Ex-Sandiganbayan justice nominates Guevarra to Supreme Court

FILE: Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra during a press briefing in Malacañang. (TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra was nominated to another government post — this time, in the country’s highest tribunal.

Retired Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Raoul Victorino endorsed Guevarra to an associate justice post in the Supreme Court (SC), which was vacated by Diosdado Peralta who was recently appointed as chief justice.

In his letter dated November 19 to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), Victorino described the Justice secretary as a “public servant with unblemished records.”

“I believe that he possesses the necessary credentials, professional experience and the motivation to discharge the duties as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court,” he said.

“I have known Secretary Gueverra to be a person of proven competence, integrity, probity and independence and his sense of patriotism through his socio-civic engagements,” he added.

In an interview with reporters on Wednesday, November 20, Guevarra thanked Victorino for nominating him to the post, however, he said he will still have to think whether to accept it or not.

“I will think about it very, very seriously,” Guevarra said.

Asked if he was hesitating, he answered, “I’m not hesitating. It’s just that I have lots of work to do pa sa (in the)  DOJ [Department of Justice].”

Guevarra, however, did not seem to reject the nomination, saying becoming a justice at the SC is an “appealing” post.

“At the proper time perhaps I’ll consider it,” he added.

“I don’t think any lawyer will close the possibility to be appointed to such a lofty position,” he continued.

Guevarra has until November 25 to submit his letter of intent.

Guevarra, a graduate of Ateneo de Manila University School of Law and ranked second in the 1985 bar exams. served as Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs (DESLA) in the Office of the President, prior to his appointment as the head of the Justice department in 2018, replacing Vitaliano Aguirre II.

He was also a member of the Philippine legal team that filed the arbitration case against China at the Hague concerning the West Philippine Sea and sat as an ex-officio member of the JBC for a short period.