Gesmundo succeeds Peralta as CJ

ASSOCIATE Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo, has been appointed by Pres. Rodrigo Duterte as the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, replacing Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta, who opted to retire a year before his official retirement last March 27, 2021.

Aside from the breaking news last April 2, 2021, of CNN Philippines on the appointment of Gesmundo, another source at the high court confirmed the appointment to Pinoy Expose’ although his appointment is “yet to be released” by Malacañang, the third source added.

Gesmundo would be Pres. Duterte’s fourth appointee as SC chief justice and  would serve until 2026, on reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70 for members of the bench.

The SC website stated that Gesmundo was appointed to the court by Pres. Duterte last August 14, 2017. Prior to this, Gesmundo was Sandiganbayan Associate Justice since October 15, 2005.

Gesmundo is a product of the Ateneo de Manila Law School and passed the bar in 1985.

The same year, Gesmundo entered government service as a trial lawyer for the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) where he subsequently rose to the position of Assistant Solicitor General in 2002, after a short stint as commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) between July 17, 1998 to February 15, 2001.

The SC website also noted that Gesmundo was, for a while, a “part time journalist,” noting,

“Prior to joining the government, Justice Gesmundo worked as Research Analyst from 1977 to 1979, with Business Day Corporation, publisher of the business newspaper Business Day and Top 1000 Corporations of the Philippines wherein a few of his articles were published.”