Dear President Rodrigo Roa Duterte:

May this Petition reaches you well.

We are humbly asking your benevolence and your enlightened wisdom to Appoint Justice Japar Dimaampao as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court vice Retired Justice Andres Reyes Jr.

In a news report, "Court of Appeals (CA) Justice Japar Dimaampao topped the shortlist of the Supreme Court (SC) en banc as its choice for the vacancy left by former associate justice Andres Reyes Jr., who retired in May. During the voting conducted by high court magistrates, Dimaampao notched 11 votes out of 14.

He was a state prosecutor and a Regional Trial Court judge in Mandaluyong City before he became the youngest magistrate of the appellate court at the age of 40.

He graduated from the University of the East College of Law and is an expert in taxation and commercial laws, being a certified public accountant.

The last time a Muslim justice occupied a seat in the Supreme Court was in 1987, when President Corazon Aquino appointed Abdulwahid Bidin.

The high court conducts its own voting before the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) holds its own voting.

By tradition, the top nominees in the Supreme Court voting shall be carried by Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta, chairman of the JBC."

Indeed, appointing Justice Dimaampao will not only leave a landmark legacy to your people in Mindanao most particularly the Meranaos, your Muslims blood relatives, but also to effect the better change in Judiciary the Honorable Justice Dimaampao dream of.

Thank you and may the Almighty God bless you always.

ABULKHAIR M. ALIBASA

Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, BARMM