Carpio gets full CJ retirement benefits

MANILA, Philippines — While he missed five chances to become chief justice, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio will get the full retirement benefit of a chief justice when he retires next week. 

Retired chief justice Artemio Panganiban said that the Supreme Court (SC) en banc has passed a “unanimous resolution” that will grant Carpio the retirement privileges of a chief justice even if he did not get the highest position in the high court. 

“I think this is the least the court could do for its esteemed member who faithfully served the longest term of 18 years as associate justice. Moreover, Justice Carpio acted as chief justice intermittently for a period of more than eight months and counting,” Panganiban said. 

He is set to retire on Oct. 26 when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70. 

Carpio urged the incoming SC justices to always observe judicial independence. 

“I think the most important quality is independence because without it, really, you cannot be an impartial judge. A lot of people are brilliant, but it’s difficult to be independent under our society,” he said. 

“So you have to strive to be independent. If you show that you are independent, they will respect you over time,” he added. 

Carpio said that he will continue his advocacy in asserting the sovereignty of the Philippines over disputed maritime zones with China as he planned to teach after his retirement. 

With Carpio’s looming retirement next week, the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has shortlisted nine justices of the Court of Appeals (CA) as his replacement. 

Among those who were nominated as Carpio’s successor are Jose Midas Marquez, Manuel Mejorada Barrios, Edgardo Lao delos Santos, Japar Babay Dimaampao, Ramon del Rosario Garcia, Jhosep Ylarde Lopez and Pablito Alhambra Perez, CA justices Ricardo de Rivera Rosario and Maria Filomena Dumandan Singh.