Hontiveros airs fears over De Castro rise as Chief Justice

Sen. Risa Hontiveros. INQUIRER.NET PHOTO / CATHY MIRANDA

Short and bitter

This was how Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros described on Sunday the term of the new Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo De Castro.

Hontiveros urged the public to be “extra vigilant” on the possible effects of the appointment of De Castro on the country’s democratic institutions.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, an ex-officio member of the Judicial and Bar Council, said on Saturday that Castro has been selected by Duterte to be the next chief magistrate.

READ: Duterte appoints De Castro as new CJ

According to Hontiveros, the appointment of De Castro might affect the issues on the electoral protest of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos against Vice President Leni Robredo and the country’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court.

“While the new Chief Justice’s term will be the shortest, it could also be long enough to cause further damage to our already battered democratic institutions,” she said in a statement.

Hontiveros also said that President Rodrigo Duterte used the “shortest and surest” way in putting the Supreme Court under his hands.

De Castro was among three candidates selected and proposed by the Judicial and Bar Council to become the new Chief Justice.

She has been hailed by judicial and other government bodies as the “most qualified” for the post. They included Malacañang, the Ombudsman and the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission.

Senator Richard Gordon called De Castro as “very qualified” as top magistrate.

READ: Palace on new CJ De Castro: ‘Bravo! Best choice!’ / New CJ De Castro ‘very qualified,’ says Gordon

“President Rodrigo Duterte’s appointment of the one who will become the shortest-serving Chief Justice in the country’s history is absolutely short-sighted,” Hontiveros said.

“It fell terribly short on many fronts: short on integrity, short on vision and short on courage. President Duterte just took the shortest and surest path to keeping the Supreme Court under his control,” she added. /cbb