Samuel Gaerlan

Samuel Hufano Gaerlan is a Filipino judge who has served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines since 2020. He was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to fill the vacated seat of Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta, who was appointed chief justice.

Life and career

Gaerlan was born in San Juan, La Union on. He obtained his law degree from the San Beda College of Law. Gaerlan served as a Public Attorneys' Office lawyer before becoming a municipal trial court judge in Bangar, La Union and later as a regional trial court judge in Branch 26 of San Fernando, La Union and Branch 92 of Quezon City. He was appointed as a Court of Appeals justice in 2009.

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court

In 2017, Gaerlan was nominated and interviewed for the seat vacated by Jose C. Mendoza, but was not shortlisted. On January 8, 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte chose Gaerlan over five shortlisted candidates and was appointed to the court to fill the seat vacated by Diosdado Peralta.