Leonen set to become acting chief justice

With Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo set to retire this November, the Supreme Court is in for a leadership shuffle and Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen expected to temporarily take the top spot.

This was according to SC spokesperson Atty. Camille Sue Mae Ting confirming that Leonen would serve as acting chief justice once Gesmundo steps down.

Ting said, “There will be an acting Chief Justice, which is usually the Senior Associate Justice”      

Gesmundo, the Court’s 27th chief justice, is set to retire on 6 Nov. 2026, when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70.

His retirement will trigger the constitutional process for choosing the next head of the judiciary.

Under the 1987 Constitution, the President has 90 days from the vacancy to appoint the next chief justice.

The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) will choose at least three candidates which will be forwarded to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

On the other hand, Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier is also set to retire on 16 Nov. 2026, creating another vacancy in the 15-member tribunal.

In 2017, Gesmundo was appointed associate justice and became chief justice in 2021.

During his time as chief justice, he pushed for judicial modernization through initiatives such as the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI), a five-year plan which included digital technology, electronic filing and efforts to streamline court processes.