CA, Sandigan justices in JBC shortlist for SC

The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) yesterday finalized its shortlist of candidates to fill up vacancies in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Cancio Garcia will retire on Friday at the age of 70 while the post of Court of Appeals Presiding Justice was left vacant last August after then CA Presiding Justice Ruben Reyes was appointed to the Supreme Court to replace retired Associate Justice Romeo Callejo.

Included in the final shortlist, which will be submitted to President Arroyo for her evaluation, are five incumbent magistrates of the Court of Appeals and the Sandiganbayan and a Cabinet Secretary.

They are CA Justices Martin Villarama Jr. and Edgardo Cruz, Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Sandiganbayan Justices Edilberto Sandoval and Francisco Villaruz, Jr., and Labor Secretary Arturo Brion, a former CA justice.

De Castro and Villaruz are members of the Sandiganbayan’s Special Division which convicted former President Joseph Estrada for plunder.

Cruz, De Castro and Villarama topped the list with seven votes each, followed by Brion, Sandoval, and Villaruz who got five votes each.

Meanwhile, only three candidates made it to the JBC’s shortlist for the position of CA Presiding Justice.

Acting CA Presiding Justice Conrado Vasquez Jr. and CA Justice Remedios Salazar-Fernando tied for the highest number of votes with six, while CA Justice Villarama Jr. obtained five votes from the JBC.

Chief Justice Reynato Puno is the concurrent JBC ex-officio chair.

Composing the JBC’s ex-officio membership is Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez (on leave, represented by Acting Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera), Senator Francis Pangilinan, and Rep. Matias Defensor Jr., while the other regular JBC members are retired SC Justice Regino Hermosisima Jr., Dean Amado Dimayuga, and retired Sandiganbayan Justice Raoul Victorino.