SC Justice Carandang hangs robe after 27 years in judiciary

Associate Justice Rosmari D. Carandang on Friday bowed out of the Supreme Court while being given tribute by Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo and her colleagues in the High Tribunal.

Carandang, who will reach the mandatory retirement age of 70 on January 9, was sent off with a hybrid retirement mass followed by a program at the Supreme Court Training Center.

“People who do not know me might misunderstand me. Na ako ay napaka-istrikto. Taong hindi ngumingiti, taong hindi bumabati. The most that I can do is to raise my hand to acknowledge greetings to me," Carandang said.

"But I tell you, sa lahat ng lawyers ko who stayed with me for the longest time in their careers, I wish that each one of you has learned from me. Because we did our work together. We learned to work with one another. I learned from you, and you learned from me,"she added.

Among those who paid their tributes to Carandang were Gesmundo, Senior Associate Justice Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe, Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, Justice Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, Justice Rodil V. Zalameda, Justice Jhosep Y. Lopez, and Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez.

Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Remedios A. Salazar-Fernando, the Supreme Court Chiefs of Offices and other court officials also attended the online event.

“I thank God for all the graces that He has given me and my family. I wish to thank my staff for helping me navigate my three years stay in the SC.”

Carandang was in the judiciary for 27

She thanked her fellow Supreme Court Justices “who have given me guidance, inspiration, and help para magawa ko ang dapat sa SC."

"We have to remember that this institution is the last step, huling baitang, na tinitingala ng tao to be able to get justice, fair treatment, and humane treatment," Carandang said.

"Sa aking panunungkulan for the last 27 years, sa araw-araw, I asked the help of God to always guide me," she added. 

A native of Ilog, Taal, Batangas, Justice Carandang was born to public school teachers Sixto and Loreto Carandang. She was a consistent valedictorian from grade school at San Luis Elementary School, to high school at Batangas West High School.

She obtained her Bachelor of Arts Major in Political Science at the University of the Philippines, the same university where she earned her Bachelor of Laws degree, graduating cum laude and Salutatorian of the class of 1975. She placed 9th in the 1975 Bar Examinations.

Before she joined the Judiciary, Justice Carandang worked for private financial and government institutions. In December 1993, she was appointed Presiding Judge of the Regional Trial Court of Manila, Branch 12, where she also served as one of its Vice-Executive Judges. She was appointed Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals in March 2003, serving the appellate court for over 15 years until her appointment as the 181st Associate Justice of the SC in November 2018. —NB, GMA News