Peralta to Supreme Court workers: Let us be united, follow rules

New Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta urged unity among the officials and workers of the Supreme Court (SC) as he bared plans for a term of more than two years as leader of the Philippine judiciary.

"Let us be united and let us follow the rules," Peralta, who claimed he will "lead by example," said in a speech after his flag-raising ceremony at the SC as chief justice on Monday.

He unveiled a 10-point program of plans for the judiciary, from the elimination of case backlog, the improvement of judges' security, to the establishment of a 24/7 help desk for court users and the implementation of certain court rules that were revised under the leadership of retired chief justice Lucas Bersamin.

A judge known for his quick disposition of cases, Peralta said he will require clerks of court to periodically inventory their pending cases and consult with the SC justices regarding backlog and urged the courts to comply with rules on prescribed trial periods.

He also revealed a plan for the SC to initiate investigations of cases involving judges even without a complaint in line with a bid to "weed out misfits from the judiciary," and expressed a hope for the implementation of a Judicial Integrity Board whose functions will be "harmonized" with that of the Office of the Court Administrator.

The chief magistrate also included in his agenda the automation of court processes, the monitoring of courts' performance, the improvement of procurement and bidding processes for a faster implementation of projects, and the creation of a project management unit that will ensure the continuity of court programs.

He said he will continue Bersamin's initiative on a clinical legal education program, and assured employees that their welfare will "always be considered."

"I have other numerous plans for the judiciary especially as regards the strengthening of employees' sense of self-worth so that each employee in the judiciary will take pride in saying that he or she is a public servant in the judiciary," he said.

He thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for the appointment and urged court workers to support and cooperate with him during his tenure.

Peralta will be chief justice until he turns 70, the mandatory retirement age, on March 27, 2022. — RSJ, GMA News