Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta, the country’s 26th head of the judiciary, announced on Tuesday, Dec. 1, his intention to avail himself of early retirement in March 2021, which is a year ahead of his mandatory retirement on March 27, 2022 at the age of 70.
Supreme Court (SC) Spokesperson Atty. Brian Keith F. Hosaka said he asked Peralta personally in the Chief Justice’s letter to his colleagues on the early retirement and “he (Peralta) confirmed it.”
But Hosaka said Peralta did not give any reason for the early retirement except that the Chief Justice said “ will make a formal announcement in due time.”
There is now a vacancy in the 15-member SC after Associate Justice Priscilla J. Baltazar Padilla also opted for early retirement in November.
The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC)–the constitutional office that accepts, screens, and nominates appointments to the judiciary–had announced the opening for applications or recommendations to the vacant post.
If Peralta’s retirement pushes through in March next year, the JBC has to scout for nominees for the Chief Justice post.
Based on seniority, foremost is Senior Associate Justice Estela M. Perlas Bernabe who is mandatorily retiring on May 14, 2022.
Next to Bernabe is Associate Justice Marvic Mario Victor F. Leonen who is retiring on Dec. 29, 2032.
Also retiring in 2022, aside from Bernabe, are Associate Justices Rosmari D. Carandang and Edgardo L. delos Santos.
Peralta was appointed Chief Justice on Oct. 23, 2019 by President Duterte. He took over the post from retired Chief Justice Lucas P. Bersamin.
Before his promotion, Peralta was the head of the SC’s third division, head of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET), and chairman of the SC’s committee on the revision of rules.
As Chief Justice, Peralta is the chairman of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) and head of the JBC.
He has been with the judiciary for the past 26 years. He started as a judge of the regional trial court (RTC) in Quezon City in 1994. As a trial court judge, his court was designated a special criminal court for heinous crimes and, later, for drug cases.
In 2002, he was promoted to the Sandiganbayan. After six years in the anti-graft court, he was promoted as its presiding justice in 2008.
On Jan. 23, 2009, Peralta was named SC associate justice, a post he held until his promotion as Chief Justice in 2019.
Peralta is a native of Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. His career in government service started in 1987 with his appointment as assistant city prosecutor for his home city.
In 1988, he was transferred to the prosecutor’s office in Manila where he later became the assistant chief of the investigation division.
Peralta finished his law degree at the University of Santo Tomas in 1979 as a working student. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Economics from the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in 1974.
He is married to Court of Appeals Associate Justice Fernanda C. Lampas Peralta with whom he has four children–Dorothy who is a lawyer, John Christopher, Timothy John, and John Isaac.