Short term as chief justice? 'I've accomplished much already,' says De Castro

Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro does not believe her approaching retirement will be detrimental to her possible appointment as the country's next chief justice.

Set to retire in October when she reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70, De Castro is the most senior aspirant to the seat vacated by the ousted top judge Maria Lourdes Sereno.

If nominated and appointed, she would serve a term of less than two months.

"It is not as if I am going to start today working on projects that will benefit the court," De Castro told the Judicial and Bar Council during Thursday's public panel interview of chief justice applicants.

Her response to the question of what she can "realistically" accomplish in less than two months was an enumeration of past work: endeavors to improve court gender responsiveness, family courts and juvenile concerns, and the system on case management.

"I've accomplished much already and there are projects which are set for completion within this short period that you mentioned," she said. "And I can start projects which may go beyond my retirement."

De Castro was appointed to the SC in 2007 by then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. She said she started working on judicial reform projects in 2009.

"One important thing that I'd like to do before I retire is to reorganize the Ethics and Ethical Standards Committee of the Supreme Court," she said, referring to an internal body that she said was not organized during Sereno's term as chief.

"There must be a grievance machinery. People should have that grievance machinery within the Supreme Court and we can discipline our own," she added.

De Castro also expressed confidence that she has her SC colleagues' support, however short her possible top judge stint would be.

"They've always supported my recommendations not only in judicial cases but also on administrative matters," she said.

"And I see no reason why I will not get their support and cooperation so I'm very optimistic that whatever proposal I will make within this short period of time will still get the support of my colleagues."

De Castro is a veteran government worker, having been in public service for 45 years. She started out as a law clerk at the SC in 1973, rose from the ranks at the Department of Justice, and was eventually named presiding justice of the Sandiganbayan before her appointment to the High Court.

She was chair of the Sandiganbayan Special Division that convicted former President Joseph Estrada of plunder. Arroyo would later pardon Estrada. —KBK, GMA News