Japar Dimaampao

Japar Babay Dimaampao (born December 27, 1963) is a Filipino judge who has served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines since 2021. He is the second Muslim to be appointed to the High Court after Justice Abdulwahid Bidin.^[1][2]

Education

Dimaampao was born in born December 27, 1963, in Marawi. He obtained his degree in Business Administration major in accounting in 1982 from the University of the East. In 1987, he received his Bachelor of Laws degree from the same university.^[1]

Career

Dimaampao began his legal career as a legal officer of the National Bureau of Investigation, then as senior corporate attorney in the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System. He also worked as staff in the Commission on Elections where his father, Magdara Dimaampao, was former commissioner. He rose to become the first Muslim senior state prosecutor of the Department of Justice.^[1]

Trial court judge

Dimaampao served for four years as judge of the Regional Trial Court of Mandaluyong.^[1]

Appellate court

Dimaampao holds the distinction of being the youngest magistrate to be appointed to the Court of Appeals at the age of 40.^[1]

Associate justice of the Supreme Court

On July 2, 2021, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Dimaampao as the 191st Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. He filled the post vacated by then Supreme Court Associate Justice Alexander Gesmundo, who had been appointed as Chief Justice of the High Court. He is the 191st Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines and the second Muslim to be appointed to the High Court after Justice Abdulwahid Bidin of Tawi-Tawi.^[1]

Personal life

Dimaampao is married to Maria Gina Perez Villapañe. He is an ethnic Maranao and a Muslim.^[1]