Duterte: No politics in De Castro appointment

President Rodrigo Duterte (left) said he chose now-Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro for her seniority and merit. INQUIRER FILE

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he appointed Teresita Leonardo-De Castro as Chief Justice based on seniority, dismissing speculations that her appointment was a reward for ousting Maria Lourdes Sereno.

“Kung sino yung naunang pumasok siya ‘yung unang ma-promote and that would go for everybody,” Duterte told reporters after his speech at the National Heroes day Celebration in Taguig City.

The President said he would observe seniority in appointing vacant positions in government and would not only apply to De Castro.

“Sa lahat yan sa civil service, sa military pati sa everybody, [it’s] seniority,”  he said.

“It would be the same for all justices not only De Castro. Lahat ‘yan sila,” he added.

Critics of the President said appointing De Castro was a reward for the former Supreme Court associate justice for voting to oust Sereno through a quo warranto petition.

“I have yet to hear those guys state something without malice. They always see the worst,” Duterte said.

He stressed that no politics were involved in his decision to appoint De Castro.

“No political colors included. Bawal ‘yan. Merit system,” he added.

De Castro, who will be the country’s top magistrate for less than two months, outranked Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta and Lucas Bersamin.

“I’m not familiar with any of them actually. Wala akong kakilalang justice na ‘yung personal. Truthfully, I have never talked to anyone there. Wala akong kilala. They are all strangers to me,” he said.

Duterte named De Castro as Chief Justice after the High Court declared the appointment of Sereno by then-President Benigno Aquino III as invalid. /cbb