Robredo endorses Leonen for CJ post

Naga City Mayor and former Vice President Leni Robredo has endorsed Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen as the next chief justice of the Supreme Court, citing his competence, independence, probity and integrity.

In an 11 September letter to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the mayor formally nominated Leonen to succeed Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, whose tenure is nearing its end.

Robredo said Leonen, the Court’s most senior justice, had demonstrated qualifications beyond the constitutional requirements for the post.

“Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen is the most senior among all the justices of the Court,” Robredo said, adding that he had proven to be “way beyond the constitutional requirements of competence, independence, probity, and integrity,” the mayor stated in her letter to PBBM dated 11 September 2026.

14-year stint

Mayor Leni cited Leonen’s more than 14 years on the Supreme Court, during which he has written thousands of ponencias and separate opinions. She described his writings as clear and said they showed depth across legal fields, along with an awareness of the country’s history and postcolonial and multiethnic realities.

Before joining the Supreme Court in 2012, Leonen served as a public interest lawyer and was involved in negotiations that produced the framework agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Robredo said.

Robredo also cited Leonen’s leadership roles in the judiciary, including his service as acting chief justice, chair of the Supreme Court’s Second Division, chair of the Senate Electoral Tribunal and House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal, and co-chair of the Management Committee implementing the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations.

The mayor said Leonen also led the Court’s digitalization efforts through eCourt PH and the adoption of guidelines for using human-centered augmented intelligence in the judiciary.