Dimaampao seeks 7-year Philippine chief justice term

Philippine Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao sought the chief justice post in an Oct. 26 Judicial and Bar Council public interview, a Rappler article reported Oct. 27, as one of five candidates for the role.

The choice would shape the Supreme Court after Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, with the next appointee becoming the 28th chief justice; Dimaampao would be the first Muslim to hold the post and could serve seven years, until 2033.

“My experience has reminded me that the law belongs not only to those who practice it, but ultimately to the people whom it is meant to serve,” Dimaampao said during the interview, according to Rappler.

“If given the opportunity to serve as chief justice, I will bring with me not only experience, but humility borne of experience,” he said. “For I believe that leadership in the judiciary is not about standing over others. It is about standing with them in pursuit of judicial independence… in pursuit of justice, and in fruitful service to the Filipino people.”

Dimaampao said the judiciary should become more than technologically current after 2027. “After 2027, our role is to build not only a more modern judiciary but to develop a more human judiciary – one that is trusted by the people, accessible to the vulnerable, and resilient in times of crisis,” he said.

The Judicial and Bar Council, the body that screens applicants for judicial posts, finished the interviews on Oct. 26 and will move to deliberations, Rappler reported. It will submit a shortlist to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who will appoint the next chief justice.

Dimaampao is the second most junior among the five Supreme Court associate justices seeking the post and holds seat No. 11 on the court, according to Rappler. He joined the Supreme Court in September 2021 after being appointed by then-President Rodrigo Duterte.

His candidacy carries institutional and symbolic weight in a court that Rappler said has had only two Muslim associate justices in 125 years. The first was Abdulwahid Bidin of Tawi-Tawi, appointed in 1987 by then-President Corazon Aquino; Dimaampao is the second.

In the interview, Dimaampao said he would address delays in cases and keep the court aligned with global justice trends, including the use of artificial intelligence. He said those priorities would be implemented in the first three years if he were appointed.

He also said court decisions should be understandable to ordinary people, with clear reasoning, consistent doctrine, concise language and just outcomes. On the Bar examinations, administered yearly by the Supreme Court, he said the tests should measure analytical ability, while acknowledging that a stricter approach could reduce the number of passers.

Asked by Judicial and Bar Council member Senator Kiko Pangilinan about accountability in corruption cases, Dimaampao said he would propose transparency, digitalization, a culture of integrity, decentralized oversight and civil tracking. He also said judges should be reminded of their constitutional duties through ethics seminars.

Dimaampao described judicial restraint as a constitutional philosophy and said courts should use judicial review, the power to assess whether other branches violated the Constitution, with caution. He also said the maxim “dura lex sed lex,” or the law is harsh but it is the law, should be applied carefully when strict enforcement would cause irreparable injury.

“I would like to be remembered not simply as the first Muslim to serve as chief justice but as a chief justice who upheld the supremacy of the Constitution, defended and protected the independence of the judiciary, and ensured that justice was served without fear or favor,” Dimaampao said.