Marcos Names Rodil Zalameda Chief Justice, Choosing Imelda Marcos Ruling Author to Lead Court

A change at the top of the Philippine judiciary

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has chosen Supreme Court Associate Justice Rodil V. Zalameda as the Philippines' 28th chief justice, elevating the author of the decision that overturned his mother Imelda Marcos' seven graft convictions to a post he could hold until August 2033.

Presidential Communications Secretary Lino Cayetano announced the appointment on Thursday, November 5, 2026, ahead of Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo's compulsory retirement on November 6, his 70th birthday. Zalameda, 63, was appointed to the Supreme Court by former president Rodrigo Duterte in August 2019.

Marcos selected Zalameda over four other nominees, including two more senior justices, Marvic Leonen and Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa. The choice puts a former Mandaluyong city prosecutor in charge of leading judicial administration while facing scrutiny over his independence and promises to reduce delays for people waiting for justice.

Cayetano said the president's decision reflected confidence in Zalameda's experience across the judicial system. Explaining the selection at a Palace briefing, the communications secretary said:

In selecting Justice Zalameda, the President recognizes the importance of experienced and principled leadership in preserving public confidence in our judicial institutions.

Zalameda inherits Gesmundo's Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027, an existing programme to modernise courts and make justice more accessible. His expected tenure would extend about six years beyond that plan's final year, giving him responsibility for both its remaining implementation and the direction that follows.

The immediate challenge combines two demands: convincing the public that the court will decide sensitive cases independently, and improving the everyday experience of litigants, lawyers and court employees.

Why the Imelda Marcos decision matters

Zalameda wrote the Supreme Court First Division's 50-page decision overturning the Sandiganbayan's November 2018 conviction of Imelda Marcos on seven counts of graft involving Swiss foundations. The conviction had carried prison terms totalling as much as 77 years.

The acquittal, issued in June 2026, cited failures to properly authenticate key documents and establish guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Authentication means showing that a document is genuine and can be accepted as evidence. Proof beyond reasonable doubt is the demanding standard prosecutors must meet before a person can be convicted of a crime.

The other members of the First Division concurred in the decision. Cayetano pointed to that collective process when asked about Zalameda's independence, saying the ruling was a division decision and expressing confidence in the incoming chief justice's impartiality.

Lawyer Ruben Carranza, a former commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Good Government, warned that choosing Zalameda could weaken confidence in the justice system. The commission is the government body associated with recovering wealth allegedly acquired unlawfully during the rule of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

Zalameda's appointment also revived attention to a photograph of him making Duterte's trademark fist gesture around the time he joined the Supreme Court in 2019. Cayetano answered concerns about political ties by pointing to Zalameda's service across the administrations of Fidel Ramos, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Benigno Aquino III and Duterte.

How Marcos chose from five nominees

The Judicial and Bar Council submitted five names for the chief justice vacancy: Leonen, Caguioa, Zalameda, Japar Dimaampao and Jose Midas Marquez. Justices Ramon Hernando and Henri Jean Inting withdrew their acceptance of nominations.

Zalameda was the third most senior nominee, behind Leonen and Caguioa, both appointed by Aquino. Leonen joined the Supreme Court in November 2012, Caguioa in January 2016 and Zalameda in August 2019. Marcos therefore chose a justice with roughly seven years on the court over colleagues with about 14 and nearly 11 years respectively.

The JBC screens candidates for judicial vacancies and recommends nominees to the president. Marcos' decision elevated an existing member of the court rather than bringing in someone from outside the bench.

Several organisations and public figures supported different candidates. Fifteen Metro Manila chief prosecutors unanimously backed Zalameda through Resolution No. 03, series of 2026, adopted on September 2. They cited his prosecution experience, leadership and administrative ability, and described him as the first former city prosecutor elevated to the Supreme Court.

Former vice president Leni Robredo supported Leonen in a September 23 letter, citing his independence, judicial service and work on court modernisation. The Association of Retired Regional Trial Court Judges of the Philippines separately endorsed Marquez. These endorsements expressed preferences; the choice rested with the president from among the JBC nominees.

From a court clerk to the highest judicial office

Zalameda was born on August 2, 1963, in Caloocan City. He completed secondary school at the University of the East in 1979 and earned a political science degree there in 1983. He obtained his law degree from Ateneo de Manila University in 1987 under an academic scholarship.

At Ateneo, he was a dean's lister, an associate editor of the Ateneo Law Journal and a senior staff member of the Ateneo Law Bulletin. After passing the Bar examinations in 1988, he became a branch clerk at the Makati Regional Trial Court.

His career then moved between private practice, prosecution and judging. The main steps were:

• 1990 to 1995: Worked in private legal practice.
• 1995: Became a public prosecutor in Mandaluyong.
• 2002: Became Mandaluyong city prosecutor.
• September 2008: Joined the Court of Appeals, where he served for 11 years and chaired its 17th Division.
• August 6, 2019: Was appointed to the Supreme Court by Duterte.
• October 26, 2026: Presented his leadership plans during his JBC interview.
• November 5, 2026: Was announced as the next chief justice.
• November 6, 2026: Gesmundo reaches compulsory retirement.

Zalameda's Supreme Court application included a written examination testing decision writing, alongside the JBC interview. He was the first person appointed to the court after undergoing that examination process.

What powers will the chief justice have?

The chief justice leads the Supreme Court and the administration of the judiciary, but decisions remain collective. Zalameda will have one vote among 15 justices when the full court sits. Cases may also be decided by smaller divisions, as happened in the Imelda Marcos case.

The position also carries responsibilities beyond deciding individual disputes. The chief justice chairs the JBC, helps direct the administration of courts and certifies compliance with the requirement that justices consult before a decision is assigned to its author. The chief justice also presides over a Senate impeachment trial when the president is the official being tried.

Zalameda's expected service until August 2033 follows the compulsory retirement age of 70 under Article VIII, Section 11 of the 1987 Constitution. Republic Act 910 provides retirement benefits for members of the judiciary. His birth date means he would reach that age on August 2, 2033.

During his JBC interview, Zalameda said he would lead through cooperation while respecting disagreement among justices. In explaining his approach to the council, he said:

Collegiality does not mean the absence of disagreement.

For people bringing cases to court, the practical consequence is that the chief justice can shape administration and institutional priorities, while rulings still depend on the votes and reasoning of the justices hearing each case.

A record spanning civil liberties and criminal liability

Zalameda also authored Deduro v. Vinoya, a decision recognising that red-tagging can threaten a person's rights to life, liberty and security. Red-tagging means publicly associating someone with communist rebels or organisations, an accusation that can expose the person to harassment or violence.

The case involved former Bayan Muna lawmaker Siegfred Deduro and access to the writ of amparo, a court remedy intended to protect people whose life, liberty or security is threatened or violated. The ruling connected public accusations and guilt by association with dangers requiring judicial protection.

Kapatid convenor Fides Lim, whose organisation supports political prisoners, pointed to the contrast between that decision and the Imelda Marcos acquittal. In a statement responding to the appointment, she called for consistent protection of civil liberties:

In light of these contrasting rulings, we look to the Supreme Court under Chief Justice Zalameda's leadership to consistently uphold civil liberties and deliver justice, especially for those most vulnerable to state abuse.

Zalameda also wrote a 2023 decision upholding a homicide conviction involving a minor above 15 but below 18. The ruling required prosecutors to prove that the child understood the wrongfulness and consequences of the act, the legal idea known as discernment. That requirement makes the child's understanding a central question in deciding criminal responsibility.

His votes on spending and political disputes

Zalameda dissented when the Supreme Court majority struck down a P449.5 billion increase in unprogrammed appropriations in the 2024 national budget. Unprogrammed appropriations are spending authorisations that depend on specified funding conditions being met, rather than money immediately available for ordinary spending.

His position was that Congress could propose programmes, activities and projects absent from the executive branch's National Expenditure Program. That programme is the president's proposed spending plan submitted to lawmakers. The dispute concerned how much room Congress has to change that proposal when passing the budget.

In litigation involving P60 billion in Philippine Health Insurance Corporation funds, Zalameda considered the transfer unconstitutional while also taking the view that the government could have acted in good faith. His position addressed both whether the action complied with the Constitution and how the officials' conduct should be assessed.

His voting record also includes concurrence in decisions affirming Philippine obligations to cooperate with the International Criminal Court, declaring Vice President Sara Duterte's 2025 impeachment complaint unconstitutional, and denying Senator Ronald dela Rosa's request for a temporary restraining order concerning an ICC warrant.

Those cases place the incoming chief justice's record across disputes involving public money, presidential powers, international justice and the Duterte family. He now takes responsibility for leading a court that must continue resolving politically sensitive cases alongside ordinary criminal, civil and administrative disputes.

His priorities for people waiting for justice

Zalameda identified more courthouses, greater investment in technology and improved benefits for judiciary employees as priorities during the selection process. He linked these measures to delays that burden people pursuing cases.

His explanation recognised that cases require different amounts of work. A dispute with many witnesses, large volumes of evidence and several legal issues may take more time than a simpler case. Managing those differences will be part of his proposed approach to improving court performance.

In his October 26 JBC opening statement, Zalameda described the public trust he wanted the judiciary to earn:

I envision a judiciary that the Filipino people trust because the public believes in our integrity and accountability and because we deliver timely justice and better public service through evidence-based and sustainable reforms.

Zalameda also described the chief justice as a servant of litigants, lawyers, employees, judges and fellow justices. His stated approach was to hear problems, support useful ideas and provide the tools people need to do their jobs.

No detailed budget or completion schedule for the proposed courthouses, technology investments or employee benefits was announced. Those details will determine how the interview commitments translate into changes people can experience in court.

What Gesmundo leaves behind

Gesmundo retires after more than five years as chief justice, having taken office in 2021. His principal reform framework, the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027, sought to change court rules and systems while making justice accessible, responsive and available more quickly.

In his farewell message, Gesmundo said he wanted to leave a judiciary ready to face future challenges with courage, competence and compassion. Zalameda's proposals on technology, facilities and service will now have to fit into the remaining period of that programme.

Another personnel change is close behind: Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier is scheduled to retire on November 16. Zalameda will therefore begin his leadership during a period of changes in both the court's membership and its administration.

The central test will be concrete: whether people receive timely hearings and decisions, whether employees have the resources to do their work, and whether the court protects rights and applies the law independently in cases involving powerful figures.

Key Points

• Marcos announced Zalameda's selection as the 28th chief justice on November 5, 2026.
• He succeeds Gesmundo, who reaches the compulsory retirement age of 70 on November 6.
• Zalameda, 63, could serve until August 2, 2033.
• Marcos chose him over four nominees, including the more senior Leonen and Caguioa.
• His record includes the Imelda Marcos graft acquittal and the Deduro ruling recognising threats associated with red-tagging.
• His priorities include more courthouses, technology investment and improved employee benefits.
• The chief justice leads judicial administration but has one vote among the Supreme Court's 15 members.