JBC nominates 9 aspirants for lone SC vacancy

The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) yesterday nominated Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Mar

quez and eight associate justices of the Court of Appeals (CA) to the post that would be vacated on October 26 by Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio by virtue of his retirement.

Aside from Marquez, nominated were (in alphabetical order) CA Associate Justices Manuel M. Barrios, Edgardo L. delos Santos, Japar B. Dimaampao, Ramon R. Garcia, Jhoseph Y. Lopez, Pablito A. Perez, Ricardo R. Rosario, and Maria Filomena D. Singh.

The transmittal letter containing the list of nominees was sent to President Duterte by Chief Justice Lucas P. Bersamin, ex-officio chairperson of the JBC, the constitutional body that accepts, screens, and nominates appointments to the judiciary.

Under the Constitution, the President has 90 days from October 26 to appoint Carpio’s replacement.

With Bersamin’s retirement on October 18 and that of Carpio’s on October 26, there would be three vacancies in the 15-member Tribunal. Last September 26, Associate Justice Francis H. Jardeleza retired.

Applicants to the post of Chief Justice are SC Associate Justices Diosdado M. Peralta, Estela M. Perlas Bernabe, Andres B. Reyes Jr., and Jose C. Reyes Jr.

The JBC, however has yet to name its nominees from the four aspirants to the top post in the judiciary.

Earlier, the JBC submitted to the President its nominees to the post vacated by Jardeleza. As of 2 p.m. on October 11, the Office of the President has not announced any appointee as replacement to Jardeleza’s post.

Earlier nominated by the SC to replace Jardeleza were Marquez, Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo M. Cabotaje Tang, and CA Associate Justices Delos Santos, Dimaampao, Samuel H. Gaerlan, Garcia, Lopez, Mario V. Lopez, Singh, Edwin D. Sorongon, and Elihu Ybanez.