Cebu lawyers, court employees welcome new Chief Justice

Lawyers in Cebu welcomed the appointment of Reynato Puno as the country's 22nd Chief Justice replacing Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban who retired from the service last Wednesday.

Alex Tolentino, the president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines - Cebu City chapter said the officers of the courts were very happy after President Arroyo appointed the most senior member of the Supreme Court as Chief Justice.

Joselito Alo, the spokesman of the IBP-Cebu province chapter, described the appointment of Puno into the highest position in the judiciary as a welcome development for those in the legal profession.

Meanwhile, court employees in Cebu are hoping for a better with Puno's appointment, saying "manggiloy-on kaayo na siya sa mga empleyado, basin madugangan ang among bonus."

Puno, the most senior of the 14 associate justices, chaired the Supreme Court's second division and the Senate Electoral Tribunal. He is also a consultant of the Judicial and Bar Council.

He also heads the Court Systems Journal and the Supreme Court Committee, which compiles the Court's decisions for distribution to members of the judiciary.

Among Puno's best written decisions that were concurred by all of the justices is the March 2, 2001 en banc decision upholding the legitimacy of the Arroyo presidency and the first SC ruling ordering the Manila Electric Company to refund its customers.

He was appointed to the High Tribunal on June 28, 1993 by then President Fidel V. Ramos. - Rene U. Borromeo/QSB