What Happens on the 41st Day?

Ralien Lyndel M. Bruce

11—St. Irenaeus

With Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s presidency, several issues and events have been happening.
One of the affairs that already left a mark in the country’s government history, specifically the
Supreme Court, is the incident of Teresita De Castro’s term as the Chief Justice. President Duterte
appointed her to serve for just 40 days, starting on August 28, and soon will retire by October.

According to Duterte when interviewed about the matter, he does not know any of the
justices who make up the Supreme Court. He pointed out that these people are all strangers to him
especially that he was not even a practitioner in Manila. The reason he chose De Castro for the
position was “based on the principle of seniority since she was the oldest among the nominees
vetted by the Judicial and Bar Council.”

However, with this decision-making skill which the president showcased, it can be
observed that he wasn’t really paying attention regarding the two sides of the decision. He clearly
stated that De Castro is a stranger who he hasn’t really talked to, and yet was designated for the
position. Although there is a saying which tells to don’t judge a book by its cover, familiarizing
yourself and knowing the other person involved is a step in determining whether she deserves the
title or not. Also, the position is not just a joke to practice on because the sake of our country is
put on her hands. She may have the milestones that took her to higher steps of her career, but she
also played a leading part in Maria Lourdes Sereno’s ouster, which should also have given attention
to. Another detail is the principle mentioned. Duterte based his appointment because of the
seniority, giving priority to the old ages. This may be a good thing to take into account for the
service one provides is acknowledged, but it is important to think long-term judgments as well.
With the limited time of her reign, this is considered as the shortest in the Supreme Court’s
background and looking into it, we can question if she can achieve something with that brief tenure.

Various reactions and opinions are gained by this matter and people don’t have a choice to
accept it, whether they are in favor or not. And if they don’t agree with this decision of the
president, the good thing is that De Castro’s retirement will at once occur in the month of October.