Pass sa nomination? Leonen ‘better’ at supporting Chief Justice than being one

Supreme Court (SC) Justice Marvic Leonen prefers supporting the chief justice than being one himself.

Leonen pointed this out after being automatically nominated as one of the candidates who could replace Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta.

“I am better at supporting a chief justice rather than being one,” Leonen said during a recent press conference hosted by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP).

“There are people that are cut to become chief justice. There are people that are better to become associate justices or senior associate justices for that matter. And there are also people that are better writing majority opinions or even dissenting opinions and I think each of us will have their own role,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has already begun accepting applications for those seeking to become chief justice.

The JBC advised interested applicants that they have until Feb. 15 to submit their applications.

The JBC opened applications as Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta is set to retire this March 27 after the Supreme Court (SC) approved last Jan. 5 his decision to retire a year early.

Peralta has been a magistrate of the SC since 2009 upon the appointment of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Prior this, Peralta has served as magistrate of the Sandiganbayan since 2002 until his appointment to the SC.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)