Jhosep Lopez

Jhosep Ylarde Lopez (born February 8, 1963) is a Filipino politician and judge who has served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines since 2021. He was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to replace Associate Justice Priscilla Baltazar-Padilla.

Early life and career

Lopez graduated cum laude with a degree in Political Science from the University of the Philippines Diliman. He proceeded to take up his Law studies at the same University where he became a brother of the Sigma Rho law-based Fraternity. He passed the Bar examinations in 1989 with an average of 84.55%. In 1991, he worked under former Senate president Jovito Salonga and was later appointed as chief legal counsel of the Senate of the Philippines. He was appointed as Chief City Prosecutor of Manila in February 2006. He was also a partner in the Lopez Rasul Maliwanag Baybay Palaran Law Offices from 1993 to 2006.

He served as a city councilor of Manila from the 3rd District from 1992 to 1998 and from 2001 to 2006.

Lopez was appointed as associate justice of the Court of Appeals on May 17, 2012, and served for more than eight years until his appointment to the Supreme Court.

Associate justice of the Supreme Court On January 26, 2021, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Lopez as associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. Lopez succeeded Justice Priscilla Baltazar-Padilla who retired on November 3, 2020.