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.

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.

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.