Sen. Risa Hontiveros. INQUIRER.NET PHOTO / CATHY MIRANDA
Short and bitter
This was how Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros described on Sunday the term of the new Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo De Castro.
Hontiveros urged the public to be 鈥渆xtra vigilant鈥� on the possible effects of the appointment of De Castro on the country鈥檚 democratic institutions.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, an ex-officio member of the Judicial and Bar Council, said on Saturday that Castro has been selected by Duterte to be the next chief magistrate.
READ: Duterte appoints De Castro as new CJ
According to Hontiveros, the appointment of De Castro might affect the issues on the electoral protest of Ferdinand 鈥淏ongbong鈥� Marcos against Vice President Leni Robredo and the country鈥檚 withdrawal from the International Criminal Court.
鈥淲hile the new Chief Justice鈥檚 term will be the shortest, it could also be long enough to cause further damage to our already battered democratic institutions,鈥� she said in a statement.
Hontiveros also said that President Rodrigo Duterte used the 鈥渟hortest and surest鈥� way in putting the Supreme Court under his hands.
De Castro was among three candidates selected and proposed by the Judicial and Bar Council to become the new Chief Justice.
She has been hailed by judicial and other government bodies as the 鈥渕ost qualified鈥� for the post. They included Malaca帽ang, the Ombudsman and the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission.
Senator Richard Gordon called De Castro as 鈥渧ery qualified鈥� as top magistrate.
READ: Palace on new CJ De Castro: 鈥楤ravo! Best choice!鈥� / New CJ De Castro 鈥榲ery qualified,鈥� says Gordon
鈥淧resident Rodrigo Duterte鈥檚 appointment of the one who will become the shortest-serving Chief Justice in the country鈥檚 history is absolutely short-sighted,鈥� Hontiveros said.
鈥淚t fell terribly short on many fronts: short on integrity, short on vision and short on courage. President Duterte just took the shortest and surest path to keeping the Supreme Court under his control,鈥� she added. /cbb