The Supreme Court: Last bastion of truth and justice

Here in the United Kingdom, I overheard Senator Bato online, saying he won’t submit himself to any international criminal tribunal on the issue of human rights and extra-judicial killings. His reason: There is a Philippine Supreme Court and judicial system that is working. He sounds convincing with his thick Visayan accent like mine.

Talking about courts, I'm honored to have been invited by an old university here in North England to speak about the Philippines' legal and judicial system, compared to other ASEAN systems. When I was in Washington, D.C. two weeks ago, I visited the US Supreme Court, courtesy of a Filipino lawyer. We compared the US Supreme Court and ours.

Unlike ours with 15 associate justices, the US Supreme Court has one chief justice and eight associate justices. Unlike ours where all justices should retire at 70, theirs serve until they die, become incapacitated, are involuntarily removed for cause, or voluntarily retire. The incumbent chief justice is John Roberts. The latest appointee is the first black woman associate justice, Kitanji Brown Jackson. It took 232 years and 115 prior appointments before a US president ever dared to elevate a black woman to the highest court. It’s always a Democrat president, like Joe Biden, who would choose such a jurist. The first black man appointed was Thurgood Marshall, appointed by another Democrat president, Lyndon B. Johnson.

Our chief justice is Alexander Gesmundo, from San Pablo, Laguna. Born in 1956, he will stay in his post until 2026. The most senior associate justice is Mario Victor Leonen. Born in 1962, he will stay until 2032 beyond the term of this president. He chaired the historic Bar Exams in 2021-2022 with the highest percentage of passers in recent years, 72.28%. Third in seniority is Alfredo Benjamin Cagioa who is now 62 and will retire in 2029. He is chairman of this year's Bar.

Fourth is Ramon Paul Hernando, classmate of the vice president in San Sebastian before he transferred to San Beda, who administered her oath of office. Hernando is 55, and will stay in the court till 2035. By 2028, Inday Sara will be the president, and we know whom she will choose as chief justice. Fifth is my former fellow UST Law professor, Ammy Lazaro-Javier, who will stay until 2026. Sixth Henri Jean Paul Inting, younger brother of the Comelec senior commissioner Socorro Inting. He will retire in 2025. Seventh is Rodil Zalameda who will retire in 2033. Eighth is Mario Lopez, set to retire in 2027. Ninth is Samuel Gaerlan, who will retire in 2028.

Tenth is Ricardo Rosario, retiring in 2028 also. Eleventh is Jhosep Lopez, who will be in court until 2033. The same is true for my close friend and fellow UE and UST Law professor Japar Dimaampao, twelfth in seniority. He will retire in 2033. Thirteenth is former court administrator Jose Midas Marquez, he will retire in 2036. Fourteenth is Antonio Kho, he will retire in 2036. The latest is Maria Filomena Singh, she will be in the Court until 2036. There is no Cebuano in the highest court. We have no more judicial pillars in the stature of Manuel Briones, Marcelo B. Fernan, and Hilario G. Davide, Jr.

By the way, they asked me here about Maria Ressa and Leila de Lima and about human rights. I told myself that if I cannot say anything nice, I better invoke my right to remain silent. I only said, well that is sub judice, and I really cannot comment on it in a public forum like this. Of course, you all know the truth. They do too. But I did not want to confirm this.

"There is no Cebuano in the highest court."