CA nominees to appear before JBC

MANILA, Philippines - The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has scheduled the public interviews of nominees and applicants for three vacancies in the Court of Appeals (CA).

There are 71 candidates but only 13 have not been interviewed and will face the council on May 2 and 3.

Regional Trial Court Judge Racquelen Abary-Vasquez, Arellano University law dean and Bar topnotcher Virgilio Gesmundo, Quezon City RTC Judge Marie Christine Jacob, Batangas RTC Judge Ma. Cecilia Austria-Chua, lawyer Carlos Espero II, Isabela RTC Judge Bernabe Mendoza and Baguio RTC Judge Antonio Reyes will face the council on May 2.

Makati RTC Judge Perpetua Pano, Nueva Vizcaya RTC Judge Marianthe Pacita Zuraek, Cebu City RTC Executive Judge Simeon Dumdum Jr., Mandaluyong RTC Judge Elvira Panganiban and lawyers Angelina Ortega-Cortez, George Misa and Elvira de Castro will face the JBC on May 3.

The 58 other candidates were previously interviewed.

Among them were Makati RTC Judge Winlove Dumayas, who ordered the imprisonment of The Daily Tribune publisher Niñez Cacho-Olivarez in June 2008 for libel over a column accusing collusion between former Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo and a law firm over the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 deal and Manila RTC Judge Silvino Pampilo Jr., who is handling the petition for a writ of amparo of dismissed National Bureau of Investigation director Magtanggol Gatdula.

The three vacancies in the CA were due to the retirement of Associate Justices Josefina Guevarra-Salonga, Juan Enriquez and Antonio Villamor last year.