Palace: No decision yet on SC vacancies

The highest court in the land will remain neutral, Palace appointments notwithstanding.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye yesterday took strong exception to concerns that the Supreme Court (SC) would lose its neutrality when, by the end of this year, at least eight justices of the 15-member bench would be appointees of President Arroyo.

Bunye said such concerns over the appointed SC justices and other presidential appointees to all other courts, for that matter, were addressed by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), the constitutional body tasked to screen and nominate members to the judiciary.

He said the seven-member JBC is composed of members of the Supreme Court, non-government organizations and Congress.

Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo, a member of the JBC, represents the Office of the President.

"It’s not within the control of the President that certain vacancies occur during her time. But the President has to fill up these vacancies," Bunye said. "It cannot be helped."

"I believe in the process being followed by the JBC and we believe they go through the names of the applicants very judiciously," he added.

As of yesterday, though, Bunye said the President has not yet acted on the recommendations made to her by the JBC, which submitted five nominees to her for the vacancy at the SC after the retirement of Justice Vicente Mendoza.

But critics said the JBC short list, that included a former congressman allied with the administration, left much to be desired.

"The JBC sends the list here and the JBC ranks the nominees," Bunye said. "Regardless of the ranking, the President can appoint any from those included in the list."

"The President cannot appoint anybody outside the list submitted by the JBC," he added.

He defended the appointment of Arroyo administration officials and allies to the SC, such as former presidential chief of staff Renato Corona and former Arroyo family lawyer Antonio Carpio.

"As long as the nominees of the JBC are included in the list of JBC, I guess that is all right because we have procedures for these," Bunye said.

He said these procedures are followed precisely by the JBC when it sits together and screens various nominees.