Aquino aide describes Carpio as a ‘great legal mind’

Secretary Ricky Carandang

MANILA, Philippines – Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio is a great legal mind and has every right to be included on the list of candidates for the position of chief justice of the Supreme Court, an aide to President Benigno Aquino III said Saturday.

Ricky Carandang, head of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office, said it was “heartening” to see the diverse personalities that have been nominated or applied for the position vacated by Chief Justice Renato Corona, who was recently removed from office by impeachment.

“Justice Carpio has every right to be considered for the post and we respect that,” Carandang said in a text message to the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Saturday, a day after Carpio said he would accept his nomination to the post.

“Justice Carpio is also a great legal mind,” he added.

Pressed for comment if Carpio was qualified to become the country’s top magistrate, Carandang said, “No doubt about it but there’s a diverse list of nominees and a number of them would certainly be qualified.”

“This whole process of choosing a new chief justice has been heartening,” Carandang said.

“I don’t know if the public has ever been this interested in such an appointment. A wide net was cast by the [Judicial and Bar Council] and a diverse and interesting list of nominees is being considered. Carpio and Senator Franklin Drilon are among the names that readily come to mind,” he added.

Drilon has declined the nomination.