MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Georgina Dumpit Hidalgo as Sandiganbayan associate justice and Emily Aliño Geluz as Court of Appeals associate justice.

Hidalgo’s appointment was signed on Monday, June 18, while Geluz’s appointment was signed two months ago, on April 30.

LOOK: #PresidentDuterte names new Sandiganbayan and Court of Appeals associate justices. @rapplerdotcom pic.twitter.com/O8D44spAwG

— Pia Ranada (@piaranada) June 20, 2018

Hidalgo, a Caloocan City Regional Trial Court judge, takes the seat vacated by Rodolfo Ponferrada. She was elected in 2015 as president of the Philippine Judges Assocation.

Geluz, meanwhile, replaces retired justice Leoncia Dimagiba. Among those she beat out for the spot is Davao del Norte Judge Dorothy Montejo Gonzaga who ordered the arrest of self-confessed hitman Edgar Matobato.

Gonzaga was the judge from Panabo City who issued the arrest warrant against Matobato in March 2017 over kidnapping charges.

Of all the warrants of arrest issued against Matobato since he appeared in the Senate in 2016 implicating Duterte in the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS), Gonzaga’s arrest order in March was the only non-bailable charge. Matobato has been in hiding ever since. – Rappler.com