The Supreme Court (SC) has approved “for reasons pertaining to his current state of health” the early or optional retirement of Associate Justice Edgardo L. Delos Santos effective June 30.
Delos Santos was the second SC justice to opt for early retirement. Last March 27, then Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta retired one year ahead of his mandatory retirement on March 27, 2022. Peralta’s reason for early retirement was not made known.
Last May 5, Delos Santos sent a letter to the SC, as a full court, and signified his intention to retire early on health reason. The SC did not divulge his “current state of health.”
Appointed by President Duterte in December 2019, Delos Santos has until June 12, 2022 to serve the SC at age 70, the mandatory retirement age for members of the judiciary.
In a resolution issued on May 12 but released on Monday, May 24, the SC directed its committee on retirement “to coordinate with the Officed of Justice Delos Santos regarding the conduct of Justice Delos Santos’ retirement ceremony.”
By July 1, there would be another vacancy in the 15-member SC with Delos Santos’ retirement.
Vacant since April 5 was the post left by then Associate Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo who was appointed Chief Justice and head of the judiciary.
The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has announced that there are 15 aspirants to the post left by Gesmundo.
Delos Santos started his career in the judiciary when he was appointed municipal trial court judge for Siaton town in Negros Oriental in 1983. Ten years later, he was appointed judge of the regional trial court (RTC).
In May 2008, he was promoted as associate justice of the Court of Appeals (CA).
While serving as executive justice of the CA in Cebu City, President Duterte promoted him to the SC in Dec. 2019.