Japar Babay Dimaampao (born December 27, 1963 in

Marawi Marawi, officially the Islamic City of Marawi (Maranao language, Maranao: ''Inged a Marawi''; fil, Islamikong Lungsod ng Marawi), is a 4th class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, component city and capital of the Provinces of th ...

) is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. He is the second Muslim to be appointed to the High Court after Justice Abdulwahid Bidin.

Education

Dimaampao obtained his degree in Business Administration major in Accounting in 1982 from the

University of the East The University of the East ( fil, Pamantasan ng Silangan), also known as UE, is a leading private university located in Manila, Philippines. Founded in 1946, business tycoon Lucio Tan acquired the university in 1990. UE was once labeled as the ...

. In 1987, he received his Bachelor of Laws degree from the same university. A certified public accountant, he is a known expert in commercial and taxation law.

Legal 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 Metropolitan may refer to: * Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories * Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England * Metropolitan county, a typ ...

. He also worked as staff in the

Commission on Elections An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission, a c ...

where his father, Magdara Dimaampao, was former commissioner. He rose to become the first Muslim senior state prosecutor of the

Department of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

. He was formerly Bar examiner for civil law and taxation law, and also served as chairperson for the 2020 Special Shari’ah Bar Exams.

Judicial career

Trial court judge

Dimaampao served for four years as judge of the Regional Trial Court of Mandaluyong.

Appellate court

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

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 Alexander Gahon Gesmundo (born November 6, 1956) is serving as the chief justice of the Philippines since April 5, 2021. He replaced Diosdado Peralta, who retired early on March 27, 2021. He previously served as an associate justice of the Supre ...

, 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 Tawi-Tawi, officially the Province of Tawi-Tawi ( tl, Lalawigan ng Tawi-Tawi; Tausug: ''Wilaya' sin Tawi-Tawi''; Sinama: ''Jawi Jawi/Jauih Jauih''), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim ...

. He took his oath as associate justice on September 14, 2021. When

Mariano del Castillo Mariano C. del Castillo (born July 29, 1949) is a former associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. After graduating from San Beda College, Del Castillo pursued law studies at the Ateneo de Manila University. He joined the judiciar ...

retired as associate justice in 2019, Dimamampao received support from the Bangsamoro Parliament and majority of Moro representatives in the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

who campaigned for the Muslim jurist's appointment to the Supreme Court. He has vied for a post in the high court, prior to the Duterte's administration.

Personal life

Dimaampao is married to Maria Gina Perez Villapañe. He is an ethnic

Maranao The Maranao people (Maranao: mәranaw Filipino: ''Maranaw''), also spelled Meranao, Maranaw, and Mëranaw, is the term used by the Philippine government to refer to the southern indigenous people who are the "people of the lake", a predomi ...

and a Muslim.

Books

* Basic Approach to Income Taxation (Rex Book Store) * Tax Principles and Remedies (Rex Book Store) * Bar Essentials in Commercial Law (Central Books) * Bar Q&A for the Past 10 Years: Taxation Law (Central Books)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dimaampao, Japar 1963 births Living people Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the Philippines 21st-century Filipino judges Filipino Muslims Justices of the Court of Appeals of the Philippines Maranao people University of the East alumni People from Marawi