SC appoints new en banc Clerk of Court
Supreme Court (SC) has appointed a new Clerk of Court for its highest grouping of justices, the en banc.
During the SC justices’ regular Aricheta got nine votes from the 14 justices who were present.
Aricheta is the most senior among the candidates and was SC’s First Division Clerk of Court until his promotion.
He was a graduate of the Ateneo College of Law and known to be close to late Chief Justice Renato Corona, who was his brother in the Utopia fraternity.
A native of Zamboanga del Norte, he began his public career as legal assistant officer at the Department of Labor and Employment in 1978.
In 1980, he joined the judiciary as technical assistant/researcher.
Aricheta became Court Confidential Attorney, Attorney IV, Court Attorney V and Court Attorney VI.
He was the assistant chief of Court of the First Division in 2004 the Clerk of Court-First Division in 2010.
without Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, who has gone
Aricheta took his oath before Acting Chief Justice Antonio Car
It was earlier reported that Sereno ordered to review appointments of previous en banc Clerks of Court to see if it was possible for the next Clerk of Court to not pass through the 15-man Supreme Court.
A source said Sereno is toying with the possibility of appointing the next en banc Clerk of Court by herself and of only the chairmen of the SC divisions signing the appointment because she dislikes Aricheta for being close to Corona.
Aricheta will occupy the post vacated by lawyer Felipa BorlonganAnama who retired last February 22.
Anama was supposed to retire in August of 2017 upon reaching the age of 65 but her services were extended by the SC justices for six months or until February of this year.
Other aspirants to the post were lawyer Lourdes Perfecto, Clerk of Court of the SC 2nd Division; lawyer Wilfredo Lapitan, Clerk of Court of the SC 3rd Division; - sistant Clerk of Court of the SC 2nd Division.
banc handles the most controversial cases in the High Court involving constitutional issues and those involving writs of kalikasan, amparo and habeas corpus and dismissal of justices and judges and lawyers.
He or she also sits as the Clerk of Court of the Presidential Electoral protests in races for President and Vice President.
It is also his or her duty to pre regular session of the justices and for special sessions.