Chief Justice Peralta to retire a year early; Duterte to name new top judge early 2021
MANILA, Philippines — Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta will step down in March 27, 2021, a year before he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70.
With Peralta’s early retirement, President Rodrigo Duterte is seen to name a new chief justice next year — the fourth in his term.
SC spokesperson Brian Hosaka said Peralta confirmed the reported letter to his colleagues signifying his intention to retire early.
Hosaka added: "The Chief Justice did not elaborate further but said that he will make a formal announcement in due time."
Duterte appointed Peralta as the country’s top judge in October 2019, taking over the seat vacated by former Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin.
The president was not expected to appoint Peralta’s replacement as chief justice until his mandatory retirement on March 27, 2022.
During Duterte’s term, the Judiciary will have changed leadership at least four times. Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno was ousted after her colleagues voted in favor of a petition questioning her appointment and was replaced by Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, who sat as top judge for less than two months.
Duterte also appointed Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin who retired in October 2019, after serving as head of the Judiciary for 11 months.
The president earlier said he will factor in “seniority” in naming the chief justice.
Following Peralta, the next most senior is Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe, followed by Associate Justices Marvic Leonen and Aflredo Benjamin Caguioa.
Perlas-Bernabe is set to retire from the SC on May 14, 2022.
Openings on the SC bench
Peralta’s early retirement also adds another vacancy on the SC bench, with the early retirement of Associate Justice Priscilla Baltazar-Padilla, who stepped down on November 3 after being appointed in July.
Currently, the SC is composed of ten justices appointed by Duterte, and he is set to name Baltazar-Padilla’s replacement.
Duterte is also set to name two more justices, to replace Associate Justices Rosmari Carandang retiring on January 2022 and Edgardo Delos Santos in June 2022.
By the end of Duterte’s term, only Leonen and Caguioa will have been appointed before he became president.
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