The Judicial and Bar Council on Friday nominated 10 aspirants to the post of Supreme Court associate justice that would be vacated on Jan. 5, 2019 by Associate Justice Noel G. Tijam.
Nominated were Court of Appeals Associate Justices Manuel M. Barrios, Japar B. Dimaampao, and Amy C. Lazaro-Javier with six votes each; Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje Tang, and CA Associate Justices Ramon A. Cruz, Ramon R. Garcia, and Mario V. Lopez with five votes each; and CA Associate Justice Apolinario D. Bruselas Jr., Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez, and former Ateneo de Manila University law dean Cesar Villanueva with four votes each.
The list of nominees was confirmed by Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, ex-officio member of JBC. It was expected to be submitted to President Duterte Friday night.
Under the Constitution, the President has 90 days from Jan. 5, 2019 to appoint Tijam’s successor.
Last week, the President promoted SC Associate Justice Lucas P. Bersamin as Chief Justice and CA Associate Justice Rosmari D. Carandang as SC associate justice.
Carandang was the seventh appointee of Duterte to the SC. The first six appointees were Associate Justices Samuel Martires (who retired to assume the post of Ombudsman), Tijam, Andres B. Reyes Jr., Alexander G. Gesmundo, Jose C. Reyes Jr., and Ramon Paul L. Hernando.
This is on top of the President’s appointment of then Chief Justice Teresita J. Leonardo-de Castro and the now Chief Justice Bersamin. Thus, technically, the President already has nine appointees to the SC.
Earlier, the JBC – the constitutionally mandated office that accepts, screens, and nominates appointments to the Judiciary – had opened the recommendations or applications to the post of SC associate justice that was left with the promotion of Bersamin. (Rey G. Panaigan)
