MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has appointed retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Dante Tinga, who was perceived to be an ally of then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during his six-year stint at the tribunal, to the top of the Development Bank of the Philippines.
Tinga’s appointment to the DBP as acting chairperson and board member was dated December 9 and was coursed through the Department of Finance which oversees the government-owned bank, according to Malacañang.
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The Office of the Press Secretary announced Tinga’s announcement after he took his oath Thursday before Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin who, like the new DBP acting chairperson, was appointed to the SC by Arroyo.
Tinga served as SC associate justice from 2003 to 2009, during which he often voted in favor of the Arroyo administration.
He penned some controversial cases handled by the SC, including Gudani v. Senga which sought to void Arroyo’s order barring officials from the executive branch including the military from appearing in congressional inquiries without her consent.
He also authored the decision on Sanlakas v. Executive Secretary that assailed as unconstitutional Proclamation No. 427 and General Order No. 4 declaring a state of rebellion in the country.
The SC in both cases voted in favor of Arroyo.
According to a 2009 report by The STAR, Tinga was Arroyo’s first appointee from politics as he was a three-term Taguig-Pateros representative from 1987 to 1998.
The report further said that Tinga’s appointment to the SC was “predetermined by a political promise” as Arroyo, then campaigning in 1998 to be vice president, vowed to place him on the high court’s bench.
“When I become president, I will put you there,” Arroyo told Tinga, according to The STAR.
The DBP is being eyed by lawmakers allied with Marcos, including Arroyo who is now Pampanga representative, to become one of the funding sources for the controversial Maharlika Investment Fund.
Under House Bill 6608, which swiftly passed the lower chamber, the DBP would be mandated to contribute P25 billion as seed money for the MIF.