JBC urged to continue public interviews with SC hopefuls

A lawyers’ group appealed yesterday to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) to ensure transparency in the selection of the next Supreme Court (SC) chief justice by interviewing the six nominees in public.

Marlon Manuel, spokesman of the Alternative Law Group (ALG), reminded the members of the JBC to conduct public interviews of the six nominees, including Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

"This is the only line by which the people could exercise their right to information and awareness on judiciary selection and appointment,’’ Manuel said. "Contrary to perceptions that these are mere meddling or muddling of judicial affairs, public interviews are a crucial step in the JBC’s promotion of judicial independence (by) ensuring transparency in the screening of candidates," he said.

Manuel said picking an SC justice without public interviews would make the High Court a haven of "untouchables."

Aside from Santiago, the other candidates to the top SC post are associate justices Reynato Puno, Leonardo Quisumbing, Antonio Carpio, Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez and Consuelo Ynares-Santiago.

"Cutting this line would make the judiciary a haven for the untouchable gods and goddesses of Mt. Olympus. But we are not in a mythological kingdom. We are in a nation with a Constitution professing that sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them," Manuel said.

He said public interviews will prove that public office is a public trust.

"We don’t want to believe that the council is ningas cogon or just making empty promises. It was six years ago when the JBC adopted rules that it will conduct public interviews of the candidates. But this has not materialized," Manuel said.

Manuel said public interview of candidates to the top SC post is mandatory under Section 7 of the JBC’s rules, promulgated on Oct. 18, 2000 during the time of Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. JBC rules on public interviews also cover nominees to the Court of Appeals, the Sandiganbayan and the Ombudsman.

"On Sept. 23, 2002, the council promulgated rule JBC-10, which furthered the promotion of public awareness of and accessibility to the proceedings of the body. Section 5 of the said rule reiterated that the interview of the applicants shall be made in public," Manuel said.

Manuel said last year JBC scrapped what would have been the first public interview of the three leading candidates for chief justice, after 12 justices opposed the interview.

Vincent Lazatin, chairman of the Transparency and Accountability Network and a member of the Supreme Court Appointments Watch, said public interviews will help people become aware of candidates’ past wrongdoings as well as improve their perception of the judiciary as an independent body.

He said public interviews will help the JBC promote accessibility and transparency.

"It will provide feedback mechanisms for the public and I believe that these are included in the major objectives of the council," Lazatin said.