President Rodrigo Duterte never exerted any pressure on the Supreme Court (SC) at any time, Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin said on Tuesday.

Bersamin said the President never swayed or tried to influence the tribunal in deciding cases. Bersamin was the guest of honor during the Joint General Membership Meeting of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) and Judicial Reform Initiative (JRI) in Makati City. Duterte has appointed seven associate justices in the high court. In November 2018, he appointed Bersamin as chief justice.