Zalameda vows faster justice, crackdown on court corruption

Newly appointed Chief Justice Rodil Zalameda has pledged to reduce court backlogs, strengthen accountability and modernize judicial operations as he takes over leadership of the Supreme Court.

Appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as the country's 28th chief justice, Zalameda succeeds Alexander Gesmundo, who reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 on 6 November.

Zalameda, 63, is expected to lead the judiciary until his compulsory retirement on 2 August 2033, giving him nearly seven years to pursue reforms.

During his public interview before the Judicial and Bar Council on 26 October, Zalameda outlined plans to improve case management, expand court infrastructure, strengthen anti-corruption measures and upgrade technology and employee welfare.

His proposals include redistributing trial court caseloads to reduce delays, allocating more resources for courthouses and improving compensation and support for court personnel.

Zalameda also proposed a monitoring group to track the progress of major graft cases, including those involving alleged irregularities in flood control projects.

Drawing from his experience as a trial court clerk, prosecutor and appellate justice, he emphasized a leadership approach based on public service and cooperation within the judiciary.

"Malapit po ako sa empleyado dahil galing ako sa baba," Zalameda told the council.

He said reforms would be introduced in phases, beginning with an assessment of existing conditions and the testing of proposed measures before successful initiatives are expanded.

“Implementation of my proposed reforms will proceed in phases. We will start by establishing baselines and priorities, followed by testing and refining reforms. We then expand those that demonstrate results and institutionalize successful initiatives to ensure sustainability,” Zalameda said.

Zalameda previously served as Mandaluyong City prosecutor and Court of Appeals associate justice before joining the Supreme Court in 2019.

His appointment comes as the judiciary continues efforts to address prolonged litigation, improve access to justice and strengthen public confidence in the courts.