MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte stressed that he only went with seniority when he appointed Teresita Leonardo-de Castro as the new Supreme Court chief justice.
Duterte picked de Castro, who is set to retire in October, over two other nominees to replace the ousted Maria Lourdes Sereno as the top magistrate in the high court.
“Kung sino iyong nauna na pumasok, siya iyong unang ma-promote, and that would go for everybody,” Duterte said in an interview on Monday at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City where he led National Heroes’ Day rites.
“It will be the same for all justices, not only de Castro. Lahat iyan sila. Unless of course they refuse or, maybe, they opt to retire. It’s the same in the military,” the President added.
Duterte also denied that de Castro’s appointment was a reward for leading the ouster of Sereno as chief justice, as alleged by Rep. Rodolfo Alejano of the Magdalo party-list.
“I’m not familiar with any of them actually. Wala ako kakilala na justice na personal,” Duterte said. “I have never talked to anyone there. They are all strangers to me. Remember, hindi naman ako practitioner ng Manila.”
“I have yet to hear (Alejano) state something without malice. They always say the worst,” said the President. “People kagaya nila [are] just best when they condemn. And they have nothing to show for their time there except to blabber their mouth.”
De Castro will serve for less than two months as she reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 on Oct. 8.
Her appointment made her the first female Philippine Supreme Court chief justice after high court magistrates voted in favor of the quo warrato petition that sought to invalidate the appointment of Sereno.
Other nominees to the Supreme Court chief justice posts were Diosdado Peralta and Lucas Bersamin./PN
