Te resigns from SC post

Supreme Court Spokesman Theodore Te. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON

Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro has accepted the courtesy resignation of the Supreme Court’s Public Information Office chief, lawyer Theodore Te.

Te’s term as Supreme Court spokesperson is coterminous with that of ousted Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

His term was extended by Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and division chairs of the high court including De Castro, pending the appointment of a new Chief Justice.

“I believe that Your Honor should be given a free hand to craft your own media policies and to appoint a person whom Your Honor believes could best implement those policies,” Te said in his letter dated Aug. 29.

Academic life

He said he would be returning to a full-time academic life “which I had to put on hold starting 2013 to be able to serve the judiciary and the Supreme Court.

“I respectfully believe that I would be of greater value to the judiciary and the court in the academic world at this time,” he added.

Te also urged De Castro to retain all of the staff at the Public Information Office (PIO), some of whom were not holding plantilla positions.

Last week, Te met with De Castro and told her his resignation would take effect on September 7.

De Castro designated lawyer Ma. Victoria Gleoresty Guerra, deputy chief of the PIO, as Te’s successor.

Guerra previously served as the tribunal’s spokesperson after Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez left the PIO and until the appointment of Te.