Ombudsman drops bid for Supreme Court

MANILA, Philippines - Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez has withdrawn her nomination for a seat in the Supreme Court that will be left vacant by the retirement of Associate Justice Leonardo Quisumbing on Nov. 7.

A report on the website of abs-cbn last night quoted Supreme Court spokesman Midas Marquez as saying Gutierrez had withdrawn her bid for SC justice for still unknown reasons.

An insider in the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), which processes nominations to the High Court, revealed that Gutierrez had been nominated by lawyer Jose Flaminiano and El Shaddai leader Mike Velarde.

Flaminiano confirmed that he nominated the Ombudsman to the vacant SC post, clarifying that his decision has nothing to do with their differing political links.

“This is purely professional. I’ve known her since she was in the DOJ (Department of Justice), and this has nothing to do with my link to President (Joseph) Estrada,” Flaminiano explained in an interview.

The camp of Velarde, on the other hand, refused to confirm the report.

According to the source, the names of the nominees would be published on Oct. 21 and public interviews have been set on Nov. 4, 5, 6 and 9.

The insider also revealed that Makati Rep. Teodoro Locsin was also nominated for the same post by retired Justice Adolfo Azcuna and Sen. Joker Arroyo.

Earlier this month, the JBC submitted to the Palace a shortlist of three nominees for the post left vacant by the retirement of Associate Justice Consuelo Ynares-Santiago last Oct. 5.

Nominated were Court of Appeals Associate Justices Hakim Abdulwahid, Noel Tijam, and Martin Villarama Jr.