The Supreme Court (SC) has re-opened, after more than three years of Covid-19 pandemic, its Judiciary Memorabilia Hall that “houses keepsakes and collections of bodies of work of its former magistrates.”
The life and works of retired Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta, the 26th head of the country’s judiciary, will be featured for six months until September.
Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo led the re-opening of the hall, which is located at the third floor of the SC’s old building in Ermita, Manila, last March 27, Peralta’s 71st birth anniversary.
“The Judiciary Memorabilia Hall was created to honor and keep alive the memories of our past honorable magistrates as well as to commemorate and preserve the rich history of the Philippine Judiciary,” said Atty. Joyce Jazmin G. Dimaisip-Cunanan, acting SC senior chief staff officer of the Library Services and curator of the Judiciary Memorabilia Hall.
“The Hall was closed during the pandemic. However, due to the continuous improvement of the public health situation in the country, the Court, led by Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo has decided to open [it] to the public,” Atty. Cunanan said.
Speaking before court officials and guests as honoree, Peralta recalled his early beginnings as a fledging lawyer, then as a prosecutor in his hometown of Laoag, Ilocos Norte, before making the tough decision of taking a step down in his career to move to Manila.
Peralta retired on March 27, 2021 or one year ahead of his compulsory retirement at the age of 70 on March 27, 2022.
He was appointed chief justice on Oct. 23, 2019 by former President Rodrigo R. Duterte. He took over the post from retired Chief Justice Lucas P. Bersamin, now executive secretary.
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 was the chairman of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) and head of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).
He was with the judiciary for almost 27 years. He worked for the government for more than 34 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 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 its 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 has been a professor of law for many years.
It was in the Sandiganbayan where Peralta first met Chief Justice Gesmundo and retired Chief Justice Teresita J. Leonardo-de Castro, who was also present at the re-opening of the hall and whose own exhibit concluded during the pandemic.
SC Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez recounted that “when he (Peralta) became Chief Justice, he chose to ‘lead by example’ with his own prudent ways and worked in coordination (with various offices), motivating the Court with his highly interactive leadership and his vision for judicial excellence.”
Peralta was joined during the re-opening of the hall by his wife, Court of Appeals (CA) Justice Fernanda Lampas-Peralta; daughter Atty. Dorothy L. Peralta-De Guzman and her husband, Dr. Jeremie De Guzman; sons John Christopher Peralta, Timothy John Peralta, and John Isaac Peralta; sister Vissia P. Aldon, and brother-in-law Atty. Cornelio P. Aldon.
Also present were SC Justices Ramon Paul L. Hernando, Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, Samuel H. Gaerlan, and Jhosep Y. Lopez; CA Presiding Justice Remedios A. Salazar-Fernando; Court of Tax Appeals Justice Corazon G. Ferrer-Flores; Judicial Integrity Board (JIB) Vice Chairperson Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez; JIB Members Justice Sesinando E. Villon, Justice Rodolfo A. Ponferrada, and Justice Cielito N. Mindaro-Grulla; and Philippine Judicial Academy Vice Chairperson Justice Mariano C. Del Castillo.
Joining them were Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva; Clerk of Court En Banc Marife M. Lomibao-Cueva; Assistant Court Administrator and Public Information Office Chief Brian Keith F. Hosaka; Deputy Clerk of Court and Chief Administrative Officer Maria Carina A. Matammu-Cunanan; Deputy Clerk of Court and Judicial Reform Program Administrator Laura C.H. del Rosario; and Deputy Clerk of Court and Chief Technology Officer Jed Sherwin G. Uy.
Former members of the staff of retired Chief Justice Peralta from the trial court, the Sandiganbayan, and the Supreme Court also attended the re-opening.
Interested parties who wish to view the exhibit at the Judiciary Memorabilia Hall may call +63 2 8524-2706, or may send email to [email protected].