JBC closes nomination for vacant Supreme Court post, gets 28 candidates

MANILA, Philippines - The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) yesterday closed the nominations and applications for the vacant post in the Supreme Court (SC) left by the appointment of Renato Corona as chief justice last May 17.

Chief Justice Corona, chair of the collegial body that vets candidates to judicial posts, said they have received 28 names two weeks after opening the selection process for the first SC justice to be appointed by President Aquino.

He said most of the applicants were “insiders” in the judiciary, or justices of the Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan and Court of Tax Appeals, including those who had earlier applied to the SC.

Among them were Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Andres Reyes Jr. and Associate Justices Hakim Abdulwahid, Estela Perlas-Bernabe, Magdangal de Leon, Isaias Dicdican, Noel Tijam, Portia Hormachuelos, Rosmari Carandang, Remedios Salazar-Fernando and Mariflor Punzalan-Castillo; Sandiganbayan Acting Presiding Justice Edilberto Sandoval Jr. and Associate Justice Francisco Villaruz Jr.; and Court of Appeals Justice Lovell Bautista.

Also in the list are former UP Law Dean Raul Pangalangan, Ateneo Law Dean Cezar Villanueva, and UE Law Dean Amado Valdez.

Ambassador Manuel Teehankee, son of the late Chief Justice Claudio Teehankee, also agreed to be nominated.

The JBC opened last June 21 its selection process to fill up the vacant SC slot.

Under JBC rules, President Aquino has until Aug. 17 to get the shortlist and make the appointment.