MANILA, Philippines – Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, and law professors at the University of the Philippines on Wednesday filed a petition before the high court against the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

In their 86-page plea, Carpio, Morales and several lawyers urged the Supreme Court to declare the entire law unconstitutional and to stop its implementation.

Carpio and Morales were joined by UP Law professors Dante Gatmaytan, Jay Batongbacal, Theodore Te, Victoria Loanzon and Anthony Charlemagne Yu, former Magdalo Party-list Representative Francisco Ashley Acedillo and student leader Tierone James Santos.

The petitioners questioned the vague and broad provisions of the law that may lead to arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement and malicious prosecution of innocent people.

The group also blasted the powers granted to the Anti-Terrorism Council that, they say, are greater than those given to the president in times of invasion and rebellion, including the power to authorize the arrest and detention of suspected terrorists for up to 24 days without court intervention.

This is the 11^th petition to be filed against the anti-terrorism law. – RRD (with details from Correspondent Joan Nano)

President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed former Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin as the new chairperson of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

Bersamin will replace Ronald Macasaet, who acted as GSIS officer-in-charge.

According to Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, the government is confident that Bersamin will be able to perform his duties as the new GSIS chair.

“We are confident that Mr. Bersamin would serve the GSIS with the same dedication and integrity he demonstrated in his many years of government service,” he said in a statement.

Bersamin is also named as a member of the Board of Trustees of the GSIS.—AAC

MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte named Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta as the new chief justice of the Supreme Court, Malacañang said Wednesday.

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea confirmed that Duterte signed Peralta’s appointment paper on Wednesday in a message to reporters.

Peralta will be replacing Lucas Bersamin, who retired last week after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Peralta beat Associate Justices Estela Perlas-Bernabe and Andres Reyes Jr. who were also shortlisted by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) for the post.

Peralta and Perlas-Bernabe both got seven votes while Reyes received four votes.

Among the three candidates for the post, Peralta is the most senior justice in terms of the number of years in the Judiciary.

Justice Peralta is an alumnus of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law, the Supreme Court said in a statement.

Born in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, Peralta started his career in government service when he was appointed Third Assistant City Fiscal in 1987 then went on to become a trial court judge and later a Sandiganbayan Justice before he was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2009.

Prior to his SC appointment, he was a professor, lecturer, resource person, and Bar reviewer in Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Remedial Law, and Trial Techniques in various universities.

Peralta will be sitting as the chief magistrate until he retires at the age of 70 on March 27, 2022.