Court Administrator Raul Villanueva is Marcos’ first Supreme Court justice

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Villanueva, an Ilocano, replaces newly-retired Associate Justice Mario Lopez

MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. named Supreme Court (SC) Court Administrator Raul Villanueva as new SC Associate Justice, making Villanueva his first pick in the High Court.

The SC announced Villanueva’s appointment on xxx, xxx. The new justice, a long-time career official, replaced former Associate Justice Mario Lopez, who reached his mandatory age of 70 on June 4.

Lopez, the 185th Associate Justice, served in the SC for nearly six years — former president Rodrigo Duterte appointed him in 2019. Before his retirement in 2025, the newly retired justice served as the chairperson of the 2024 Bar Examinations, which had a total of 3,962 passers or a passing rate of 37.84%.

The new SC justice has been serving as head of the Office of the Court Administrator since 2022, the office tasked “to assist the Supreme Court primarily in the exercise of administrative supervision over all courts as prescribed by the Constitution.”

Villanueva became part of the judiciary in 2002 after he was chosen presiding judge of Las Piñas City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 255, and later served as Las Piñas RTC executive judge. Villanueva also served as acting presiding judge of Taguig City RTC Branch 267 and Manila RTC Branch 4.

In 2010, he was chosen deputy court administrator and held the said post until Court Administrator-turned-Associate Justice Jose Midas Marquez’s appointment.

Villanueva had also previously applied for the post of associate justice. With his recent appointment, he bested 10 other candidates — composed mostly of appellate court judges — short listed by the Judicial and Bar Council.

Like other Marcos appointees, Villanueva is also an Ilocano. He is a native of Ilocos Sur and graduated at the top of his class in Narvacan South Central School in 1976, and with honors in high school from Lourdes School in Quezon City in 1981.

He obtained his economics degree in 1985 from the University of the Philippines then finished law in the same university in 1990.

Villanueva is Marcos’ inaugural appointee to the High Court packed with Duterte appointees. Of the 15 current members of the SC en banc, 12 are appointed by the immediate former president, including Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo.

Meanwhile, the other two — Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen and Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa — are appointees of the late former president Noynoy Aquino. Marcos’ next appointment will be in 2026 — when he will choose his chief justice and associate justices — after the retirement of Chief Justice Gesmundo and Associate Justice Amy Lazaro Javier. – Rappler.com