Duterte names De Castro chief justice: Guevarra

August 25, 2018

President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro as the new chief justice, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Saturday.

Guevarra, an ex-officio member of the seven-member Judicial and Bar Council, revealed that he was informed that Duterte appointed De Castro as the new chief justice. The post of chief justice was left vacant following the ouster of Maria Lourdes Sereno as top magistrate through quo warranto proceedings last May.

“I have been informed that the President’s choice has been publicly announced by SAP Bong Go and that the formal appointment will be released by ES (Executive Secretary Salvador) Medialdea on Tuesday,” Guevarra said in a text message to reporters.

“Her appointment as chief justice is a fitting finale to her illustrious career in both the Department of Justice and the judiciary,” he added.

On Thursday, lawmakers filed an impeachment complaint against De Castro and six other associate Supreme Court justices for ousting Sereno on the strength of a quo warranto petition by Solicitor General Jose Calida Jr.

De Castro bested her fellow nominees and colleagues at the Supreme Court -- Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta and Lucas Bersamin – who were also shortlisted by the JBC as candidates. Peralta and Bersamin were also in the list of Supreme Court associate justices who were in the impeachment complaint.

De Castro, the second most senior justice of the 15-member bench, will be serving up to October 8, 2018, when she reaches her mandatory retirement age of 70. She was appointed to the SC on December 4, 2007. DMS