After almost a week of unconfirmed reports, Malacañang confirmed Wednesday that President Duterte has named Supreme Court Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta as the new Chief Justice.
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea confirmed Peralta’s new post. “Yes CJ Diosdado Peralta,” he said.
Peralta replaced Lucas Bersamin as the country’s top magistrate following Bersamin’s mandatory retirement Friday last week. He is set to step down in March 2022.
Peralta was one of the three SC justices who made it to the shortlist of candidates for Chief Justice submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council to President Duterte. The others were Associate Justices Estela Perlas-Bernabe and Andres Reyes Jr.
Peralta and Bernabe both received seven votes from the JBC while Reyes received four votes. Peralta will be the second most senior among the three, followed by Bernabe. Reyes, meanwhile, will be the sixth most senior.
Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio has declined his nomination for the position as he is required by law to step down from the service on Oct. 26. He, was, however named as acting Chief Justice prior to the appointment of Peralta.
Peralta, who is the country’s 26th Chief Justice, hails from Laoag City, Ilocos Norte and got his law degree from the University of Santo Tomas College of Law.
He wrote the controversial decision allowing the burial of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City last November 2016. (Argyll Geducos)
