Who is Rodil Zalameda, the 28th chief justice of the Supreme Court - GMA Network
Rodil Zalameda is the country's 28th chief justice of the Supreme Court, replacing Alexander Gesmundo, who will retire on November 6.
Before President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. picked him to lead the country's highest tribunal, Zalameda served as an SC associate justice appointed by then-President Rodrigo Duterte on August 6, 2019.
He penned the SC First Division decision, made public on September 9, 2026, overturning the graft conviction of former First Lady Imelda Marcos.
He also penned the SC En Banc decision in 2023 granting a writ of amparo in favor of former Bayan Muna lawmaker Siegfred Deduro.
Zalameda also served as an associate justice of the Court of Appeals from 2008 to 2019 and chairperson of its 17th Division.
He also worked as a city prosecutor and public prosecutor in Mandaluyong City and a branch clerk at the Makati City Regional Trial Court.
The new SC chief justice obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree at Ateneo de Manila University in 1987 under an academic scholarship grant. According to Zalameda's profile posted on the SC website, he was an associate editor of the Ateneo Law Journal, a senior staff member of the Ateneo Law Bulletin, and a member of the Fraternal Order of Utopia.
He passed the Bar examinations in 1988.
He earned his secondary education from the University of the East Caloocan in 1979 and his Bachelor of Arts major in Political Science degree from UE Manila in 1983. UE recently conferred Zalameda the honorary Doctor of Laws degree.
Zalameda was also recognized as one of UE's Outstanding Alumni twice.
In 2006, Zalameda was among the 10 Outstanding Pillars of Justice of the Rotary Club of Diliman.
He also received the Ulirang MandaleΓ±o Award of the Mandaluyong government under the Government Category in 2010.
The Ateneo Law Alumni Association Inc. also bestowed Zalameda the Distinguished Alumni Award under the Judiciary Category in 2022.
Zalameda is born in Caloocan City. βAOL, GMA News
