CJ Diosdado M. Peralta Retires Tomorrow

Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta retires tomorrow, March 27, after serving the Judi-ciary for more than 34 years as a prosecutor, a trial court judge, an associate justice and later presiding justice of the Sandiganbayan, and associate justice of the Supreme Court and then as chief justice. He was appointed chief justice by President Duterte on Oct. 23, 2019.

He opted for early retirement or a year before his term ends on March 27, 2022, when he turns 70 years old, the mandatory retirement age for members of the Judiciary.

His accomplishments as Chief Magistrate come to light amid the year-long pandemic that is still hounding the government and its citizens.

CJ Peralta was in his fifth month as head of the Judiciary when the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) struck the country in March 2020 prompting vital institutions to shut down operations, including the courts.

Immediately, the Peralta-led Supreme Court (SC) devised ways and means to cope with the pandemic. Under his leadership, the SC implemented the previously tested video conferencing hearings by trial courts in civil and criminal cases to expedite the resolution of cases and help decongest jails. It also allowed online filing of complaints and court pleadings and adopted a four-day workweek to safeguard the 29,000 strong court personnel nationwide from the virus.