Bersamin, Peralta, Reyes accept chief justice nomination

MANILA, Philippines — Three magistrates of the Supreme Court (SC) have accepted their automatic nomination for the post of chief justice.

Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin and Andres Reyes Jr. have submitted their formal acceptance of nomination in letters received by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) as of yesterday afternoon.

Peralta, Bersamin and Reyes were among the eight justices who voted to oust chief justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno from the top judicial post by granting the quo warranto petition by Solicitor General Jose Calida.

Peralta and Bersamin – known as “twins” in the high court – both rose from judicial ranks prior to their promotion to the SC by former president and now Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Peralta, a former presiding justice of the Sandiganbayan and member of the special division that convicted ousted president Joseph Estrada of plunder in 2007, was appointed to the SC in January 2009. 

A Quezon City regional trial court judge from 1994 to 2002, he was dubbed the “hanging judge” because he had sentenced to death more than 40 people when the death penalty was still in effect.

Bersamin, on the other hand, was a Court of Appeals justice before his appointment to the SC in April 2009. But like Peralta, he was also a Quezon City RTC judge.

Both were recipients of numerous judicial excellence awards.

Peralta still has four years before retiring from the judiciary while Bersamin has until October next year.

Reyes was appointed to the SC by President Duterte in July last year. He was presiding justice of the CA and still has two years in the judiciary.

The five most senior justices of SC are automatically nominated for the chief justice vacancy under the rules of JBC, the seven-member panel tasked to screen nominees for judicial posts.

Apart from Peralta and Bersamin, the three other most senior SC justices are acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio and Associate Justices Presbitero Velasco Jr. and Teresita Leonardo-de Castro.

Carpio already declined the nomination. He said he did not want to benefit from Sereno’s ouster, which he opposed by voting against the SC ruling.

Velasco is also expected to decline the nomination since he is retiring from the judiciary next month, while De Castro is expected to accept the nomination today – the last day for nomination and application for the top judicial post.

The STAR reported earlier that De Castro, Peralta and Bersamin are expected to accept their automatic nomination to comply with the requirement of having at least three nominees for the post. 

The chief justice vacancy was opened last June 25.

The 1987 Constitution requires that the chief justice position be filled within 90 days from vacancy or from the finality of the SC ruling ousting Sereno last Tuesday, June 19.

This means President Duterte needs to appoint Sereno’s replacement by Sept. 16.

Puno Sr., 95

Meanwhile, former minister of justice and Court of Appeals justice Ricardo Puno Sr. passed away yesterday. He was 95.

His son, former Antipolo congressman Roberto Puno, announced the passing of the legal luminary from the martial law era in a Facebook post that read: “Today, my dad, Justice Ricardo Puno Sr., joined his Creator.” – With Robertzon Ramirez