Justice Mario Lopez retires; Marcos to name first appointee

On 4 June 2025, Supreme Court Associate Justice Mario V. Lopez officially retires upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70 for members of the judiciary.

The retirement ceremony will be held today, 3 June, at the Court’s Session Hall.

Lopez was appointed to the Supreme Court on 5 December 2019, after serving 13 years as an associate justice of the Court of Appeals.

The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has submitted a list of 12 nominees to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for Lopez’s replacement. Whoever is appointed will be the President’s first appointee to the 15-member Supreme Court, the country’s highest judicial body.

The nominees are: Court of Appeals Associate Justices Nina Geluz Antonio-Valenzuela, Ramon M. Bato Jr., Ramon A. Cruz, Maria Elisa Sempio Diy, Myra V. Garcia-Fernandez, Fernanda Lampas Peralta, Ronaldo Roberto B. Martin, and Walter S. Ong; newly appointed Solicitor General Darlene Marie Basco Berberabe; Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Karl B. Miranda; Court of Tax Appeals Associate Justice Maria Rowena M. San Pedro; and Supreme Court Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva.

Under the Constitution, the President has 90 days from the date of vacancy to appoint a replacement.

According to the Supreme Court’s Office of the Spokesperson, Lopez attended his final flag ceremony as a member of the High Court on 2 June at the SC courtyard.

Addressing his colleagues, court officials, and personnel, Lopez said: “Serving in the Supreme Court has been a profound privilege — isang tungkulin na puno ng responsibilidad at hamon (a duty that is full of responsibilities and challenges).”

“Although time now calls me to step aside, I leave with full confidence that my esteemed colleagues will carry on this mission with wisdom, integrity, and dedication,” he added.

Lopez urged all court officials and staff to “always remember the human side of justice — because behind every case is a story, a life affected.”

A cum laude graduate of San Beda College’s Bachelor of Laws program, Lopez began his career in the judiciary as a technical assistant from 1981 to 1983. He later served as a hearing officer at the then-Central Bank of the Philippines (now Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) until 1985.

He went on to become a special prosecution officer at the Office of the Ombudsman before being appointed as a regional trial court (RTC) judge in 1994.

In 2005, he received the Chief Justice Ramon Avanceña Award as Outstanding RTC Judge of the Philippines and for the Best Decision in a Civil Case in Second-Level Courts. In 2013, he was also honored with the prestigious Service Award of the Province of La Union.