Judicial Excellence Awardee Judge Maryann Corpus-Mañalac, a student of the Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) Program at the National College of Public Administration & Governance (NCPAG) in the University of the Philippines Diliman, is the newest Justice of the Sandiganbayan.
Corpus-Mañalac’s appointment papers were signed on 8 December 2017, making her the fifth (5th) appointee of President Duterte to the anti-graft Court. The NCPAG supports distinguished students who have shown both extraordinary academic and professional accomplishments in serving the country.
In 2013, Corpus-Mañalac received the Chief Justice Cayetano Arellano Award for Outstanding Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judges from the Society for Judicial Excellence. Since then, more recognition followed from various entities like the Integrated Bar of the Philippines – Bulacan Chapter, the Makati Judges Association, and the Philippine Women Judges Association.
She first joined the judiciary in 1992 as Branch Clerk of Court of the RTC – Malolos, Bulacan Branch 8. She later became the Presiding Judge of RTC – Sta. Cruz, Laguna Branch 28, from 2004 to 2007 and within this period, she concurrently served as Acting Presiding Judge of RTC Branch 27 from 2005 to 2007. She was appointed to the RTC of Makati City in 2007. Corpus-Mañalac also served as Acting Judge of RTC Malolos, Bulacan in 2014 and of RTC Taguig City in 2016 concurrent to her post as RTC Judge in Makati City.
In August 2017, Corpus-Mañalac as the judge of RTC-Makati Branch 141 ordered the ejectment of Sunvar Realty Development Corporation and other decades-long tenants from the Mile Long Property in Makati in favor of the government.
Before joining the judiciary, Corpus-Mañalac served the Office of the Ombudsman for nine (9) years as Resident Ombudsman for the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the National Housing Authority, and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board from 2000 to 2003; and Graft Investigation Officer I and II from 1994 to 2003.
She was a law professor at the New Era University from 2009 to 2013. She also lectured before various government agencies on public accountability, graft and corruption prevention, and Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (RA 6713).
Corpus-Mañalac received her bachelor’s degree in AB Political Science from the University of Santo Tomas (UST). She graduated from San Beda Law School in 1991 and ranked fifth in the batch of 96 graduates. She then graduated as magna cum laude from the UST Master of Arts in Public Administration Program under the Civil Service Commission Local Scholarship Program from 1996 to 1998. She was admitted to the DPA program of the College in 2015.