MANILA - Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio formally accepted on Friday his nomination for the chief justice post, Supreme Court Spokesperson Gleo Guerra said.

Carpio, currently acting chief magistrate, earlier said there is no reason anymore to decline the latest nomination.

“There appears to be no legal impediment... There is no reason to decline,” Carpio previously said.

• Carpio: No more reason to decline chief justice nomination

The search for the next top magistrate comes in light of the retirement of Teresita Leonardo-De Castro last Oct. 8. She had served as Chief Justice for 41 days after she was appointed to replace ousted Maria Lourdes Sereno.

Carpio previously declined his nomination for the top justice post when it was declared vacant following Sereno's removal in May.

In declining the nomination, Carpio explained that he did not want to "benefit" from a decision he had voted against.

• Despite dissent, Carpio says Sereno guilty of impeachable offense

Carpio, 68, has served as acting chief justice twice, following the ousters of Sereno in May and her predecessor, the late Renato Corona, in 2012.

He is the most senior sitting magistrate of the Supreme Court and is now on his 17th year in the high tribunal.

He has applied for and was shortlisted for the chief justice post twice before: in 2010 and in 2012.

- with a report from Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News