Regalado. In 1998, he transferred to the Department of Justice. In 2003, he was appointed San Pablo City RTC Branch 92 Judge. In 2006, he transferred to the Quezon City RTC, Branch 93.
An alumnus of the San Beda College of Law, Justice Hernando has earned masteral units from the San Beda Graduate School of Law and the Ateneo Graduate School of Business. He is currently a lecturer at the UST Faculty of Civil Law and the Far Eastern University. In the past, he has served as lecturer at the Angeles University College of Law in Pampanga, and the San Beda College of Law in Manila.
Justice Hernando has co-authored the book Notes and Cases on Transportation Law and Public Utilities.
He has also attended the Regional Capacity Building Scholarship Program at the National University of Singapore in 2007 and Management Development for Court Administrators in Manila and in Sydney, Australia training conducted by the Philippine-Australia Human Resource Development Fund in 2006.
see:
sc.judiciary.gov.ph
