MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte will consult the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), Philippine Constitution Assembly and other lawyers’ groups before choosing the next Supreme Court (SC) chief.
He also said he would wait for the shortlist to be submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), which is tasked to interview and review the credentials of candidates for judicial posts.
In an interview in Bohol the other night, Duterte refused to name his preference, adding that he respects the statement of acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio on his lack of interest in getting the top judicial post.
The IBP nominated Carpio to become the country’s next chief magistrate.
Already bypassed twice, in 2010 and 2012, Carpio said he does not want to benefit from Sereno’s ouster, which he opposed by dissenting from the majority ruling.
Apart from him, Associate Justices Presbitero Velasco Jr., Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Diosdado Peralta and Lucas Bersamin are also being considered for the post.
Velasco and De Castro are set to retire in August and October this year, respectively, while Peralta still has four years before retirement.
The seven-member JBC has already announced the opening of the top SC post for nominations and applications and has set July 26 as the deadline for the submission of all requirements.
It started searching for Sereno’s replacement after the high tribunal made final its decision ousting her from the top judicial post last week.
Duterte, a lawyer himself, described ousted SC chief Maria Lourdes Sereno as having squandered her chance and the prestige of being head of the highest court in the land.
The 1987 Constitution requires that the vacated position for chief justice must be filled within 90 days from vacancy or from the finality of the SC ruling last Tuesday, June 19. This requires Duterte to appoint Sereno’s replacement by Sept. 16.
Meanwhile, Vice President Leni Robredo hopes that Sereno will join the Liberal Party (LP) ticket in the May 2019 senatorial elections as she believes that the ousted SC chief would “be a big addition in the ticket.”
“I hope she’s interested, because the judicial reform she has started at the Supreme Court is one of the things our country need most right now,” she said in an interview in Basilan yesterday.
Robredo, however, said the party has yet to officially talk to Sereno regarding the matter.
A vocal critic of Duterte, Sereno said Thursday that she is open to the idea of running for the Senate. Other personalities reportedly joining the LP ticket are human rights lawyer Jose Manuel Diokno, former representative Lorenzo Tañada III, Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano, former Akbayan party-list congressman Barry Gutierrez and actress Agot Isidro, also a critic of Duterte.
The filing of certificates of candidacy for the May 2019 midterm elections starts in the first week of October. – With Helen Flores