EDITORIAL - Restoring public trust

At 52, Maria Lourdes Soreno is the youngest ever to be appointed as Supreme Court Chief Justice. Barring all glitches, she will have 18 years to serve until she reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70.

The first female Chief Justice was chosen by President Benigno Aquino III from a shortlist of eight names endorsed to him by the Judicial and Bar Council that included acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio, the most senior among the SC justices. As her term will end in 2030, Soreno is expected to serve at least four presidents unless she is impeached or rendered incapacitated by an illness or death.

After taking her oath, Sereno vowed independence from the Aquino administration. “Everyone can be assured of independence of the chief justice,” she told Supreme Court reporters last Sunday.

For its part, Malacañang said Sereno is not a puppet of the present administration. Despite criticism, Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Abigail Valte said Sereno has not been beholden to anyone based on her past decisions as associate justice at the Supreme Court.

Well, the public cannot just kick out speculations about her becoming beholden to the one who put her to the Supreme Court’s highest post. The fact that she was appointed by President Aquino can always give the public the impression that she can never be 100 percent independent.

But of course, we should give Sereno a benefit of the doubt. She is just starting to warm her seat and it is too early to judge her. And if we go by her past decisions, it is safe to say she is truly independent.

There were chief justices who have maintained transparency and independence while serving their position. Among them is former chief justice Hilario Davide, who was appointed by then president Joseph Estrada but went on to display independence during Estrada’s impeachment trial at the Senate.

This is not to say Sereno should follow in the footsteps of Davide. Every chief justice has his or her style. All Sereno has to do is bring back that independence and transparency that Davide had shown to restore public trust in the High Court.