Court vacancies

THIS is with regard to a statement in the “Bzzzzzz” section in the Sun.Star Cebu issue dated May 27, 2013 anent the vacancies in the trial courts of Cebu City and Cebu Province.

May we provide information on the action taken by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on the said vacancies?

The openings of trial court vacancies are done in regional clusters to facilitate processing.

The judicial vacancies of Regions 6, 7 (including those in Cebu City), and 8 have been scheduled for processing during the third quarter of this year (June-August 2013).

The said vacancies have been officially opened for application/nomination and published in two of today’s national dailies.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Cebu City Chapter conducted a survey of Cebu vacancies.

The result of the survey was stated in the chapter’s Resolution No. 072013 dated April 23, 2013, a copy of which was received by our office on May 14, 2013.

The Resolution further stated the IBP’s request for the President, the Chief Justice, and JBC through the JBC regular member representing the IBP, Atty. Maria Milagros N. Fernan-Cayosa, “to consider the filling up of the vacancies in the courts in Cebu as an urgent matter and to take immediate action to expedite the process of addressing the foregoing concerns.” (Copy of the resolution hereto attached as Annex “A”).

The IBP Cebu City Resolution No. 07-2013 was immediately taken up during the JBC’s preliminary meeting on May 16, 2013.

Further, the JBC sent a letter reply to the IBP Cebu informing the chapter, through its president, Atty. Mae Elaine T. Bathan, of the status of the vacancies stated in the Resolution:

RTC Branch 28 Mandaue City and RTC Branch 66, Talisay have been processed by the JBC and the nominations are now pending with the Office of the President; RTC Branch 65, Talisay City for finalization in the JBC En Banc’s next meeting; RTC Branch 55 Mandaue City, RTC Branches 5 and 24 Cebu City, RTC Branch 24, Cebu City are for processing by the JBC of applications in June – August 2013: RTC Naga City and Carcar City are new courts which have yet to be funded in the 2014 budget; MTCC Branches 2,3,4, and 8 Cebu City are not yet declared open pending the motions for reconsideration filed by the dismissed judges and they have pairing judges acting on the pending cases.

We trust that the foregoing will provide enlightenment on the status of the said courts and the action taken by the JBC thereon.

Finally, please note and make the necessary correction to the name of JBC regular member representing the retired Supreme Court justices.

It’s Justice Regino C. Hermosisima Jr. and not Justice Regino Kintanar as erroneously stated in your publication.— Atty Socorro D’Marie T. Inting, Court Attorney V, Office of Atty. Maria Milagros N. Fernan-Cayosa