The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday endorsed to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) the nomination of Justice Samuel R. Martires as Ombudsman to replace Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales who retires on July 26.
Martires got 11 votes from the 12 justices who were present during yesterday’s full court session. Justices Estela Perlas Bernabe and Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa were not present.
Martires is set to retire on January 2 next year when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 for members of the judiciary.
Only two other aspirants for the Ombudsman post received votes from the SC justices. They are former Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice and now Special Prosecutor Edilberto G. Sandoval who got four votes and Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III who got three
votes.
The JBC — the constitutionally mandated office that accepts, screens and nominates appointments to the judiciary and to the posts of Ombudsman and deputy Ombudsman — is set to meet on Friday to vote on its official nominees to replace Ombudsman Morales. (Rey Panaligan)
