JBC nominates 10 to replace Vitug at SC

The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) released yesterday the list of candidates to the Supreme Court (SC) who will replace Associate Justice Jose Vitug, who retired last July 14.

Of the 10 hopefuls, four are from the Court of Appeals: Presiding Justice Cancio Garcia and Justice Portia Alino Hormachueles, Godardo Jacinto and Ruben Reyes. Three are from the Sandiganbayan: Godofredo Legaspi, Gregory Ong and Francisco Villaruz.

The others are Court Administrator Presbiterio Velasco, Solicitor General Alfredo Benipayo and University of the Philippines professor Ruben Balane.

From this preliminary list of candidates, the JBC will select the nominees it will submit to Malacañang. By law, President Arroyo must appoint Vitug’s successor from among the nominees submitted to her by the JBC.

The JBC also released yesterday the names of the six candidates for the position of Sandiganbayan presiding justice vacated by the appointment of Minita Chico Nazario to the SC.

The candidates are Sandiganbyan Justices Villaruz Ong, Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Ma. Cristina Cortez—Estrada and Edilberto Sandoval, and Quezon City Judge Romeo Zamora.

The JBC said the public should submit any report or sworn complaint against the candidates for the two positions not later than Aug. 20.

Vitug’s replacement will be the ninth appointee of the President to the SC. Aside from Nazario, she has also appointed justices Antonio Carpio, Alicia Austria—Martinez, Renato Corona, Conchitina Carpio—Morales, Romeo Callejo Sr., Adolfo Azcuna and Dante Tinga.

The JBC has the sole authority to recommend appointees to the judiciary. Justices of the High Court and lower court judges are appointed by the President from the list prepared by the JBC for every vacancy.

The President has 90 days from the date of vacancy in the SC to appoint a replacement. Such appointments need no confirmation.

Members of the JBC select the nominees through independent voting after interviews and public hearings are conducted.

The JBC members said any opposition to the applications should be made before the voting takes place. Any objection to a nomination could be aired directly before the President.