MANILA – The Supreme Court (SC) will remain independent under the tenure of newly-appointed Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta, Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.
“We are certain that with Chief Justice Peralta at the helm of the Supreme Court, the Judiciary will continue to be well-managed as it thrives to uphold the principles of judicial excellence, integrity and independence,” Panelo said.
According to Panelo, the Malacañang is confident that the judicial branch will effectively fulfill its core functions with Peralta, who will serve as the SC CJ for the next three years.
Peralta’s track record is unquestionable, Panelo said, as he has served the judiciary for more than three decades in various capacities, a trial court judge, associate justice and presiding justice of the Sandiganbayan and associate justice of the SC.
“He made many landmark decisions that reverberate to this time, which include the imposition of the death penalty on a policeman who used his service firearm to shoot an 11-year-old boy while flying his kite on a rooftop in People vs. Fallorina; the first conviction for plunder involving a cashier of the Bureau of Internal Revenue in People vs. Manalili; the first and only conviction of Qualified Bribery under Article 211-A of the Revised Penal Code, as amended, involving a substantial number of police officers in the case of suspected foreign drug-traffickers,” Panelo said.
He added that Peralta convicted the most number of accused involved in big time drug cases and other serious crimes.
Peralta was the third SC Chief Justice appointee of President Rodrigo Duterte after previously choosing Lucas Bersamin and Teresita Leonor De Castro./PN
