[ad_1]
Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta will resign in March next year when he turns 69, the Supreme Court said Tuesday.
Court spokesman Bryan Hosaka confirmed that Peralta sent a letter to the court en banc informing his colleagues that he would be retiring on March 27, 2021, a year before reaching his mandatory retirement.
Peralta was appointed in October 2019. He succeeded Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin.
He gave no reason for his decision to retire early.
“For those who ask about the alleged letter from the Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta to his colleagues on the Supreme Court, which indicates his intention to take early retirement, I have asked him personally and he has confirmed it,” Hosaka said in a Press release.
“The Chief Justice did not elaborate, but said he will make a formal announcement in due course. Thank you, ”he added.
If Peralta goes ahead with his early retirement, the court’s five highest-ranking associate justices will be automatically nominated under the rules of the Judicial and Bar Council.
Peralta’s decision to resign early came as one of the court members is beset by allegations that he has been in cases for years.
The Manila Times published a story listing the cases that were assigned to Associate Judge Marvic Mario Victor Leonen who have been “sleeping” for years.
Among superior court judges, Leonen had the most old cases, documents acquired by The Times showed.
According to court rules, cases must be resolved in 24 months.
Some cases under Leonen’s care have not moved from 2 to 10 years.
In March 2019, a resolution drafted by Leonen said that the courts should have enough time to resolve the cases.
“Ineffably, the magistrates must be given room for maneuver to thoroughly review and reflect on the cases assigned to them. This court observes that all matters submitted to it involve rights that are legally enforceable and enforceable. It would be the height of injustice if cases were hastily decided at the risk of erroneously administering justice, “the resolution reads.
An inventory of cases assigned to Leonen showed that there were 37 aging cases under his supervision. Aging cases are those that are ripe for a decision but remain unsolved.
Leonen also had the highest number of delayed cases: 45.
Two cases have been sleeping for almost eight years; one case for seven years; two, six years; 14, five years; one, four years; six, three years; and nine, two years.
[ad_2]
