THE two to three weeks leave of absence by Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo for heart surgery starting next week could be a prelude to his early retirement and best graceful exit amid his impeachment complaint that is being deliberated by the House committee on justice.

A well-placed source who is privy to the offer of del Castillo for his early retirement said the heart operation “maybe is the best reason to tell the public about the need for him to unload workloads through the eventual filing of an early retirement.”

“I don’t think Justice Del Castillo can stand the heat of the impeachment like the on-going trial of the Chief Justice (Renato Corona). His heart needs surgery and his recovery would defend on his workloads. An early retirement is the best way out,” the source said.

On Tuesday, the House committee on justice vowed to summon Del Castillo next week during marathon hearings to personally air his side after the panel voted 27 against 4 and one abstention finding sufficient grounds to impeach him on allegation that he plagiarized a decision to dismiss the case of comfort women against the Japanese government.

The source said Del Castillo may follow the decision of then Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Gutierrez who resigned from her post 10 days before the full-blown trial in the Senate Impeachment Court starts.

“If he would not retire next week, he would do it before the Senate trial begins just like Merci who resigned,” the source said.