Antonio Carpio

The Supreme Court decision ousting Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno from her post based on a quo warranto petition tests the characters of the people composing it. Obviously, the High Court’s current composition is not the best--a product of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s long hold on power.

Okay. I would alter that point a bit. Most of those who voted for the ouster of Sereno via a quo warranto petition were appointees of Arroyo whose bias against Sereno was obvious but refused to inhibit themselves from the case. But one associate justice stands out because he was a Noynoy Aquino appointee: Francis Jardeleza.

Jardeleza has actually been propping up the Arroyo appointees in many controversial decisions. Which shows that this may not purely be a matter of the president that appointed the associate justices. As we Cebuanos would say, “ila sad gyud na.” Past presidents failed to put people in the High Court who could transcend biases.

Which brings me to Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio. He was an Arroyo appointee, the reason Aquino bypassed him after former chief justice Renato Corona was ousted by the Senate as impeachment court. Instead of appointing the most senior associate justice, Noynoy went for Sereno. Now Aquino knows what he missed.

Carpio has proven himself to be more than a statesman. He had the most beef against Sereno and Aquino, more than what the, as we Cebuanos would say, “mabaw og tingkoy” that is Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, who unfortunately for us would be the next ombudsman. But look at how Carpio has been acting in the whole episode.

Carpio refused to be made a pawn by the pro-Rodrigo Duterte majority in the House who conducted a moro-moro of an impeachment hearing meant more to malign Sereno’s name like what they did to Sen. Leila de Lima. He saw through the House scheme unlike his colleagues led by de Castro who testified against Sereno.

Carpio also picked up an advocacy that no other official whether from the judiciary or legislative did with daring and intelligence. He publicly criticized the Duterte administration’s wimpish stance on the South China Sea row, using mainly his knowledge of the law.

He refused to ingratiate himself to the president like what many of his colleagues are doing, especially in the Sereno case. That is why he may be bypassed again in the consideration for Sereno’s successor. But I say that even if he does not become a chief justice, he ably made himself eligible for the tag “best SC chief justice this country never had.”

President Duterte will most likely choose a new chief justice from the ranks of those who ousted Sereno as a reward. De Castro’s reward, if rumors are correct, would be as replacement of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, her superior both in integrity and intellect. If Sereno is replaced by any of the associate justices who ousted her, he will also be inferior than Carpio in integrity and intellect.

That, to use a cliche, is how the cookie crumbles under these sad and unfortunate times in the country.