JBC starts interviews of CJ nominees

MANILA, Philippines - Members of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on Tuesday started the public interview of nominees for the chief justice position.

The JBC has scheduled six nominees for the first day of interviews which was held inside the Division Hearing Room of the Supreme Court (SC) in Manila.

The first three interviewees include Presidential Commission on Good Government Chairman Andres Bautista, lawyer Soldedad Cagampang-De Castro and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

After De Lima, the JBC will take a break and resume the interviews at 2 p.mn. until 5 p.m.

The other three applicants to be interviewed were De La Salle Dean of the College of Law Jose Manuel Diokno, Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza, and Atty. Maria Carolina Legarda.

Limited term

Taking the hot seat, Bautista told the JBC that he is willing to sign a waiver to limit his term if he is appointed as chief justice. He also said that he will sign a waiver for his bank deposits.

"I believe there should be judicial term limits like in the executive branch...7-70 rule, seven-year term lang or [by the] age of 70 must retire...tama na iyon," Bautista said, as he replied to the questions by the seven-man JBC panel, presided over by SC Associate Justice Diodado Peralta.

Bautista , who is only 48 years old, would be the youngest Chief Justice if he is appointed by President Benigno Aquino III. He would be spending the 22 years sitting as chief justice if he is appointed to the post.

Under the existing SC rule, the retirement age in the judiciary is 70 years old.

When asked how he would unify SC justices being an outsider, Bautista said he would rather want an insider to be the next chief justice but "this is a peculiar situation."

"The next chief justice should be an insider than an outsider...this situation is unusual..the impeachment {proceedings were] not only [about] a person but the entire judicial system. We need to bring a breath of fresh air," Bautista said.

He said that if he is appointed to the post, overhauling the human resources of the judiciary would be his priority. He said he would "get good people, competent and honest."

Death penalty: Too merciful

After Bautista, Cagampang-De Castro was grilled by the JBC members. Asked about the imposition of death penalty, she said that she'd rather impose the harsher penalty of life imprisonment.

If appointed to the post, Cagampang-De Castro said she would ensure that values would be re-introduced to lawyers and law students.

The 67-year-old lawyer said she would also ensure gender equality in the judiciary, telling the JBC that she grew up in a period when her mother still had to fight for the same rights and privileges be accorded to her daughter as that of her sons.

At her age, the lady lawyer assured the JBC that she can take on the responsibilities and tasks of the country's highest official in the judiciary.

'Soft-hearted' and 'bad tempered'

De Lima, the most controversial among the nominees for receiving the most number of opposition, was the last nominee to take the hot seat before the JBC took a lunch break.

In her interview, De Lima said she has the ability of adapt different mindsets and perspectives that are needed for the position that would assigned to her.

“I was with the Commission of Human Rights and now I am with the DOJ and each of these position entails a particular mindset and perspectives and I am able to adjust to these perspectives. I have to agree with the policy of the President since I am the alter ego of the President,” De Lima said, as she assurd the JBC that she will remain independent if she is appointed as chief justice.

De Lima was also grilled for her defiance of a SC order, preventing the Department of Justice from implementing a hold-departure order against former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo last year.

"It has been proven time and again that it is not as infallible as we think it is. There are remedies but in certain cases, there are no remedies," De Lima said, adding that there are orders that are “not worthy of obedience.”

Asked what her weaknesses are, she said she is both “soft-hearted” and “bad-tempered”.