Cebuana Court of Appeals Associate Justice Portia Aliño-Hormachuelos is among the nominees to fill the lone vacancy of the Supreme Court Associate Justice.
“I’m very happy and gratified that my accomplishments merited the nod of the Judicial Bar Council,” said Hormachuelos, a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Visayas College of Law in 1953.
The JBC is a constitutional body that accepts, screens, and nominates appointments to the judiciary.
The other nominees are Secretary Arturo Brion of the Department of Labor and Employment, CA Associate Justice Martin Villarama Jr., and Sandiganbayan Associate justices Francisco Villaruz Jr. and Edilberto Sandoval.
“I am the only nominee with zero backlog records for the past seven years. And since I am the lone woman nominee, it is my edge considering the vacancy is vacated by a woman associate justice in the person of Justice Angelina Sandoval Gutierrez,” Hormachuelos said.
Hormachuelos said that she will visit Cebu today hoping to get support from Cebuanos.
Hormachuelos is currently the executive vice president of the Philippine Judges Association.
Regional Trial Court Branch 9 Judge Geraldine Econg said she will also ask her colleagues in the judiciary to support Hormachuelos.
Former Talisay City administrator and law professor, Aurora Econg said that she knew Hormachuelos since childhood and that her best friend is very qualified to hold the post.
The JBC had already submitted the short list to President Gloria Arroyo to choose who among the five nominees will take the vacated post of Gutierrez, who retired last February 27. Arroyo has 90 days to make the decision.
The members of the JBC includes Supreme Court Justice Reynato Puno, Secretary Raul Gonzales of the Department of Justice, Senator Francisco Pangilinan, Rep. Matias Defensor Jr., Dean Amado Dimayuga, retired Sandiganbayan Justice Raoul Victorino and retired Supreme Court Justice Regino Hermosisima. Hermosisima is a Cebuano and also a graduate of the University of the Visayas. - Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/BRP