COTABATO CITY – Through an approved resolution on Wednesday, September 15, members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) commended Justice Japar Dimaampao’s appointment as the 191st Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines and for being the second Muslim magistrate to serve in the high tribunal.
A native of Poona Bayabao and Lumba-Bayabao in Lanao del Sur, Dimaampao is a devoted educator who is highly regarded for his expertise in Taxation and Commercial Law. He is also a renowned Muslim jurist, illustrious author, and a strong advocate for the creation of a Shari’a appellate court.
He served as a Court of Appeals Associate Justice for 17 years prior to his appointment in the Supreme Court. He was the second Muslim magistrate to join the high tribunal after the 1987 appointment of Associate Justice Abdulwahid Bidin, a Tawi-Tawi native.
“Throughout his career, the Justice Japar B. Dimaampao has not only represented the Bangsamoro people with utmost integrity and competence but has also given his unwavering support and assistance to the Bangsamoro cause – inspiring prospective lawyers and serving as a model worthy of emulation,” the BTA members expressed in the resolution.
BTA has previously supported and endorsed Dimaampao’s nomination through a resolution approved on July 29, 2019.
Meanwhile, for Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim, Dimaampao’s appointment signals the Philippines’
shift towards a “more inclusive policy in the judiciary.”
“This development boosts the morale of our people especially during the ongoing crisis and as we move forward with the transition phase of the newly-created Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao,” Ebrahim said in his congratulatory message.
His place in the Supreme Court will also help the appreciation and full realization of the Shari’ah law as provided in the Bangsamoro Organic Law, according to Ebrahim.
“This appointment is a victory, not just for the Meranao and the Bangsamoro but for Indigenous Peoples communities who have been and deprived of representation in the highest court of the land,” Ebrahim added. (Bangsamoro Information Office)
