JBC won't disqualify De Lima yet

MANILA, Philippines - A member of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on Friday said despite the pending disbarment case against Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, she will remain among the nominees and applicants for the chief justice post for now.

In a radio interview, Rep. Niel Tupas of Iloilo, a member of the JBC, said the council decided to retain De Lima until they need to do an actual voting to submit the shortlist to President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.

"Huwag muna natin i-disqualify until the actual voting. Baka mamaya lumabas na din ang desisyon ng Supreme Court [on her disbarment case] at ma-dismiss iyong disbarment," Tupas said.

De Lima is facing a disbarment case filed by lawyer Agustin Sundiam for supposedly calling then Chief Justice Renato Corona a "lawless tyrant" last February.

The justice secretary testified against Corona in his impeachment trial.

Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero, also a member of the JBC, has said that the JBC will only be able to submit a shortlist to the President on July 30.

Meanwhile, Tupas also defended the two votes given to the members of Congress at the JBC, saying the framers of the 1987 Constitution thought that there would only be a unicameral body of the government.

He said that the Senate and the House of Representatives will be filing their comment to the petition questioning the two votes given to them.

The petition was filed by former solicitor general Frank Chavez, who said that Congress should only have one representative in the JBC.

Chavez said that instead of eight, the JBC should have only seven members.