Supreme Court’s next chief justice to be announced next week — Palace

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte’s chosen one in so far as the next Supreme Court chief justice is concerned will be made public next week, Malacañang said Friday.

“As a matter of SOP (standard operating procedure), judicial appointments are confirmed by my office only after they have been received by the Supreme Court,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque told reporters in a message.

“Given the long holiday, the earliest a judicial appointment can be received by the Court would be this Monday,” he added.

Duterte’s choice will fill up the vacancy at the high court following Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta’s retirement last March 27.

While Malacañang has yet to confirm the President’s pick, Duterte’s chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo said earlier that the Chief Executive’s “personal choice” is Associate Justice Alexander Gesmundo.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Alexander Gesmundo

“Yes, as far as I know, yes,” Panelo told INQUIRER.net when asked if Duterte has chosen Gesmundo.

Gesmundo, then the chairperson of Sandiganbayan’s 7th Division, was first appointed to the Supreme Court in 2017.

Before he served at the anti-graft court, Gesmundo was Assistant Solicitor General and Commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Good Government.

Two other justices aspiring to be the next chief magistrate are Senior Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe and Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando.

EDV