Ex-SC Justice Perlas-Bernabe appointed to SM Prime board
Her appointment is seen to bolster the board’s expertise in governance, compliance, and stakeholder risk management – critical areas as SM Prime continues to pursue sustainable growth.
SM Prime’s board approved former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Estela Perlas-Bernabe’s election, succeeding Atty. Darlene Marie Berberabe, who stepped down after being named Solicitor General of the Philippines. Her judicial career spanning more than two decades, she is the only magistrate in Philippine history to maintain a zero-case backlog at every level of court service until her retirement in 2022.
Photograph courtesy of Associate Justice-Supreme Court e-Library
SM Prime Holdings Inc. has appointed former Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe as its newest independent director, further strengthening the company’s corporate governance framework and risk oversight capabilities.
In a special meeting held on 15 August, SM Prime’s board approved Perlas-Bernabe’s election, succeeding Atty. Darlene Marie Berberabe, who stepped down after being named Solicitor General of the Philippines.
Zero-case backlog
Perlas-Bernabe, whose judicial career spans more than two decades, is the only magistrate in Philippine history to maintain a zero-case backlog at every level of court service until her retirement in 2022.
The Supreme Court has since honored her legacy through the creation of the Senior Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe Exemplary Career Jurist Award.
Her appointment is seen to bolster the board’s expertise in governance, compliance, and stakeholder risk management — critical areas as SM Prime continues to pursue sustainable growth.
Magna cum laude
Perlas-Bernabe graduated magna cum laude in Banking and Finance from St. Paul College of Manila and earned her law degree from the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law, where she was class salutatorian. She passed the Bar in 1977 and went on to serve in the judiciary, private legal practice, and academia as a former Ateneo Law School professor.