President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Edilwasif Tapsiril Baddiri and Jeoffre Willkom Acebido as Associate Justices of the Court of Appeals, the Presidential Communications Office announced.

The appointments, dated 24 February 2025, fill vacancies left by retired Associate Justices Edwin D. Sorongon and Victoria Isabel A. Paredes.

Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo administered the oaths of office in separate ceremonies at the Supreme Court in Manila -- Baddiri on 11 April 2025 and Acebido on 14 April 2025.

Baddiri, a Tausug from Indanan, Sulu, served as Presiding Judge and Executive Judge of the Regional Trial Court in Pasay City, and as Commissioner of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos from 2010 to 2015.

A graduate of Ateneo de Manila University Law School, Baddiri also holds a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University. He is the interim president of the Philippine Muslim Judges Association and the fifth Tausug to serve as a Court of Appeals justice.

Acebido, formerly Presiding Judge of Regional Trial Court Branch 41 in Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, has more than 16 years of judicial service.

He received the Chief Justice Cayetano Arellano Award for Judicial Excellence and has a background in prosecution, public defense, and human rights advocacy.

The Court of Appeals, the nation’s second-highest judicial tribunal, reviews decisions from lower courts and quasi-judicial bodies. The appointments are expected to strengthen the court with the justices' diverse experience and regional representation.