MANILA, Philippines – Visayas courts will welcome 18 new judges after President Benigno Aquino III appointed them in 9 provinces.

According to a two-page transmittal letter signed by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr, the new judges will be assigned to municipal courts and regional trial courts in Aklan, Leyte, Samar, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Southern Leyte, Cebu, Bohol, and Negros Oriental.

Aquino selected the judges from a shortlist submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council, which is mandated to screen applicants to the judiciary and the Office of the Ombudsman.

The new judges are:

Aklan
Cicero Tuazon Lampasa – Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 2, Kalibo

Leyte
Altone Miralles – RTC Branch 8, Tacloban
Girlie Borrel-Yu – RTC Branch 35, Ormoc
Rene Romero – Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC), Ormoc
Estefanie Plaza – MTC, Burauen

Samar
Ritchie B. Reyes – 8th Municipal Circuit Trial Court (MCTC), Daram-Zumarraga
Allan Sixto De Guia Estudillo – 3rd MCTC, Gandara-Matuguinao, San Jorge

Eastern Samar
Nathaniel Baldono – RTC, Branch 2, Borongan
Fiel Ilumba Marmita – 4th MCTC, San Julian-Sulat

Northern Samar
Gorgonia Pineda-Encina – 9th MCTC, Capul-San Vicente
Reberna Balading Quibal – 4th MCTC, Catubig-Las Navas

Southern Leyte
Terso Ducentes – 1st MCTC, Macrohon-Padre Burgos-Limasawa

Cebu
Mercedita Dadole-Ygnacio – RTC Branch 28, Mandaue

Bohol
Laebeth Lungay Varquez – MTCC Branch 1, Tagbilaran
Yvette Christine Labrador-Soleng – 13th MCTC, Loay-Albuquerque-Baclayon

Negros Oriental
Maria Corazon Calumbayan Gadugdug – MTCC Branch 2, Dumaguete
Leah Partosa Villarubia – MTC Branch 1, Pamplona-Amlan-San Jose
Ma. Katrina Cabalde Gonzalez – 2nd MCTC, Manjuyod-Ayungon-Bindoy

– Rappler.com