Robredo endorses Justice Leonen to President Marcos for Chief Justice
Former Vice President and Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo has endorsed Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen to be the next Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
In an official letter to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. dated September 11, 2026, and received by the Supreme Court-Judicial and Bar Council and the Office of the Chief Justice on September 23, Robredo formally recommended the senior justice for the highest post in the judiciary.
“With great honor, I nominate and endorse Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen to be the next Chief Justice of the Republic of the Philippines,” Robredo stated in her letter to President Marcos.
The mayor emphasized that Leonen is the longest-serving member among the current composition of the Supreme Court and has demonstrated excellence far exceeding constitutional requirements.
“Justice Marvic Leonen is the most senior among all the justices of the Court. He has proven to be way beyond the constitutional requirements of competence, independence, probity, and integrity. As a justice, his current docket is one of the lowest in the Court. He has also displayed mature, effective, and collegial leadership in the administration of justice,” the former vice president added.
The letter also detailed Leonen’s accomplishments during his nearly 14 years in the Supreme Court, including penning thousands of ponencias and separate opinions, leading modernization efforts such as eCourt PH and guidelines on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as overseeing the first-ever digitalized and localized Bar Examinations in 2020–2021.
It further highlighted his previous role as the government’s chief peace negotiator with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and his background as a public interest lawyer.
She noted that Leonen’s leadership is needed by the country under its current political and economic circumstances.
“At this juncture in our political economy, we need his leadership to inspire credibility and genuine social justice. I have no doubt that he will work in a humble and collegial manner that will ensure the stability of our Judiciary and the full development of our country,” Robredo added in her three-page letter.
Justice Leonen took an unconventional path before reaching the high tribunal in 2012 at the age of 49. Before entering government service, he co-founded the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center Inc. (LRC-KSK) in 1987 and was an active member of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG). Unlike typical lawyers who serve large corporations, Leonen dedicated his early career to providing free legal services to indigenous peoples, farmers, fisherfolk, and victims of political abuse.
In 2010, he was appointed as the government’s Chief Peace Negotiator, successfully leading talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that yielded the historic Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro in 2012—a cornerstone that paved the way toward ending decades of armed conflict in Mindanao.
Leonen graduated magna cum laude from UP Diliman with a degree in Economics, earned his law degree from the UP College of Law, placed 4th in the 1987 Bar Examinations, obtained his Master of Laws from Columbia University in New York, and served as dean of the UP College of Law.
Robredo’s formal endorsement to President Marcos marks the latest chapter in the notable shifting dynamics between the two former political rivals.
It can be recalled that President Marcos personally visited Naga City and announced the release of a ₱500-million Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) for the rehabilitation of the Jesse M. Robredo Coliseum into a disaster refuge center and for heavy equipment acquisitions for the city.
Although rumors surfaced regarding a possible political alliance, both Marcos and Robredo maintained that their relationship is focused on inter-government cooperation and public service for the people.