LOOK: Rodil Zalameda takes oath as new chief justice

MANILA, Philippines — Rodil Zalameda on Friday took his oath as the country’s 28th chief justice, a day after Malacañang announced his appointment.  

All 15 members of the Supreme Court en banc, including outgoing Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo who was on his last day in office, were present in the oathtaking ceremony.

READ: Who is Rodil Zalameda, the new chief justice?

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The president chose Zalameda from a Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) shortlist of candidates that included Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen and Associate Justices Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, Japar Dimaampao, and Jose Midas Marquez.

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In his oath, Zalameda vowed to always be guided by the principle that “public office is a public trust” and to maintain judicial independence and integrity.

“In the exercise of my judicial functions, I shall always remain independent from any influence or unwarranted crime or undue pressure. I shall discharge these duties without fear or favor,” he read.

But his appointment was also met by opposition, with Kapatid, a support group of political prisoners, expressing doubt on his ability to maintain public trust in the judiciary after his rulings on cases related to the Marcoses and human rights issues.

Ruben Carranza, a former Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) and now a senior associate at the International Center for Transitional Justice, told the Inquirer that Zalameda’s rulings in the high court showed that he was willing to serve “whichever dynasty is in power.”

He was referring to the fist-bump Zalameda did with former President Rodrigo Duterte upon his appointment to the high tribunal in 2019, his vote to deny an appeal of an extrajudicial killing survivor, as well as the acquittal of former first lady Imelda Marcos this year of graft and his vote also to deny Sen. Bato dela Rosa’s temporary restraining order plea against his arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court. /mr