Peralta, Reyes accept nomination to chief justice post

MANILA, Philippines — Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta and Andres Reyes Jr. have accepted their nominations to the chief justice post on Wednesday.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra confirmed this in a message to reporters.

Guevarra sits as one of the ex-officio members of the Judicial and Bar Council, the panel tasked to screen applications to the Judiciary.

Earlier on Wednesday, Guevarra confirmed that Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin has already accepted his nomination to the post.

Peralta nomination

Peralta is the youngest among the five most senior justices who received automatic nomination to the chief justice post. Should he be appointed chief justice, he will hold the seat until March 27, 2022, when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70.

The justice started his stint as a judge at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court in 1994, where he handled cases related to heinous crimes and drugs.

He was appointed as an associate justice of the SC by former President, and now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2009.

Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, for his part, declined his nominations on Monday. His letter to the JBC did not elaborate his reason for declining. He has earlier said that he has to stay consistent with his stand on the quo warranto ruling that nullified Sereno’s appointment as chief justice.

The most senior justice stood by his earlier statement despite a nomination from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and former chief justice Hilario Davide.

Peralta is one of the justices accused by Sereno who exhibited bias against her. The justice, who stood as one of the resource speakers at the House of Representatives' impeachment proceedings against Sereno, did not take his hands off the quo warranto case.

Peralta, however, voted to grant Solicitor General Jose Calida’s quo warranto petition against Sereno.

Reyes nomination

Reyes has accepted the nomination filed by retired Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Raoul Victorino, who is also a former member of the JBC.

Reyes is the second most junior justice at the SC. He was appointed by Duterte in July last year.

Before becoming an SC justice, Reyes was the top judge at the Court of Appeals.

He landed headlines as a CA presiding justice, when he issued a joint statement with Sereno over the detention of the six employees of the Ilocos Norte local government.

Like Peralta, Reyes also served as a resource speaker at the House of Representatives’ impeachment proceedings against Sereno.

He voted to grant Calida’s quo warranto petition against the former chief justice.

Others who are automatically nominated to the chief justice post are Associate Justices Presbitero Velasco Jr., Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, Diosdado Peralta and Lucas Bersamin.

Velasco is due to retire on August 8, while De Castro will hang up her SC justice robes on October 8.