22 years in judiciary, Marcos’ 1st SC appointee

Court Administrator Raul Bautista Villanueva brought his family on the day he had waited for, for so long.

At the center of Kalayaan Hall in Malacañang Palace, Villanueva stood alongside his loved ones for his appointment as the 195th Associate Justice of the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday, June 10. He and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had a small chat when the chief executive took the stage to administer his oath.

After raising his right hand for his oath, Villanueva put his hand on his chest, then bowed to Marcos. Right after, he shook the President’s hands while bowing again. They had another small conversation.

When the small talk ended, the newly-minted justice bowed to the President once more. The thanking, the bowing, and the chatting continued for the duration of the eight-minute oath-taking ceremony.

This oath-taking was special for Marcos. This was the President’s first SC appointment nearly three years into his term as the country’s 17th President.

The last two presidents got their appointments in the High Court within their first year in office: the late former president Noynoy Aquino got to appoint Maria Lourdes Sereno as associate justice in August 2010 before she became his chief justice, while former president Rodrigo Duterte got to appoint then-ombudsman Samuel Martires in March 2017.

Villanueva’s oath-taking before Marcos in Malacañang also seemed to be a customary tradition between the executive and the judiciary. Both Sereno and Martires took their oaths before their appointing authorities in Malacañang palace.

“And I know that the appointment of our new justice will continue that trend and bring the departments of Government even closer than before, and so that the function of government is smoother, better, and that we are unified in our goal to making life better for our Filipinos,” Marcos said on Tuesday.

The President himself said he was “happy” with Villlanueva’s appointment, calling it a “well-deserved” one.

Villanueva in Gesmundo court

Sixty-two-year-old Villanueva is Marcos’ first pick in a court packed with Duterte appointees. He will serve until he reaches the mandatory age of 70 in 2033. Villanueva had previously applied for this post.

Of the 15 SC justices, 12 are appointees of the past immediate president, including Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo. The other two — Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen and Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa — were Aquino’s picks. Marcos is expected to make three more appointments by 2026 — the chief justice and two associate justices — upon the retirement of Gesmundo and Associate Justice Amy Lazaro Javier in November 2026.

Villanueva is the latest court administrator and career official to be appointed associate justice, following in the footsteps of Associate Justice Jose Midas Marquez. Villanueva, then-deputy court administrator, took the helm of the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA) in 2022 after Marquez’s justice appointment.

His experience at the OCA could be viewed as an advantage as he takes on the role of associate justice. As the court administrator, he had assisted the SC in its administrative supervision over courts in the country. He oversaw administrative and disciplinary actions over judges, and ensured smooth operations in the country’s tribunals.

Villanueva also represented the High Court in other important functions, such as when the SC faced the legislative chambers for its annual budget deliberations, among others.

“SC Justice Raul Villanueva truly deserves his appointment. His credentials speak volumes about his competence. Without a doubt, he is a worthy addition to the present composition of the Court.” Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao told Rappler.

Safe to say, the current SC en banc has confidence in Villanueva as the latter served under the current justices, including the chief justice. Given this relationship, his addition to the list of magistrates can reinforce the existing collegial relationship among members of the en banc.

According to the new associate justice himself, he idolizes the sitting chief justice.

“I’ve had the opportunity to work with him even before he became an associate justice of the Supreme Court. I’ve seen him work and I’ve seen how he makes sure that the job gets done…. So to my mind, sometimes I would, although I mean no offense in so far as when I say that I find a little of me in him. Only a little, not much,” Villanueva said during his interview with the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on May 21.

Under Gesmundo, there appears to be a unified SC — a High Court seen to be operating under one command and speaking with one voice.

Villanueva, the career official

A native of Ilocos Sur, the new associate justice has been with the High Court for 15 years.

He was appointed Deputy Court Administrator (DCA) in 2010 and held the said position until 2022. After Marquez’s appointment, Villanueva served as the Court Administrator in an acting capacity until he was officially appointed in March 2022.

“During his (Villanueva) term, case disposition rates in the first and second-level courts improved from 40% in 2021 to 49% in 2024,” the High Court said.

“He also issued several important OCA circulars to help and guide the trial courts. These include OCA Circular No. 43-2022, which provided protocols for videoconferencing hearings during the COVID-19 pandemic; OCA Circular No. 106-2022, which established procedures for videoconferencing hearings involving deaf litigants and witnesses; and OCA Circular No. 201-2022, which aimed to expedite the release of persons deprived of liberty who have completed service of their sentence,” it added.

The new justice entered the judiciary in 2002 upon his appointment as Presiding Judge of Las Piñas City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 255. He later served as Las Piñas RTC Executive Judge, and then as acting Presiding Judge of Taguig City RTC Branch 267 and Manila RTC Branch 4.

Before joining the judiciary, he also worked in the legislative, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and got into private practice.

Villanueva obtained his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of the Philippines (UP) in 1985, then his law degree from the UP College of Law in 1990. He also taught at the New Era University
College of Law, UP Law Center, and the Philippine Judicial Academy.

“From the classrooms and hallways of Malcolm Hall to the Office of the Court Administrator, his work has reflected the values we hold dear — excellence, integrity, and service to the Filipino people…. We are honored to count Justice Villanueva among our alumni and look forward to the wisdom and balance he will bring to the country’s highest court,” the UP College of Law said following Villanueva’s appointment.

He was also a consistent honor student in elementary and high school. Villanueva 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.

Inside Villanueva’s legal mind

For Villanueva, an associate justice of the High Court should know the premise of the magistrates’ work. Justices should be prepared to dispense adjudicative and administrative functions, he said, and must know how to properly adapt to other members of the SC.

In handling cases, the new justice said he thinks the High Court may come up with a policy to ensure that the periods allowed in the rules to finish cases would not be maximized, “but only with respect to some cases wherein a shorter period is possible.” He also thinks the SC may look into how to use the rule so that it can work in different divisions “to try to farm out cases that can be dealt with much faster.”

“Because at the end of the day, Your Honor, we’re measured by the cases that we are able to dispose. In fact, every time we go to Congress, our major final output is usually how many cases we have disposed. Nothing more, nothing less,” the justice said during his JBC interview.

During his interview with the JBC, Villanueva was asked about how he would deal with situations where as a justice, there would be rulings that he disagrees with.

“Of course, if I think I should insist on a particular doctrine that should not be reversed, then, of course, this is a collegial body, Your Honor. I will have to do a lot of convincing just to have my position obtain the majority. But if not, Your Honor, then I will put on record what I feel should be the doctrine regarding a particular matter,” the new justice said.

When asked if he would consider acquitting a person accused of heinous crimes and other grave cases like plunder and human trafficking on procedural grounds, Villanueva said he would rather rule on the merits. Ruling on the merits means the court decides based on evidence and legal arguments from the parties involved.

“Well, as a former judge, I would not want, especially when it comes to heinous crimes, Your Honor, that procedural grounds would be used for purposes of acquitting an accused. I would rather that the matter be decided on the merits,” he said.

For Villanueva, the judiciary cannot also do anything about how the media comes up with its position on court rulings.

“Unfortunately, when the person comes out, even if he has been declared or judged as not guilty, media might come up with their own position and say that, that person is still guilty nonetheless. But to me, that is not for us to try to defend. Because the decision speaks for itself. As far as we’re concerned, if there is a judgment of acquittal, then that is it,” he explained.

The new justice also believes that the High Court should have decided on the same-sex marriage case — the Falcis v. Civil Registrar General — because he said the legal issue might be brought up again.

“This is the issue about the definition of marriage between a man and a woman and the Supreme Court, because they considered him, they considered it still premature, decided to dismiss the petition. To me, that is something that will recur, that issue about allowing same-sex marriages or not, legally,” Villanueva said.

“And what struck me about that is because the intention is to try to formalize families. Because in the Constitution, it’s stated there that, of course, the family is the foundation of society, and marriage is the foundation of the family. So, that issue about not being able to marry, to serve as the foundation of society, of the country, to me, has repercussions.” – Rappler.com