Duterte won’t appoint any more Bedans to government

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — President Duterte is not keen on appointing more alumni from the San Beda Law School for any position in government, even to the Supreme Court.

“Do not expect more Bedans to be appointed,” Duterte told the more than 300 members of the Lex Talionis fraternity of the San Beda and Ateneo de Davao University law schools during the group’s anniversary celebration Saturday night at the Marco Polo Hotel here.

Coincidentally, not one of the hopefuls vying to replace former chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno is from San Beda.

Supreme Court Associate Justices Teresita de Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin and Andrew Reyes Jr., as well as Davao del Norte Regional Trial Court branch 1 presiding Judge Virginia Tejano-Ang are among those who applied to replace Sereno.

The President has so far appointed four associate justices to the Supreme Court since he assumed office in June 2016. He is expected to fill the vacancies in the high court, a total of 13 magistrates, when he ends his term in 2022. At least five of the 15 justices will be retiring next year.

So far, he has appointed Samuel Martires (March 2, 2017), Noel Tijam (March 8, 2017), Andres Reyes (July 13, 2017), and Alexander Gesmundo (Aug. 14, 2017) and Jose Reyes this month to the SC. Martires is already with the Office of the Ombudsman replacing Conchita Carpio-Morales.

Duterte also lamented the need to dismiss several of his Lex Talionis brothers who joined the government.

“Sometimes, we have brothers joining me in government. I am really very sorry. (We have brothers who are) in very sour note because I have to terminate (their services),” he pointed out partly in Filipino.

The President explained that while no one wants to terminate his fraternity brothers, “I cannot just exchange brotherhood for what is really something more than… it is the highest form and that is patriotism.”

“You would probably understand why I am almost pedantic in my moves and in my demands for accountability. Yan man talaga ang usapan nating lahat (We have all agreed on this),” Duterte said.

The President was also quick to point out that he is proud that, after five decades since its establishment in the San Beda College of Law and more than four decades in Ateneo de Davao, Lex Talionis has been committed with its noble pursuit of excellence and superiority in legal profession.