Newly-appointed Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin admitted he never thought he would become the country’s top magistrate.
“Di ko po hinangad sa umpisa pa lamaang na magiging punong mahistrado (I never desired to become chief magistrate),” Bersamin told reporters Wednesday after taking his oath as chief justice before Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio.
The magistrate recounted that he only applied for the post being the third most senior SC justice after Carpio and Justice Diosdado Peralta, both of whom also sought to become chief justice.
“The expectation was that not knowing the president at all and not having worked hard for this nomination I would be the least expected chosen by him,” he said.
Bersamin assured he does not even personally acquainted with President Duterte.
“The only time that I was personally close to the President was when I attended the oath taking ceremony in Malacanang of Chief Justice De Castro,” said Bersamin who succeeded retired Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro.
Bersamin believes there is a reason why he was chosen by the President.
“Let is trust in his wisdom. If he appointed me that should be the end of it and I don’t think it would be fair for my colleagues to make a judgment comparing them to me. I may lack more qualifications than they have but it is still up to the appointing power to exercise the discretion to chose among us who were properly nominated,” he said.
Bersamin assured that the judiciary will remain independent.
“There are times I join the decision against the government, sometimes I join in favor of the government. But in either times I am doing it with the best lights that I have been given by God. So as far as the law is concerned I was independent,” he noted.
In the following months, Bersamin assured he will address the problems facing the judiciary including complacency.
“As far as the delivery of justice is concerned I think the Supreme Court has been attending to this year in and year out. There has been no faltering in this area,” he said.
“All we needed to do is strengthen the matters that are already in place,” he added.
On the other hand, the Chief Justice admitted there is a “misconception that the Supreme Court does not care about the lower courts.”
“We do care about the lower courts but in different degrees we may have faltered in our desire to make them believe that we are really concerned for them. That is also one thing I would like to correct,” he said.
With this, he said he will be “reaching to our people in the field and to the judges who work in the particular stations.” (Jeffrey Damicog)
