JBC gets 4 more bets for chief justice post

MANILA, Philippines - Four more names were submitted to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), bringing to 16 the number of candidates for chief justice with three days left before the nomination period is closed.

Nominated were retired judge Manuel Siayngco Jr.; Rafael Morales, law professor and Sycip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan managing partner; and lawyer and Vice Mayor Nepomuceno Aparis of Ormoc City. A nurse identified as Jocelyn Esquivel had also filed her application to be a nominee for chief justice.

SC officials said the JBC is expected to remove Esquivel from the list because a nurse is not qualified to head the Supreme Court.

Former University of the Philippines law dean Raul Pangalangan and law professor and women’s rights advocate Katrina Legarda have accepted their nomination for the top SC post in separate letters sent to the JBC. Both are perennial aspirants for vacancies in the SC.

The JBC, which evaluates nominees to judicial posts, had also received a third nomination for Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

Assistant Commissioner Rogelio Limare of the Civil Service Commission cited the numerous awards conferred to De Lima as the basis for his recommendation.

The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption led by founding chair Dante Jimenez and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Zambales Chapter had earlier nominated De Lima to replace impeached chief justice Renato Corona.

De Lima admitted she has reservations on her possible joining the SC.

“A chief justice is passive, seldom seen, seldom heard and can only be read. Can you imagine Leila de Lima seldom seen and seldom heard?” she added.

“Personally I am not interested because it would be an entirely different world for me. I’m not used to being in a collegial body. Personally I don’t know if I would fit in. I can be professional but I’m not really sure whether at this point I’m ready to head such a crucial institution,” she explained.

She stressed that this is just her personal insight and that she could always adjust to the environment in the SC if chosen by the President whom she plans to talk to about the matter.

“I don’t have the decision yet. I’m hoping to talk with the President within the week,” she said, adding she has until June 18 anyway to make her decision.

Asked for reaction on the reported statement of fellow nominee, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Kim Henares, that she has the edge over other aspirants, De Lima said: “That’s her own insight.”

Aside from De Lima, Henares, Pangalangan and Legarda, Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza, Ateneo law school Dean Cesar Villanueva and lawyer Marianito Sadondoncillo were also nominated for chief justice last week.

Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio and the other four most senior justices of the Supreme Court – Associate Justices Presbitero Velasco Jr., Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Arturo Brion and Diosdado Peralta – were automatically nominated for the post under JBC rules.

The justices are, however, still required to accept or reject their nomination.

Applications and nominations will be accepted until June 18.

After this period, the eight-man JBC would then ask those in the list whether or not they would accept the nominations.

The JBC will then come up on June 25 with an initial list of candidates who will undergo public interviews in the first week of July.

Members of the council earlier said the shortlist would be ready by mid- July.

A Palace official clarified that the age of commissioner Henares, 52, should not be an issue in her nomination as chief justice.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda pointed out that there are qualifications enumerated in the 1987 Constitution, and that Henares fits the qualifications for the post.   

– With Delon Porcalla, Marvin Sy, Paolo Romero