New Chief Justice - Maria Lourdes Punzalan Aranal-Sereno

Since the last Chief Justice Renato Corona has been impeached and convicted for betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution, President Benigno Aquino III officially appointed Associate Justice Maria Lourdes Punzalan Aranal-Sereno as the 24th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court dated August 24, 2012.

Statement of the Presidential Spokesperson on the new Chief Justice, August 24, 2012

Statement of Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda:On the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines[August 24, 2012]
In the midst of this period of deep mourning for the loss of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, the President is cognizant of his constitutional duty to appoint the next Chief Justice of the Philippines. He has therefore decided to appoint Associate Justice Maria Lourdes Punzalan Aranal-Sereno as the 24^th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
The President is confident that Chief Justice Sereno will lead the judiciary in undertaking much-needed reforms. We believe the Judicial Branch of government has a historic opportunity to restore our people’s confidence in the judicial system.

Background



Age: 52
Date of Birth: July 02, 1960
Elem. Educ.: Kamuning Elementary School (1972)

• Salutatorian

Secondary Educ.: Quezon City High School (1976)

• Honor Student

College: University of the Philippines (1984)

• Law Degree
• Valedictorian and Cum Laude

Other Educ.:

AB Economics

• Ateneo de Manila University (1980)

Master of Arts in Economics Program

• UP School of Economics (1992)

Masters of Laws

• University of Michigan, Michigan, USA (1993)

Career

1986

• Junior associate of the Sycip Salazar Feliciano and Hernandez law firm

1986 - 2002

• Professor at the UP

1994 - 2008

• Legal counsel of Office of the President (OP), Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), Dept. of Trade and Industry (DTI), and WTO-AFTA.

1995 - 1996

• Head of the Information and Public Division office of the UP Law Complex

1995 - 2002

• Consultant for Judicial Reform of the UNDP, WB, and USAID

1996 - 1999

• Director of the UP Institute of Legal Studies

1996 - 2007

• Lecturer at the Dept. of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Foreign Service Institute

1998

• Counsellor of the WTO Appellate Body

1999

• Commissioner and Chairperson of the Steering Committee of the Preparatory Commission on Constitutional Reform

2000

• Lecturer in Electronic Commerce Law at the AIM

2000 - present

• President of ACCESSLAW, Inc.

2001 - 2002

• Lecturer in International Business Law of Murdoch University

2003 - 2007

• Lecturer in International Business Law at the University of Western Australia

2004

• Lecturer on International Trade Law at the Hague Academy of International Law

2009

• Executive Director of the AIM

Sereno was endorsed by the following for the position of Chief Justice:

1. Felma Roel Singco (June 13, 2012)
2. Reagan De Guzman (June 13, 2012)
3. UP Women's Circle (June 13, 2012)
4. Atty. Fidel Thaddeus Borja (June 14, 2012)
5. Christian Legal Society through Atty. Salvador Fabregas (June 14, 2012)
6. Attys. Jordan Pizarras, et al. (June 15, 2012)
7. Bishop Efraim Tendero (June 18, 2012)