President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Edilwasif Tapsiril Baddiri and Jeoffre Willkom Acebido as Associate Justices of the Court of Appeals, bolstering the appellate court with experienced jurists from Mindanao.
The appointment filled the vacancies left by retired Associate Justices Edwin Sorongon and Victoria Isabel Paredes.
Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo administered the oaths of office in separate ceremonies at the Supreme Court in Manila: Baddiri on April 11, 2025, at the Session Hall, and Acebido on April 14, 2025, at the Dignitaries’ Lounge.
Baddiri is a full-blooded Tausug from the Municipality of Indanan, Sulu Province. He served as Presiding Judge and Executive Judge of the Regional Trial Court in Pasay City, and as Commissioner of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) from 2010 to 2015.
A member of the Philippine Bar and an alumnus of Ateneo de Manila University Law School, Baddiri also holds a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University. He currently serves as Interim President of the Philippine Muslim Judges Association, advocating for inclusivity and judicial excellence. He is the fifth Tausug to serve as a Justice of the Court of Appeals.
Acebido, formerly Presiding Judge of RTC Branch 41 in Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, has over 16 years of judicial service. He received the Chief Justice Cayetano Arellano Award for Judicial Excellence and has a background in prosecution, public defense, and human rights advocacy as a senior legal officer at the Commission on Human Rights.
