JBC deliberates on bets for top Sandigan post

MANILA, Philippines - The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) is set to deliberate today on aspirants for the position left by the retirement of Sandiganbayan presiding Justice Edilberto Sandoval last June 20.

The eight-man council chaired by Chief Justice Renato Corona will choose from among the 10 nominees for the post and come up with a short list to be submitted to President Aquino.

The 10 nominees are Sandiganbayan associate justices Francisco Villaruz, Efren de la Cruz, Gregory Ong, Teresita Diaz-Baldos, Roland Jurado and Alex Quiroz; deputy court administrator Nimfa Vilches, lawyer Tomas Cabili, Benguet trial court Judge Danilo Camacho and Manila regional trial court Judge Pampilo Silvino Jr.

The JBC earlier reopened the nomination for the top Sandiganbayan post in anticipation to questions on the nominations of Ong and Diaz-Baldos.

The Supreme Court had penalized Ong with a fine of P15,000 for misconduct, after being charged by Assistant Special Prosecutor III Rohermia Jamsani-Rodriguez, for deciding a case without the concurrence of two other justices of the fourth division of the anti-graft court.

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo previously appointed Ong to the Supreme Court, but his appointment was returned to Malacañang due to questions on his citizenship, because of his Chinese roots. But the high court eventually upheld Ong’s citizenship as a natural-born Filipino.

Diaz-Baldos, on the other hand, is facing criminal charges in the Department of Justice for approving the controversial plea-bargaining agreement with former military comptroller Carlos Garcia.

Jurado and Quiroz are the latest additions to the list. Jurado is the current chair of the fifth division of the anti-graft court, which handles the case of business tycoon Lucio Tan. Quiroz, on the other hand, is a junior member of the Sandiganbayan’s third division, who handled the controversial Nida

Blanca slay case during his stint as Pasig City trial court judge.