3 magistrates vie for chief justice post

MANILA, Philippines — Applicants seeking to be the 27th head of the Supreme Court (SC) were interviewed yesterday by members of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), a few weeks before the early retirement of Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta.

Peralta is set to retire on March 27, a year ahead of the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Senior Associate Justce Estela Perlas-Bernabe and Associate Justices Alexander Gesmundo and Ramon Paul Hernando are among the five most senior justices of the SC who received automatic nomination to the chief justice post along with Associate Justice Marvic Leonen and Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa.

The SC said that Bernabe, Gesmundo and Hernando have submitted complete requirements for the post while Leonen and Caguiao did not submit documents.

This is the second time Bernabe applied for the post. She lost to Peralta in 2019.

Asked about her thoughts on the publication of justices’ statements of assets, liabilities and net worth, Bernabe said she agreed with Ombudsman Samuel Martires’ stance that the SALNs could be used as weapons against them.

“I have really nothing to hide. It’s just that sometimes people tend to criticize or find ways and means to really destroy the reputation of a justice,” she said.

Bernabe said releasing the summary of justices’ SALNs would be enough to promote transparency.

Asked about search warrants, Gesmundo said a judge cannot solely rely on the affidavits of the complainant and the witnesses they produced as this practice violates the Constitution as well as the rules on criminal procedures.

Search warrants became controversial following the deaths of nine activists in Calabarzon who reportedly fought back when they were served search warrants.

Hernando said that being the youngest among the three applicants at 54 is an advantage for him as he will be able to lead the judiciary for the  almost 15 years, “an ideal time to finish concrete plans for the court.”