COA chief applies for SC associate justice post

MANILA, Philippines - The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) released on Thursday the initial list of applicants for the position of Supreme Court Associate Justice, in light of Associate Justice Roberto Abad's compulsory retirement on May 22.

Fourteen applicants have submitted applications as of March 18, among them Commission on Audit (COA) Chair Maria Gracia Pulido-Tan, who led the release of a special audit report detailing how legislators diverted millions of pork barrel funds to bogus non-government organizations.

COA Commissioner Rowena Guanzon also applied for the post.

Seven applicants came from the Court of Appeals, among them Presiding Justice Andres Reyes, Jr. and Associate Justices Nina Antonio-Valenzuela, Apolinario Bruselas, Rosmari Carandang, Ramon Paul Hernando, Jose Reyes Jr. and Noel Tijam.

Two from Sandiganbayan also applied- Associate Justices Maria Cristina Cornejo and Rafael Lagos.

Other applicants include the chief government lawyer, Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza, De La Salle University College of Law Dean Jose Manuel Diokno and Quezon City Regional Trial Court Judge Reynaldo Daway.

The deadline for filing applications was last Tuesday, but the Supreme Court said applicants who mailed their applications before the deadline may still be added in the list.

The candidates have to submit supporting documents for their application on or before April 2, before the JBC screens them and recommends a shortlist to President Benigno Aquino III. The replacement for Abad will be Aquino's fifth appointee to the highest court. Aquino previously appointed Associate Justices Bienvenido Reyes, Estela Perlas-Bernabe and Marvic Leonen, and current Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.