No Aquino decision yet on next Chief Justice, says Palace

President Benigno Aquino III

President Benigno Aquino has yet to make up his mind on who will be the next Chief Justice, his spokesperson, Edwin Lacierda, said Monday.

Lacierda clarified a statement he made to reporters earlier in the day that Mr. Aquino preferred Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares.

“The President has made no decision on either Commissioner Kim Henares or Justice Secretary Leila de Lima,’’ Lacierda said in a phone call to the Inquirer.

But he said it would “not be presumptuous’’ for him to say that the President would meet with Henares and De Lima once their names were nominated in the Judicial and Bar Council—the body that is preparing the short list for the President of nominees to the position left vacant by the ouster of Renato Corona last month.

In a text message to reporters last night, Lacierda said Mr. Aquino had “mentioned in several interviews that Secretary De Lima and Commissioner Henares have performed very well as members of the executive branch and would personally prefer that they remain in their present positions.”

“However, the President would wish to meet with them in order to discuss their plans and preferences,” he said in his text message.

Earlier in the day, Lacierda said: “I think the President already preferred an answer, gave his preference toward the nomination of Commissioner Kim Henares … Let’s wait for the decision of Commissioner Henares. She has not yet decided to accept or decline the nomination.’’ Christine O. Avendaño

Originally posted: 9:35 pm | Monday, June 11th, 2012