Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta, who is retiring on March 27, will hold his “last flag ceremony” with officials and employees of the judiciary at 8 a.m. on Monday, March 22, at the Supreme Court’s (SC) compound on Padre Faura Street in Ermita, Manila.
(FACEBOOK / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
The “last flag ceremony” has been traditionally practiced by the SC for its retiring members.
Due to the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the SC said the physical attendance during the flag ceremony will be limited to incumbent justices, heads of offices, and officers of the lawyers’ and employees’ organizations.
All other members of the judiciary and court employees may attend the ceremony online, the SC said.
Late last year, Peralta announced his early retirement on March 27, 2021 or one year ahead of his compulsory retirement at the age of 70 on March 27, 2022.
Neither the SC nor Peralta has divulged the reason for the early retirement which was approved by the SC as a full court last January.
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 Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).
He has been with the judiciary for almost 27 years and more than 34 years in government service. 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 drugs 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 in Ilocos Norte. His career in government service started in 1987 with his appointment as assistant city prosecutor for Laoag 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 Senior Associate Justice Fernanda C. Lampas Peralta with whom he has four children – Dorothy who is a lawyer, John Christopher, Timothy John, and John Isaac.
In an interview last Feb. 19 after the conferment on him of Doctor of Laws honoris causa (for the sake of honor) degree by the Tarlac State University, Peralta said he may return to the teaching profession “which holds a special place in my heart.”
He has been a professor of law for many years.