Supreme Court grants Carpio retirement privileges of chief justice

The Supreme Court has granted Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio the retirement privileges of a chief justice.

Carpio's colleagues in the High Court unanimously passed a resolution for the purpose, retired chief justice Artemio Panganiban said Friday. A court insider confirmed the development.

"I think this is the least the Court could do for its esteemed member who faithfully served the longest term, 18 years, as associate justice," Panganiban said at a testimonial lunch for Carpio in Makati City.

Carpio will retire on October 26, when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70.

He never became chief justice but had intermittently served as acting chief for what Panganiban said was a period of more than eight months — longer than retired chief justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro's term of less than two months.

Carpio also declined the traditional "majestic" ceremony for retiring justices at the SC's Session Hall, instead preferring a "simple dinner" on the eve of his retirement, Panganiban said.

The senior magistrate said he will retire with a zero case backlog.

He said he will devote most of his time post-retirement to researching, writing, and lecturing on the Philippines' sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.

Newly retired chief justice Lucas Bersamin has called Carpio the "justices' justice," and Associate Justice Marvic Leonen and former Ombudsman and retired justice Conchita Carpio Morales said they agree that Carpio is "the best chief justice we never had." —JST, GMA News