MANILA— Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro on Tuesday denied reports that she was seeking an appointment as an associate justice of the Supreme Court (SC), saying she had not applied for the position.

“Hindi ako nag-apply, so wala pong katotohanan iyan,” Castro said during a press briefing in Cagayan de Oro City.

Castro was asked to comment on reports suggesting that she could be among the possible appointees to the high court amid the impending retirement of Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo.

She appeared surprised by the prospect, asking, “Supreme Court Justice, si Ante Kler? Associate Justice ng Supreme Court, si Ante Kler?”

Several social media users and news outlets had floated Castro’s name as a possible candidate for an associate justice position.

The Palace official also declined to speculate on who President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would appoint as the next chief justice, following Gesmundo’s scheduled retirement on Nov. 6 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.

“Kung sino man ang mapipili ng Pangulo bilang susunod na Chief Justice ng Supreme Court, ayaw po natin pangunahan kung sino man mapipili ng Pangulo,” she said.

Castro expressed confidence in the President’s selection, saying the potential candidates were all qualified but that one could stand out among them.

“At asahan natin na ang pipiliin ng Pangulo ay, lahat naman sila ay magaling, pero siyempre merong namumukod tangi,” she added.

The Judicial and Bar Council has completed its interviews for the next chief justice and is preparing to submit its list of nominees to Marcos for consideration.