Noy wants Henares to stay as revenue chief

 MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III would want Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares to stay put at the Bureau of Internal Revenue than to be the next Chief Justice, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

"Mas gugustuhin ni President si Commissioner Kim na manatili sa BIR dahil tumataas ang revenue collection kapag nandiyan siya," Lacierda said in a radio interview.

Lacierda made the statement following Henares' nomination to the Judicial Bar Council to be the next Chief Justice.

He said the President has full confidence in Henares' background and capacity in her work as BIR chief.

"Si Pangulo kasi kasama sa kampanya si Commissioner Henares noon pa. Siya ang nagbi-brief kay President sa economic issues dahil sa pagiging tax expert nya...kaya nga nandiyan sya sa BIR," Lacierda said.

However, Lacierda said he believes Henares would be an independent Chief Justice, if she gets the post.

"Sigurado ko independent iyan...maraming lumalapit diyan pero talagang hinihindian nya. I guarantee you when you're talking about independence, wala tayong problema doon," Lacierda said.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has also been nominated to the chief justice post. The other nominees were lawyer Katrina Legarda, former Ateneo Law Dean Cesar Villanueva, Solicitor-General Francis Jardeleza, former UP Law Dean Raul Pangalangan and former Laguna Assistant Prosecutor Marianito Sasondocillo.

The five most senior associate justices of the Supreme Court are also automatically nominated to the post. They are acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio and Justices Presbitero Velasco Jr., Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Arturo Brion and Diosdado Peralta.

Meanwhile, Henares said she was "misquoted" in a report that says she has better qualifications than all other nominees to the post.

Henares said she only responded to a question by journalists, but she never said anything against the other nominees.