President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed Supreme Court Court Administrator Raul Villanueva as the new associate justice of the Supreme Court, marking his first appointment to the high court.
Marcos administered Villanueva’s oath of office during a ceremony held in Malacañang on Tuesday. Villanueva succeeds Associate Justice Mario Lopez, who retired from service on June 4.
The President described Villanueva’s appointment as “well deserved,” highlighting his “wealth of experience as a judge.” Villanueva began his judicial career in 2022 as the presiding judge of the Las Piñas City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 255. He has also served as the acting presiding judge of the Taguig City RTC Branch 267 and the Manila RTC Branch 4.
“He [Villanueva] is well-versed in all that needs to be done for the proper and smooth function of the court,” Marcos stated in a brief press statement following Villanueva’s oath. The President also expressed hope that Villanueva would contribute positively to the working relationship between the Supreme Court and the executive branch.
