Devanadera, 2 others disqualified from SC race

Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera, Internal Revenue Commissioner Mario Buñag and a 65-year-old lawyer were disqualified by the Judicial and Bar Council from the list of contenders vying for the seat to be vacated by Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruben Reyes, who will retire on Jan. 3 next year.

Lawyer Midas Marquez, SC spokesman, said Devanadera and Bunag were disqualified because they have pending administrative and criminal cases, while lawyer Rodolfo Robles was disqualified because of his age.

“Unless the two candidates – namely Solgen Devanadera and Attorney Bunag – can submit a clearance before the JBC votes on Monday that they have been cleared of the cases filed against them, then they will be included on Monday’s deliberation,” he said.

Three other contenders – Court of Appeals Justices Mariano del Castillo, Juan Enriquez and Martin Villarama – remain in the race because the complaints against them are still in the preliminary investigation stage, Marquez said.

As for Robles, Marlon Manuel of the Alternative Law Groups, lawyer Roberto Cadiz and Vince Lazatin of the Transparency and Accountability Network said in a letter to Chief Justice Reynato Puno, his age disqualifies him from being nominated to the Supreme Court based on Rule 8, Section 2 of the JBC Rules.

On Oct. 11, 2006, then Ilocos Norte Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson charged Devanadera, along with 42 other officials of the Bases Conversion Development Authority, Bulk Handlers Inc. (BHI) and Poro Poro Point Industrial Corp. (PPIC), with plunder.

The JBC, a constitutional body, is headed by Chief Justice Puno as ex-officio chairman.

The JBC members are Sen. Francis Escudero (replacing Senator Francis Pangilinan), Quezon City Rep. Matias Defensor, retired SC Justice Regino Hermosisima, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, Dean Amado Dimayuga (representing the academe), Justice Aurora Lagman (representing the private sector), and Conrado Castro.

Meanwhile, Marquez said the JBC has agreed to make its voting public.

The JBC is expected to vote Monday on who will be included in the shortlist of candidates to replace Reyes, he added.

Others vying for the seat of Reyes are Court of Appeals Associate Justices Remedios Salazar-Fernando, Portia Hormachuelos, Andres Reyes and Josefina Salonga; Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Diosdado Peralta, and Associate Justices Edilberto Sandoval Francisco Villaruz; and lawyer Cesar Villanueva.

Other SC justices set to retire next year are Justices Adolfo Azcuna (Feb. 16), Dante Tinga (May 11), Consuelo Ynares-Santiago (Oct. 5), Leonardo Quisumbing (Nov. 6), Minita Chico-Nazario (Dec. 5) and Ma. Alicia Martinez, who decided to retire early in April next year.