Justice Ricardo Rosario, formerly of the Court of Appeals (CA), has been appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte as the newest Supreme Court justice, completing the 15-man bench.

This was confirmed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.

Rosario edged out longtime nominees to the Supreme Court such as CA Justice Japar Dimaampao and Court Administrator Midas Marquez.

Rosario filled out the vacancy created by the recent retirement of Justice Jose Reyes Jr. 

Rosario is Duterte’s 11th appointee in the current composition of the Court, the president’s 15th overall in the 4 years of his presidency.

Rosario will turn 62 on October 15, which means he will have 8 years to stay in the Court, following Duterte’s recent pattern of appointing justices young enough to stay beyond his presidency.

In his Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) interview in 2018, Rosario, who was then a first-time applicant, agreed with the policies of the Duterte administration.

Rosario thought that the Supreme Court decision in People vs Lim that required policemen to strictly follow rules on handling seized drugs undermined the administration’s campaign against drugs.

The decision said that if policemen’s drug cases are weakly built or if it violated procedural rules on evidence, it should be dismissed.

“I think there should be a lenient application of the rules. There’s no need for the apprehending officers to strictly comply with physical inventory for as long as the integrity of the evidence is preserved,” Rosario said in 2018.

Rosario added, “I will apply the presumption of regularity that the police officers complied with their function regularly.”

Asked about whether the Duterte government’s closure of Boracay violated property owners’ right to privacy, Rosario said public interest was of heavier weight.

Duterte closed Boracay supposedly for the greater good of saving the environment.

 “I would still maintain, your honor, that the promotion of public interest and public good is more important than the privacy of the establishment owners,” said Rosario.

Rosario is a law graduate of Ateneo. He was Quezon City Prosecutor first and then became a judge of Manila and Makati before he was appointed to the CA in 2005. – Rappler.com