Bersamin makes no apologies, asks for support

By Vann Marlo M. Villegas
CHIEF JUSTICE Lucas P. Bersamin, speaking in his first flag ceremony as head of the Supreme Court (SC), made no apologies for his appointment and appealed to court workers to “accept” and support him in his 11 month-stint.
“I know that you have expected maybe another individual to be appointed to be in this office. I am not apologizing for myself. I am not apologizing for the President. I am here because I was appointed. So that should stop all speculations from within and from without regarding whether Justice Bersamin deserved to be chief justice or not,” he said.
“Myself, I will tell you, I am an accidental chief justice. But that is not a statement of apology. I don’t apologize to anyone for having been appointed. That is the wisdom of a President who is the appointing power. Please accept me,” he added.
Mr. Bersamin, 69, was appointed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte last Nov. 29, replacing Teresita J. Leonardo-De Castro who retired last Oct. 10.
He is the third most senior justice in the SC, following Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio and Associate Justice Diosdado M. Peralta.
He has been working in the judiciary for 32 years starting from his appointment as judge of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 96 in 1986.
The Abra-native also asked court employees to “work side by side” with him.
“(I) ask you to welcome me, to love me, to support me to help me in my 11 months. Maikli lang ‘yan, pagbigyan n’yo na po ako (That is short, please indulge me),” he said.
Mr. Bersamin promised that he will address problems both in the SC and the lower courts.
“I will be as open minded about your concerns as I have been when I was in the lower courts,” he said, adding that he will talk to Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez to identify lower court problems that need to be addressed.
He also asked the court employees to refrain from using their mobile phones during office hours to create a good image of the court.
“Mula ngayon (From now on), from the Supreme Court down to the lowest level of our court system, I would like this to be observed. Please… put up a good image for our court,” he added.
He also said that he “hit the ground running” upon appointment as he already gave marching orders to Clerk of Court Edgar O. Aricheta and is set to meet the different offices under the SC.
He will also continue what was started by Ms. De Castro, he added.
The new top magistrate has also appointed Mr. Marquez as concurrent head of the SC Public Information Office (PIO), who previously served as SC PIO Chief during the time of former chief justices Renato C. Corona and Reynato S. Puno.