Court of Appeals (CA) Associate Justice Remedios Austria Salazar-Fernando has been appointed as the appellate court’s new presiding justice, Malacañang said Wednesday.

“The Palace confirms that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has signed the appointment of Court of Appeals (CA) Associate Justice Remedios Austria Salazar-Fernando as CA presiding justice on Nov. 24, 2020,” Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement.

Salazar-Fernando had been acting presiding justice of the CA since then-presiding justice Romeo Barza’s retirement last year.

Salazar-Fernando took her oath as new CA presiding justice before Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta on Wednesday afternoon.

Her public career began in 1978 when she worked as law clerk in the Supreme Court. She became a Municipal Trial Court (MTC) judge of Sta. Rita, Pampanga and acting MTC judge of Lubao in 1984.

The new CA presiding justice also served as chairperson of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and assistant secretary of the Land Transportation Office.

In 1992, she was appointed Commission on Elections commissioner.

Salazar-Fernando was first appointed to the CA on May 25, 1999. John Ezekiel J. Hirro