Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio officially declined yesterday his automatic nomination for Chief Justice in a letter he submitted to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).
“I am declining the nomination for Chief Justice,” read Carpio’s brief letter to the JBC.
Carpio is the most senior justice of the Supreme Court.
Four other senior associate justices of the SC, namely Presbitero Velasco Jr., Teresita Leonardo de Castro, Diosdado Peralta, and Lucas Bersamin, are possible contenders for the post.
The four have yet to signify whether they are interested or not in the position. Velasco and De Castro, however, are set to retire on August and October this year.
Carpio earlier explained he does not want to benefit from the ouster of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes, Sereno thus he will decline any nomination.
He was one of six who dissented from the May 11 ruling that ousted Sereno through the quo warranto case filed against her by the Solicitor General Jose Calida.
Carpio had said that while he believed Sereno should be held accountable for failure to comply with the law on the proper filing of Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, impeachable officials like the Chief Justice can only be removed from office via impeachment.
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) has nominated Carpio to replace Sereno.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra yesterday confirmed the JBC would be requiring all nominees, including the five senior associate justices of the SC, to formally accept their nomination before they can be considered for the position.
He said the rule requiring consent of the nominee for a judiciary post will as stay as agreed upon by the council during its meeting last Friday.
“The same rule will continue to be applied, the nominee, even the most senior one must agree to be nominated,” Guevarra, an ex officio member of the JBC, said.
He added the JBC just took “note” the proposal of retired Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. to automatically consider Carpio for the post.
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