Marcos appoints Rodil Zalameda as 28th PH Chief Justice
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Supreme Court Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda as the country’s 28th Chief Justice, succeeding Alexander Gesmundo, who reached the mandatory retirement age of 70.
The Palace announced Zalameda’s appointment as Gesmundo stepped down from the country’s highest judicial post.
Presidential Communications Secretary Lino Cayetano said Marcos expressed confidence that Zalameda would perform his duties “with integrity, impartiality, and an unwavering commitment to the rule of law.”
Zalameda was appointed to the Supreme Court by former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2019. Seven years later, he is set to lead the judiciary.
He was among five candidates shortlisted by the Judicial and Bar Council for the position. The other contenders were Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen and Associate Justices Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, Japar Dimaampao, and Midas Marquez.
According to his official Supreme Court biography, Zalameda passed the Bar examinations in 1988 and began his judicial career as a branch clerk at the Makati City Regional Trial Court.
He left government service to practice law privately from 1990 to 1995 before returning to public service. Prior to his appointment to the Supreme Court, he served as an Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals for 11 years and chaired its 17th Division.
Zalameda earned his Bachelor of Laws degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1987 under an academic scholarship. He also holds a degree in political science from the University of the East.
During his interview with the JBC, Zalameda said his desire throughout his career had always been to render justice to all.
Asked about cases involving alleged irregularities in government flood-control projects, he said he would form a monitoring group that would report directly to him on the progress of the cases, from arraignment to judgment.
Zalameda has also penned several significant Supreme Court decisions.
In September, the High Court released a decision written by Zalameda acquitting former First Lady Imelda Marcos of seven counts of graft after finding that the prosecution failed to prove her guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Days later, Marcos said the ruling would not affect his choice for the next chief justice.
Zalameda also penned a Supreme Court ruling recognizing red-tagging, vilification, labeling, and guilt by association as threats to a person’s right to life, liberty, or security that may justify the issuance of a writ of amparo.
In a lighter moment during consultations for the judiciary’s Unified Legal Aid Service in 2024, Zalameda shared a joke about lawyers, drawing on the idea that even God might reconsider his policy toward them because of their participation in the program.
Zalameda is expected to serve as Chief Justice until August 2033, when he turns 70 and reaches the mandatory retirement age.
Meanwhile, Gesmundo bid farewell to Supreme Court employees on Thursday, thanking court officials and personnel for their work during his tenure and the reforms implemented within the Judiciary.
In a statement, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines thanked Gesmundo for his service and contributions to the administration of justice.
The group also conveyed its respect and best wishes to Zalameda as he assumes the country’s highest judicial post. – ANC, The World Tonight, November 5, 2026