The "16th" justice of the Supreme Court

Below is the opinion of Rudy L. Coronel. "Isn’t it said that the Solicitor General — well, perhaps only, or at least during, the Duterte administration — is the 16th justice?"

In the aftermath of the ouster of Maria Lourdes Sereno as chief justice, there is one thing that should not be left unnoticed.

So far, Solicitor General Jose Calida has yet to lose a case in the Supreme Court for the government.

For example, the long and hotly contested issue on the burial of the remains of former president Ferdinand Marcos at Libingan ng mga Bayani, the declaration of martial law in Marawi City and the extension of the said martial law for one whole year in the whole of Mindanao have all been won by the SolGen with flying colors.

Isn’t it said that the Solicitor General — well, perhaps only, or at least during, the Duterte administration — is the 16th justice?

SOURCE: Coronel, Rudy (2018). ‘The 16th justice’. 05:02 AM May 14, 2018. https://opinion.inquirer.net/113150/the-16th-justice. RUDY L. CORONEL, rudycoronel2004@gmail.com

Jose "Joe" Callangan Calida (born July 7, 1950) is a Filipino lawyer and current Solicitor General of the Philippines. He was sworn into the post on June 30, 2016 to replace Florin Hilbay. He previously served in the Arroyo administration as Undersecretary of the Department of Justice and as Executive Director of the Dangerous Drugs Board.