Malaca?ang late Saturday asked the public to give President Benigno Aquino III enough time to decide who will replace Renato Corona as Chief Justice, according to a report published in the GMA News, Sunday. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said that while many names have cropped up in recent media reports, Aquino still has 90 days to make a decision. “The president has 90 days to make a decision. It would be a thorough assessment of people who should occupy the most important position in the judicial branch of government,” he said on government-run dzRB radio. He also said that while the names of some officials had been floated, Aquino will have to weigh the impact of their possible “loss” from the executive branch should they be appointed. Earlier reports had floated the names of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares as Corona's replacement. De Lima and Henares both indicated they are not closing their doors to being nominated for the post, although Henares stressed she will not actively apply for the job. Corona was stripped of his post as chief justice after the Senate impeachment court, voting 20-3, declared him guilty of culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust for not declaring some properties and accounts in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN). But officially, Lacierda said they have “no information” on who is in Aquino's short list of potential replacements for Corona.
