The promotion of Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro to chief justice has paved the way for the reorganization of the Supreme Court’s three divisions.
Besides being the head of the Court en banc, De Castro also heads the high court’s First Division with Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin as working chairman. Associate Justices Mariano del Castillo, Francis Jardeleza, and Noel Tijam compose the First Division.
Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio will serve as chairman of the Second Division with Associate Justices Estela Perlas Bernabe, Benjamin Alfredo Caguioa, Andres Reyes Jr. and Jose Reyes Jr. as members.
The Court’s Third Division will be led by Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta with Associate Justices Marvic Mario Victor Leonen, Alexander Gesmundo, Andres Reyes Jr. and Jose Reyes Jr. as members.
The two Reyeses are the swing justices to complete the membership of five justices for every division.
There are now only 13 justices in the 15-member bench as a result of the vacancies that arose from the appointment of De Castro as top magistrate and of Associate Justice Samuel Martires as Ombudsman.
The Judicial and Bar Council”•the constitutional body that accepts, screens and nominates appointments to the judiciary”•has opened the application and nominations for the post left by Martires. It has yet to announce the vacancy left by De Castro as associate justice.
The Court en banc meets every Tuesday without prejudice to holding special sessions to tackle urgent cases, while its divisions hold sessions Mondays and Wednesdays.
