PASIG CITY (15 September 2021) – The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) welcomes the appointment of former Court of Appeals Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao to the Supreme Court.

“We are one with the entire Bangsamoro community in celebrating this milestone. We congratulate Justice Dimaampao for his appointment, which is well-deserved and long overdue,” said Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr.

“We thank President Rodrigo Duterte and the Judicial and Bar Council for throwing their full support behind his appointment. This move will provide greater representation to the Bangsamoro people, and serve as a source of pride and inspiration for them,” he added.

Dimaampao is the 191st associate justice of the Supreme Court. He is a Marawi native and the second Muslim to be appointed in the highest court following the late Associate Justice Abdulwahid Bidin in 1987.

Prior to his appointment as associate justice, Dimaampao served in the Court of Appeals for 17 years. He also served as a prosecutor and executive judge of the Regional Trial Court in Mandaluyong City.

Likewise, Dimaampao is a law professor, a bar reviewer, a Shari’ah Bar examiner, and commercial law and taxation expert.

The newest Supreme Court justice was shortlisted for the position 13 times, as he gained the overwhelming support of the Moro people.

Dimaampao was endorsed by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao government through a resolution they passed in 2019.

“The accomplishments of Justice Dimaampao are the success of the entire Bangsamoro people. He embodies the dreams and aspirations of every Muslim Filipino in the country — to be recognized and be represented. His appointment comes at a time when we have made significant gains in the Bangsamoro peace process,” Galvez said.

“With his vast knowledge, skills and experience as an executive judge and prosecutor, He would definitely be an excellent addition to the Supreme Court,” he added.

Dimaampao’s track record speaks for itself, especially for issues he has stood such as his adherence to judicial activism.

During his public interview with the JBC, he said, “I will always uphold the supremacy of the Constitution and I will likewise be guided by the definition of judicial power under Article VIII Section 1 paragraph 2, which in effect adopts the theory of judicial activism.”

The 1987 Constitution states that, “judicial power includes the duty of the courts of justice to settle actual controversies involving rights which are legally demandable and enforceable, and to determine whether or not there has been a grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on the part of any branch or instrumentality of the Government.”

“This progressive approach, specifically coming from the highest court of the land, is a welcome development for OPAPP. This is a testament of the Duterte Administration’s inclusive and holistic approach to nation-building,” said Galvez.

Dimaampao takes the seat vacated by Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo. END