Bersamin-Embuscado of Abra, 2 others appointed CA associate justices, 2 others named CA associate justices

MANILA, Philippines — Judge Pia Cristina Bersamin-Embuscado of Abra is among the three new associate justices appointed to the Court of Appeals (CA) by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., adding another prominent name from the province to the Philippine judiciary.

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) announced the appointments on Wednesday, October 7, naming Bersamin-Embuscado alongside Allan Batarra Gepty, a former Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) undersecretary, and Leilani Marie N. Dacanay-Grimares, former presiding judge of Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 294 in Parañaque City.

The three new CA associate justices will fill vacancies in the appellate court following a selection process involving 80 nominees shortlisted by the Judicial and Bar Council.

“Their appointments reinforce the judiciary and support the administration of justice in the country,” the PCO said.

Judge from a prominent Abra family

Bersamin-Embuscado is the eldest daughter of former Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, who also served as executive secretary to President Marcos from September 2022 to May 2025.

She earned her degree in Communication Research from the University of the Philippines and completed her Bachelor of Laws at the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law.

Her judicial career began in 2003 when she served as chief of staff to her father, who was then a CA associate justice.

After passing the 2004 Bar examinations, she entered private litigation and handled various cases, including matters related to the controversy surrounding the 2006 National Nursing Examination.

She later returned to the judiciary, serving in various capacities as a legal researcher, court attorney and judicial staff head under her father.

In 2017, Bersamin-Embuscado helped oversee the administration of the Bar examinations at UST before being appointed presiding judge of RTC Branch 198 in Las Piñas City in 2018.

On January 15, 2026, she took her oath as president of the Philippine Judges Association.

Her appointment to the Court of Appeals marks another milestone in her judicial career and brings another judicial figure from Abra and the Cordillera to a prominent position in the country's judiciary.

The provincial government of Abra welcomed her appointment, describing it as a significant milestone in her career and another distinction for the province.