Chief Justice Peralta denies favoring Marcoses

Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta on Friday denied he has been favoring the Marcoses, assuring the public that he will vote on former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr.'s election protest objectively.

Peralta wrote the Supreme Court decision that dismissed the legal hurdles to the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, although he said this is the only decision in which he favored the clan.

"It is not correct that I have been favoring the Marcoses. This is the only decision that I favored the Marcoses. It is only in the burial," he said in his first press conference since being appointed chief justice in October.

He defended his decision, which the SC voted 9-5 for in 2016, saying there is neither a law nor a resolution prohibiting the burial of a former president at the heroes' cemetery.

"We cannot resolve cases based on public opinion," Peralta said. In 2018, when he was an applicant for chief justice, he said he believed the country has to move on.

Peralta said his wife, Court of Appeals Associate Justice Fernanda Lampas-Peralta, handled an ill-gotten wealth case against the Marcoses when she was assistant solicitor general.

"She won that case against the Marcoses and they are aware of that," he said.

The Peralta court will take the next steps in Bongbong Marcos' election protest, which remains pending despite a finding that Vice President Leni Robredo increased her vote lead after a manual vote recount in provinces chosen by Marcos.

The high court, which was then under the retired Lucas Bersamin, first ordered the parties to comment on the recount results and on other issues.

Peralta said the SC has granted the parties' request to photocopy the documents and allowed them to comment within 20 days after they finish securing copies.

"If you ask me what would I do as chief justice on the petition, as I said, I would decide the case, although I'm not the ponente, based on the evidence and the law applicable," Peralta said. "You are assured of that." —KBK, GMA News