Duterte New Chief Justice Is Reportedly SC Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin
DUTERTE NEW CHIEF JUSTICE LUCAS BERSAMIN – Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has reportedly chosen Supreme Court Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin as the new chief justice of the high court.
Former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno was previously ousted following the voiding of her appointment. Pres. Duterte appointed Associate Justice Teresita de Castro to replace her in her post as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
De Castro was also the SC Chief Justice in 2007 during the term of then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. However, under Pres. Duterte, she’ll only serve for less than two(2) months as she is decided to retire in October 2018.
Recently, a news report about Pres. Duterte’s new chief justice crossed the surface.
Based on a report on Philstar citing Edu Punay’s statement, a source in the Palace said that SC Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin was chosen by the President to be the new Supreme Court Chief Justice.
Reportedly, it is not yet official that Bersamin is Pres. Duterte’s new chief justice but the 73-year-old Chief Executive has already decided.
According to Punay, a source in the Palace expressed that the appointment paper will be released today.
Based on the report, the Judicial and Bar Council has come up with five names on the list of those who were aspiring to be the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice.
Pres. Duterte’s new chief justice was reportedly a regional trial court judge in 1986. He was the one who penned the court ruling that approved the bail of former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.
In 2009, Bersamin was appointed as the SC Chief Justice. Based on the report, the new chief justice of the high court is set to retire in October next year.
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