Teresita de Castro explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honorable
Teresita de Castro
Order:24th
Office:Chief Justice of the Philippines
Appointer:Rodrigo Duterte
Successor:Lucas Bersamin
Office1:160th Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
Appointer1:Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Predecessor1:Cancio Garcia
Successor1:Rosmari Carandang
Office2:4th Presiding Justice of the Sandiganbayan
Appointer2:Fidel V. Ramos
Predecessor2:Romulo Quimbo
Successor2:Ediberto Sandoval (acting)
Birth Name:Teresita Jose Leonardo
Birth Date:October 10, 1948
Birth Place:Manila, Philippines
Spouse:Eduardo de Castro
Children:3
Alma Mater:University of the Philippines (AB, LLB)
Termstart:August 28, 2018
Termend:October 10, 2018
Termstart1:December 3, 2007
Termend1:August 28, 2018
Termend2:December 3, 2007
Termstart2:September 8, 1997

Teresita Leonardo de Castro (born Teresita Jose Leonardo; October 10, 1948)[1] [2] is a Filipina who served as the 24th chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines; she was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte on August 28, 2018. She assumed the vacated position once her predecessor, Maria Lourdes Sereno, was removed via a quo warranto petition (by declaring Sereno a de facto chief justice and making her 2012 appointment null and void ab initio); making De Castro the de jure 24th chief justice, and the first female chief justice of the Supreme Court.[3]

De Castro officially retired on October 10, 2018, after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70; merely 46 days after serving as Chief Justice, surpassing the record of former Chief Justice Pedro Yap of being the shortest-tenured Chief Justice.[4]

Prior to her appointment to the Supreme Court by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,[5] she had been the Presiding Justice of the Sandiganbayan.[6]

Profile

De Castro's parents are Fortunato R. Leonardo and Maxima Jose of Parañaque. De Castro resides at Merville Subdivision, Parañaque. She is married to businessman Eduardo A. De Castro and they have three children: Maria Cherell, Christine Genevive, and Edouard Anthony. Her half-brother, Eduardo L. Leonardo works as executive assistant VI in Sandiganbayan.[7]

De Castro finished her grade school (1960) and high school education (valedictorian, 1964) at St. Paul College of Parañaque, and earned her political science degree (cum laude, 1968) and Bachelor of Laws (1972) at the University of the Philippines. She passed the Philippine Bar Examination of November, 1972 with bar rating of 80.9%.[8]

She started her judicial career as a law clerk, legal and judicial assistant in the Supreme Court of the Philippines,(1973–1978). She was appointed DOJ State Counsel I and II (1978–1985), and promoted to senior state counsel (1985–1987), supervising state counsel, and chief of the Legal Staff (1988–1989). Before her Sandiganbayan appointment, De Castro was State Counsel V and Legal Staff head at the DOJ (1989–1995).[9] De Castro was the Presiding Justice and Chair of the First Division, Sandiganbayan at the time of her appointment to the High Court.[10]

She held the position of President-elect of the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) from 2012 to 2014.[11] She is also the Chairwoman of the 2015 Philippine Bar Examination committee.[12]

On August 25, 2018, President Duterte announced his appointment of De Castro as the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, replacing Maria Lourdes Sereno who was removed from office by way of an 8–6 decision by the Supreme Court over a quo warranto petition.[13] She formally assumed the office on August 28.[14]

The trial of Joseph Estrada

See main article: Trial of Joseph Estrada.

De Castro headed the anti-graft court's special division on the perjury and plunder trial of former President Joseph Estrada. Estrada's son, Senator Jinggoy Estrada also faced charges. The trial finished in September 2007. Estrada was acquitted of perjury charges but found guilty of plunder and sentenced to life imprisonment.[15] All the co-defendants, including Senator Jinggoy Estrada, were acquitted of all charges.

Estrada appealed the decision[16] and called the court (and De Castro, as head of it) "a kangaroo court", while President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said the court's decision must be accepted.[17]

De Castro was appointed to the Supreme Court soon after the end of the highly politicized trial. This led to some accusations of quid pro quo. People claimed that she had convicted former President Estrada in exchange for a seat on the Supreme Court.[18] She vigorously denied those rumors, claiming that she had been a candidate for a seat on the high court before her involvement in the case.

Appointment to the Supreme Court

On October 16, 2007, the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) announced the final nominees to the Associate Justice Cancio Garcia's vacant seat. Teresita De Castro, Justices Edgardo Cruz and Martin Villarama, got seven out of eight votes, while Associate Justices Francisco Villaruz and Edilberto G. Sandoval and Labor Secretary Arturo D. Brion got five votes each (from the JBC). Under Philippine law, the president has 90 days to choose from among the final nominees.[19]

Senator Jinggoy Estrada (son of Joseph), vowed to block the appointment to the Supreme Court of Sandiganbayan Justices Teresita de Castro and Francisco Villaruz, Jr. (who convicted his father – President Joseph Estrada). Jinggoy argued that: "Such a promotion would seem like a reward in exchange for the guilty verdict against the deposed President. We are convinced, then and now, that the special court created to exclusively try the case of President Estrada was established precisely to convict him, which is what exactly happened."[20]

De Castro was sworn by Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno on December 4, 2007.[21] Teresita de Castro stated: "Everything happens in God's time. I believe that my 34 years of service in the judiciary and a good track record make me qualified for this position." Immediately after being sworn in, she participated in her first en banc session.[22]

De Castro became controversial when she was the Sandiganbayan's Presiding Justice after her division convicted former President Joseph Estrada for graft. Many believed that her decision was related to her subsequent appointment by former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as the 160th Associate Justice of the Supreme Court in 2007 in exchange of her favorable decision.

Reactions to her appointment to the Supreme Court

Testimony against Sereno

De Castro was one of five sitting justices who sought to nullify the appointment of Maria Lourdes Sereno as the country's top magistrate. De Castro and Sereno were both shortlisted by the Judicial and Bar Council in 2012 for the Chief Justiceship but then-President Benigno Aquino III appointed the latter to the post. Along with four other members, she was accused of exhausting legal remedies to oust the incumbent Chief Justice.

Chief Justice

On August 25, 2018, De Castro was appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, following the ouster of Maria Lourdes Sereno via quo warranto. She served 46 days until her mandatory retirement on her 70th birthday on 10 October. De Castro's appointment was criticized due to her expected short term of two months since she is obligated to retire on October 8, 2018, as well as her role as one of the five sitting justices who sought to nullify the appointment of Sereno as Chief Justice.[29] [30]

Education and Qualifications

University and Law School

Training Courses

Other honors and qualifications

Some notable opinions

See also

External links

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Notes and References

  1. Profile on Website Supreme Court of the Philippines
  2. Lian Buan, De Castro ends chief justice stint, leaves gifts to court workers, Rappler.com (October 8, 2018)
  3. News: Teresita Leonardo de Castro is new Chief Justice. CNN Philippines. August 25, 2018. August 25, 2018. August 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180825072247/http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2018/08/25/Chief-Justice-Teresita-Leonardo-de-Castro.html. dead.
  4. News: Teresita Leonardo-De Castro is new Supreme Court chief. ABS-CBN News. 2018-08-25. en-US.
  5. Web site: De Castro Appointed SC Associate Justice. ABS-CBN News. 2007-12-03. 2007-12-03.
  6. http://www.tan.org.ph/files/proj_scaw_AJ.asp tan.org.ph, APPLICANTS TO THE SUPREME COURT ASSOCIATE JUSTICE POST
  7. http://www.i-site.ph/Databases/Judiciary/Sandiganbayan/relatives/decastro-relatives.html Sandiganbayan Database profile of relatives in government of TERESITA LEONARDO DE CASTRO
  8. http://www.gmanews.tv/erapplundertrial/decastro GMA NEWS.TV, Personal Data Sheet of De Castro
  9. http://www.i-site.ph/Databases/Judiciary/Sandiganbayan/personal/decastro-personal.html Sandiganbayan Database profile of TERESITA LEONARDO DE CASTRO
  10. http://www.chanrobles.com/sandiganbayaninthephilippinesdirectory.htm Sandiganbayan Directory
  11. http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/aboutsc/justices/j-decastro.php Justice Teresita J. Leonardo-De Castro Supreme Court Profile
  12. http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/pio/news/2015/01/01-27-15.php "2015 Bar exams to be held November"
  13. Web site: De Castro is the new Chief Justice-Guevarra. ABS-CBN News Online. 25 August 2018.
  14. News: De Castro is new Chief Justice until October. CNN Philippines. August 25, 2018. August 25, 2018. August 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180825072247/http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2018/08/25/Chief-Justice-Teresita-Leonardo-de-Castro.html. dead.
  15. http://www.gmanews.tv/sandiganbayandecision.html GMA NEWS.TV, The SANDIGANBAYAN DECISION
  16. http://news.monstersandcritics.com/asiapacific/news/article_1359793.php/Philippines_ex-president_Estrada_appeals_conviction_for_plunder Monstersandcritics.com, Philippines' ex-president Estrada appeals conviction for plunder
  17. https://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSMNT00044820070912 Reuters, Philippines' Estrada gets life
  18. http://www.gmanews.tv/story/60521/Palace-urges-Sandigan-justices-to-decline-SC-nomination GMA NEWS.TV, Palace urges Sandigan justices to decline SC nomination
  19. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view_article.php?article_id=94732 Inquirer.net, Sandiganbayan, 2 CA justices lead nominees for SC post
  20. http://www.gmanews.tv/story/67275/Jinggoy-vows-to-block-Sandigan-justices-appointment-to-SC gmanews.tv, Jinggoy vows to block Sandigan justices' appointment to SC
  21. http://www.gmanews.tv/story/71177/New-SC-CA-justices-to-be-sworn-in-Tuesday GmaNews.tv, New SC, CA justices to be sworn in Tuesday
  22. https://archive.today/20070709212017/http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=101338 AbsCbn, De Castro takes oath of office
  23. http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/man/2007/12/05/news/de.castro.s.appointment.to.sc.a.political.reward.erap.html Sun Star, De Castro's appointment to SC a political reward: Erap
  24. https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/25/18/government-officials-react-to-de-castros-appointment-as-chief-justice ABS-CBN, Government officials react to De Castro’s appointment as chief justice
  25. https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/25/18/government-officials-react-to-de-castros-appointment-as-chief-justice ABS-CBN, Government officials react to De Castro’s appointment as chief justice
  26. http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=politics2_dec5_2007 Manila Standard Today, Estradas slam De Castro’s promotion
  27. http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/dec/05/yehey/top_stories/20071205top2.html Manila Times, Villar, Jinggoy hit timing of SC appointment
  28. https://archive.today/20070709212017/http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=101467 AbsCbn, Ermita defends de Castro's appointment
  29. Web site: Teresita de Castro is new Supreme Court Chief Justice. 25 August 2018 .
  30. News: Teresita Leonardo de Castro is new Chief Justice. CNN Philippines. August 25, 2018. August 25, 2018. August 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180825072247/http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2018/08/25/Chief-Justice-Teresita-Leonardo-de-Castro.html. dead.