JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra has declined his nomination made by retired Sandiganbayan Justice Raoul Victorino to the Supreme Court associate justice post that will be vacated with the mandatory retirement of Justice Jose Reyes Jr. this September.
In a one-page letter dated July 4, Guevarra said though he is “deeply honored and grateful” to Victorino for nominating him to the post, he would again decline the nomination since he is still needed at the Department of Justice (DOJ).
“It is the dream of many lawyers to reach the pinnacle of their legal career by getting appointed to and serving in the highest court of the land. Your nomination has again opened a path for me to pursue this dream, and this may very well be my last chance to go for it, considering the new rules on appointment to the Supreme Court adopted recently by the Judicial and Bar Council, of which I myself am a member,” Guevarra said.
“It is unfortunate, however, that this opportunity comes at a time when my services as Secretary of the Department of Justice are most needed. The government is facing a huge and unprecedented crisis occasioned by the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) pandemic, and it is especially during these troubled times that law and order must be preserved and maintained. It is therefore with utmost regret that I respectfully decline your nomination,” Guevarra said.
It will be recalled that Guevarra had also declined Victorino’s nomination for the SC post vacated by Justice Diosdado Peralta last year when he was appointed Chief Justice.
He said at the time that while he was honored by the nomination, he still loved being at the DOJ and that he wanted to pursue his programs to reform the department.