Sereno appointment as Chief Justice a disappointment —De Castro

Supreme Court Associate Justice Teresita De Castro on Monday admitted that she was disappointed when President Benigno Aquino III named Maria Lourdes Sereno Chief Justice in 2012.

At the resumption of the House Committee on Justice hearing on Sereno's impeachment, De Castro disclosed her views on the appointment of Sereno as the country's top magistrate.

"How did I feel when the Chief Justice Sereno was appointed? Of course it was a disappointment, knowing that she was just two years as associate justice of the court," De Castro said.

De Castro was also on the list of nominees of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) to replace the impeached former Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012.

The associate justice was invited to the House hearing to shed light on the allegations made by lawyer Lorenzo "Larry" Gadon against Sereno.

De Castro said she didn't want to criticize Sereno's performance as Chief Justice but added, "I think what is important is that one, the appointed chief justice must have a full grasp of the law or procedure and how to manage an institution like the judiciary."

"I wouldn't like to criticize her professional background or how she performed her work, but I'd like to say that the Chief Justice is unlike the previous chief justices who were very careful in seeing to it that the actions of the court... faithfully expressed the collective decision of the court en banc," De Castro said.

Earlier in the hearing, De Castro attested to Associate Justice Noel Tijam's testimony that Justice Vitaliano Aguirre II's request to transfer Maute cases outside of Mindanao was taken up not during the en banc session, but over lunch after the meeting.

Gadon alleged in his impeachment complaint that Sereno had committed culpable violation of the Constitution for supposedly manipulating and delaying the resolution for such request.

De Castro said it was better for House members themselves to assess the efficiency of Sereno as Chief Justice.

"I leave it up to you to see how you will rate her in terms of her proficiency of the law, court procedure and management," De Castro said.

De Castro said in an earlier hearing that she did not let her emotions get in the way of being a justice.

"Your honor, matagal na po akong justice, dalawampung taon na po. Wala pong karapatan ang isang tao na maging justice kung affected ng emotions. Yan po ang isang bagay na hindi ko pinaiiral sa akin," De Castro told House panel members in their November 29 hearing.

"The president appointed her. She was nominated by the JBC. Siguro ang dapat, tignan niyo ang aking mga ginawa, kung merong basehan. Kapag walang basehan, doon niyo sabihin na itong aking mga ginagawa ay dahil lang sa aking emotions," she added. —NB, GMA News