MANILA, Philippines — Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said on Wednesday that there are no more legal impediments for him in accepting the chief justice nomination.
In a message to reporters, Carpio clarified that he said he has “no reason” to decline his automatic nomination to the top judge post.
The most senior justice, however, stressed that he has yet to submit the letter of acceptance to the Judicial and Bar Council.
The JBC opened the application for the chief justice post last September 29. It will accept applications until October 15.
Five of the most senior justices of the SC have received an automatic nomination to the chief justice post, but they are required to submit a formal acceptance of it to be considered a candidate.
Carpio earlier declined his nomination to the chief justice post, which was declared vacant following the ouster of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno through a quo warranto petition.
He reasoned that he had to be consistent with his position on the government’s quo warranto ruling.
“On a personal level, because I have voted against it, I don’t want to benefit from it, so I will decline any nomination,” Carpio added.
Others who received an automatic nomination for the chief justice post are Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Mariano Del Castillo and Estela Perlas-Bernabe.
President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Chief Justice Teresita De Castro to the post vacated by Sereno.
De Castro is due to retire on October 10.