THE Philippines will take the helm of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions (AACC) for 2027 to 2029, placing the Supreme Court at the center of regional efforts to protect judicial independence, human rights and the rule of law amid rapid technological change.
Associate Justice Ramon Paul Hernando announced the Supreme Court’s acceptance of the AACC presidency during the group’s 7th Congress in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, held from Oct. 1 to 2.
The Philippines was nominated to lead the regional body by Indonesia during the 5th AACC Congress in Mongolia in 2022. Then Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo accepted the nomination in 2024.
Hernando said preparations for the two-year presidency are underway, including the creation of a technical working group and coordination with government agencies whose expertise will be needed to host and support the AACC.
Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen will represent the Supreme Court throughout the term under the direction of the Supreme Court En Banc, while Philippine Judicial Academy Vice Chancellor Dean Sedfrey Candelaria will serve as secretary general of the Supreme Court to the AACC.
The Philippines will also coordinate with AACC secretariats in Jakarta and Seoul and the association’s training center in Turkey, while promoting greater judicial exchanges through education, research and capacity-building.
The leadership comes as Asian constitutional courts grapple with the growing impact of artificial intelligence and other digital technologies on the administration of justice.
The 7th Congress focused on constitutional justice in the digital age, including electronic filings, digital case management, data protection, cybersecurity and AI-assisted judicial work.
Candelaria highlighted the Philippine Judiciary’s own digital transformation, including the rollout of eCourt PH 2.0 and the Judiciary’s framework for the use of human-centered augmented intelligence. He stressed that technology may assist courts but cannot take over judicial responsibility and accountability.
The Congress concluded with the adoption of the Samarkand Declaration, which affirmed that constitutions, the rule of law, judicial independence and human rights must remain paramount regardless of technological advances. It also called for transparent and explainable AI, human oversight, data safeguards, meaningful human review and effective remedies when AI affects individual rights.
The Philippines is now preparing to host the 8th AACC Congress, with possible themes including judicial independence, opportunities and risks arising from emerging technologies, social justice and the rule of law.
Hernando said the Philippines hopes to use its presidency to deepen cooperation among Asia’s constitutional courts and strengthen the AACC as a forum for sharing judicial experience.
“The AACC is strongest when diversity is not treated as an obstacle to cooperation but as its foundation,” Hernando said, emphasizing that differences in constitutional systems can provide opportunities for institutional learning.
The AACC was established in 2010 through the Jakarta Declaration by seven founding institutions, including the Philippine Supreme Court and constitutional courts or equivalent institutions from Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Thailand and Uzbekistan. It generally holds its Congress every two years.
The Constitutional Court of Uzbekistan currently holds the AACC presidency from 2025 to 2027.
