Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta on Friday assured the public that he will vote on the election protest filed by former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. fairly and objectively, debunking insinuation that he has been favoring the Marcoses.
“It is not correct that I have been favoring the Marcoses,” Peralta said in his first press conference as Chief Justice.
The Supreme Court, sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal, earlier ordered Marcos and Vice President Leni Robredo to comment on the recount results and on other issues.
"If you ask me what would I do as Chief Justice on the petition, as I said, I would decide the case, although I'm not the ponente, based on the evidence and the law applicable," Peralta said. "You are assured of that."
Peralta was the author of the Supreme Court decision that allowed the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
However, Peralta said that this was the only decision in which he favored the clan but it was based on the merits of the case.
“This is the only decision that I favored the Marcoses. It is only in the burial," he said, even as he defended his decision where the SC voted 9-5 in 2016. Rey E. Requejo
Peralta explained that there is neither a law nor a resolution prohibiting the burial of a former president at the heroes' cemetery.
"We cannot resolve cases based on public opinion," Peralta said.
In 2018, when he was an applicant for chief justice, he said he believed the country has to move on.
Peralta also admitted that his wife, Court of Appeals Associate Justice Fernanda Lampas-Peralta, handled an ill-gotten wealth case against the Marcoses when she was Assistant Solicitor General.
"She won that case against the Marcoses and they are aware of that," he said.