Five days before his scheduled retirement on March 27 as the country’s top magistrate, Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta on Monday bid farewell to his colleagues at the Supreme Court, officials and employees of the judiciary and declared that almost all of the items in his Ten-Point Program have been accomplished.
“I am pleased to say that in spite of the pandemic, almost all of the items in my Ten-Point Program have come into fruition,” Peralta said in his speech during his last flag-raising ceremony as chief justice yesterday.
The program prioritizes ensuring the welfare of court employees and equitable access to justice for the general public.
Under his watch, Peralta said the SC formulated and approved 18 procedural rules and guidelines meant to improve the administration of justice and address the problem of clogged court dockets, including the conduct of online trials and hearings.
“I and my fellow Justices of the Court had the unenviable task of drawing up COVID-19-related policies and measures for implementation in the courts nationwide, not only for the safety and welfare of the judiciary’s 29,000-strong employees, but for those of all court users as well,” he said.
“To this end, I can say with confidence that we, the members and officials of the Supreme Court, have done everything within our authority to address all three judicial concerns and protect everyone’s well-being to the best of our abilities,” he added.
Peralta said the high court also restructured and streamlined the plantilla of various offices, divisions, and services to guarantee security of tenure for employees.
It also improved its processes as well as organized the Judicial Integrity Board to curb corruption in the judiciary.
Peralta likewise established the Judiciary Public Assistance Section to promptly receive and act on concerns, issues, suggestions, and complaints against erring court officials and employees.
“While I prepare to hang my judicial robe, this is definitely not the end of us seeing each other. Rest assured that I will still make myself available to the Supreme Court if I’m and when the time comes that my assistance is needed,” Peralta said.
The Laoag native started out as a public prosecutor in 1987 then went on to become a trial court judge in September 1994, an associate justice and later the presiding justice of the Sandiganbayan, before he was appointed to the SC in January 2009.
President Rodrigo Duterte appointed him to the top judicial post in October 2019.
Peralta will retire on March 27, one year ahead of the mandatory retirement for justices and judges.