Appeals court justice who cleared Ping grilled for Supreme Court post

MANILA, Philippines -  A Court of Appeals (CA) magistrate who dismissed the double murder case against Sen. Panfilo Lacson in connection with the November 2000 killing of publicist Salvador Dacer and driver Emmanuel Corbito was the first nominee grilled yesterday by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) for the upcoming vacancies in the Supreme Court.

This developed as UP law professor Harry Roque Jr. in a letter to the JBC declined his nomination for ombudsman.

CA Associate Justice Ramon Bato Jr. was the first of 20 aspirants vying for the upcoming vacancies in the high tribunal with the retirement of Associate Justices Antonio Eduardo Nachura and Conchita Carpio-Morales next month.

During the interview by Chief Justice Renato Corona, ex-officio chair of JBC, Bato said he has “enough training and experience,” citing his background as municipal trial court judge, regional trial court judge and as a CA magistrate.

But Corona was not satisfied with Bato’s answer when asked about the most important decision in Philippine jurisprudence on the constitutional separation of powers and told the CA justice to “brush up on constitutional law.”

The JBC also interviewed CA Justices Estela Perlas Bernabe and Apolinario Bruselas Jr., Rosemarie Carandang and Stephen Cruz; lawyer Tomas Cabili; and Court of Tax Appeals Justice Juanito Castañeda Jr. yesterday.

Today, the JBC will interview CA Justices Magdangal de Leon and Isaias Dicdican, law books author Francis Jardeleza and lawyer Eduardo Lizares in the morning and lawyer Sabino Padilla IV, Sandiganbayan Justice Alex Quiroz and CA Justice Bienvenido Reyes.

On the last day of the interview tomorrow, six more bets will face the council. They are CA Justice Jose Reyes Jr., businessman-lawyer and Bar topnotcher Rodolfo Robles, Biñan, Laguna RTC Judge Marino Rubia, human rights advocate and Free Legal Assistance Group founder Pablito Sanidad, CA Justice Noel Tijam and Deputy Court Administrator Nimfa Vilches.

The JBC previously interviewed 13 other aspirants. They are CA presiding Justice Andres Reyes Jr. and Justices Hakim Abdulwahid, Mariflor Punzalan-Castillo, Japar Dimaampao,Remedios Salazar-Fernando, Portia Alino-Hormachuelos and Vicente Veloso; law professor and noted women’s right advocate Katrina Legarda, UP Law Dean Raul Pangalangan, Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, University of the East College of Law Dean Amado Valdez, Sandiganbayan Justice Francisco Villaruz, and CTA Justice Lovell Bautista.

Also yesterday, Roque wrote the JBC formally declining his nomination for ombudsman and endorsing Justice Carpio-Morales.

“While I am honored with my recent nomination for the post of ombudsman, I am constrained nonetheless to inform you that I am declining the nomination because of my well-founded belief that one of the nominees, Hon. Justice Conchita C. Morales, is the most qualified for the post,” said Roque.

“Justice Morales has the stature, experience, competence and integrity required to restore the people’s faith in the Office of the Ombudsman,” he added.

Malacañang welcomed all the nominees for the position of ombudsman.

“We welcome, again, the names of the nominees. We have no preference one way or the other yet because everyone will have to pass through the JBC,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

Lacierda said all the candidates are qualified for the post, citing Jose Manuel Diokno, Marlon Manuel, Frank Chavez and Morales among them.

“I guess the public realizes the need for a very strong ombudsman, one who will really police the ranks of government officials,” Lacierda added.

When asked if the President indeed offered the ombudsman post to Morales, Lacierda said he was not able to talk to him about the issue.