Chief justice candidate Japar Dimaampao: The law belongs to all

MANILA, Philippines — Supreme Court Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao, one of five candidates vying to succeed Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, vowed to pursue equal access to justice and a more humane judiciary during his public interview before the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).

Dimaampao, the second Muslim appointed to the SC, said that his candidacy rests on a commitment to equal justice that transcends personal identity and religious faith.

“My being the first Muslim to serve as chief justice is a milestone, but I hope that this legacy will go beyond my identity,” Dimaampao told the panel.

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“I want to show that regardless of one’s religion, ethnicity, or background, every Filipino deserves equal protection under the law and equal access to justice. The law belongs to all,” he added.

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Reflecting on his 38 years in public service, Dimaampao said he appeared before the JBC not claiming a right to the position, but offering his remaining strength to the institution.

“I have received too much from the judiciary,” Dimaampao said. “The question is no longer what more can I receive from this institution. Rather, the question is what more can I give.”

His platform focuses on steering the judiciary from simple technical innovation toward total institutional transformation. While acknowledging recent digital advancements within the court system, he warned that technology and infrastructure must never supplant human wisdom or judicial empathy.

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“The next chapter of judicial reform cannot be defined by the technology we acquire, the buildings we construct, or the systems we automate,” Dimaampao said. “The greatest innovation in the administration of justice is not technology itself. It is the continuing ability of the judiciary to make every citizen feel that the rule of law works.”

His strategic initiatives will focus on integrity and independent accountability, including digitizing and automating case assignments to eliminate human discretion and strengthening the functions of the Judicial Integrity Office (JIO).

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He said minimizing human intervention in court administration could effectively reduce opportunities for graft and influence-peddling.

Throughout the interview, Dimaampao repeatedly underscored the need for an accessible, compassionate and resilient legal system. He maintained that the true measure of judicial reform lies in the daily experience of ordinary citizens seeking relief from the courts.

“Our role is to build not only a more modern judiciary, but to develop a more human judiciary,” Dimaampao said. “One that is trusted by the people, accessible to the vulnerable, and resilient in times of crisis.”

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Dimaampao rose from state prosecutor to senior state prosecutor at the Department of Justice, then became a presiding judge at the Mandaluyong court.

He was later appointed an associate justice of the Court of Appeals at age 40 and served for almost two decades before being appointed to the Supreme Court.

He became a certified public accountant at age 19. An expert in taxation and commercial law, he authored books and served as a bar examiner in 2013, 2015, and 2019.