SENIOR Associate Justice Leonardo Quisumbing formally hung his judicial robe as he retired from the 15-man Supreme Court (SC), which he has served for more than a decade.

The most senior member of the SC, Quisumbing retires Thursday upon reaching the mandatory age of retirement of 70, leaving yet another vacancy in the high court following the retirement of Associate Justice Consuelo Ynares-Santiago last October 5.

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Quisumbing was appointed to the high court on July 15, 1998 by former President Fidel Ramos.

Prior to his appointment to the judiciary, he held nine government positions in the executive department, among them as Secretary of Labor and Executive Secretary under the Ramos government; as Minister and Undersecretary of National Defense under former President Corazon Aquino; as State Counsel under the Department of Justice and Technical Assistant to the Executive Secretary under the regime of President Ferdinand Marcos.

Hailing from Masbate, Quisumbing graduated valedictorian from Masbate High School in 1959 and continued to excel in his undergraduate and law courses. He obtained an AB Journalism degree from Manuel L. Quezon University (MLQU), magna cum laude, and proceeded to complete his law degree at the University of Philippines.

Quisumbing placed 12th in the Bar Examinations of 1966 that jumpstarted his career in government. Among his notable ponencia were the upholding of the right to speedy trial and the admissibility of DNA evidence.

With his retirement, the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), a body which screens nominees to vacant judicial posts, will be interviewing about 14 new candidates for the vacancies left by Quisumbing and Associate Justice Minita Chico-Nazario on December 6, in addition to 22 other candidates who have already been interviewed for the vacancy left by Santiago.

On Thursday, the JBC conducted a public interview of Makati Representative Teodoro "Teddy Boy" Locsin Jr. who has signified his intention to join the Court after having been in the executive and legislative branches.

Locsin has recently been included by former President Joseph Estrada in the senatorial lineup of his party, Pwersa ng Masa, but upon questioning by JBC panel led by Chief Justice Reynato Puno, he said he would not be joining next year's elections.

According to Locsin, Estrada's offer was merely "a gesture of friendship."

"He (Estrada) is a man that you do not wish to hurt although I have no intention to run. But he was saying that you must run with me, and I said, 'But sir, I have a bad back.' And he said, 'So do I, but that's fine because I will push your wheelchair.' With that kind of approach, it's hard to say no to him. I don't think he seriously expects me to join him because I did not go to the proclamation rally," the lawmaker said.

When asked what made him decide to apply for the vacant SC slot, he said he has already done his best in serving the legislature for nine years.

Locsin also said he would not encounter pressure in the SC as much as he did in Congress, saying he believes that "the Court has a more serene atmosphere."

"I can understand how pressures can be brought to bear but those pressures I would say are held back by the knowledge that they really thread on dangerous grounds if they try to pressure a justice or a judge for that matter," he added.

Also Thursday, three newly appointed Court of Appeals Justices - Justices Agnes Carpio, Ramon Cruz, and Edwin Sorongon - took their oath before Puno at the SC. (JCV/Sunnex)