Justice Francis Jardeleza retires on Sept. 26

MANILA, Philippines — Supreme Court Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza will retire on Sept. 26 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70, the court announced on Monday.

The former solicitor general who led the Philippine legal team that won the arbitral ruling against China, attended his last flag ceremony at the Supreme Court in Manila on Monday.

“I am so honored and privileged for the past five years to have worked with all of you in the untiring quest to dispense justice, to do justice and to make justice. I bid you all the best and may all continue to work for a strong, effective and just judiciary,” he told the assembled magistrates and court employees.

Jardeleza was appointed to the high court by former President Benigno Aquino III on Aug. 19, 2014.

Prior to the Supreme Court, he served as solicitor general since Feb. 20, 2012. He had also served as deputy ombudsman for Luzon. —Dona Z. Pazzibugan