Search for next chief justice down to 25 who accepted nomination

source: gmanetwork.com

As the Judicial and Bar Council closes its doors on Monday for candidates vying for the chief justice post, a total of 72 persons have been recommended or applied to be a nominee in the highest judicial position in the country with 25 recommendees accepting their nomination.

The JBC’s latest tally as of 4:30 p.m. also noted that 18 did not reply to their nominations, 27 declined and two recommended themselves for the chief justice position.

According to the rules, those recommended but make no reply by Monday as to whether they are accepting or declining the nomination, will be automatically excluded from the chief justice search.

Of the five automatically recommended senior Supreme Court justices, only Justice Diosdado Peralta declined the nomination. Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio, and Justices Presbiterio Velasco, Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, and Arturo Brion accepted theirs.

Aside from the senior justices, SC Justices Mariano del Castillo, Lucas Bersamin, Jose Perez, Estela Perlas-Bernabe, Jose Mendoza and Bienvenido Reyes were also nominated. But they all declined.

Those who would like to apply or recommend someone for the chief justice position have until midnight of July 2, JBC academe representative Jose Mejia told GMA News Online via text.

Among the latest to confirm their recommendation’s acceptance are Justice Secretary Leila De Lima and Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza.

Those who likewise accepted their recommendations on Monday were lawyer Andres Bautista, Securities and Exchange Commissioner Teresita Herbosa and Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez.

Meanwhile, among the latest recommendees who declined are Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares, Associate Justice Jose Perez, and lawyers Ramon Maronilla, and Noel Tijam.

Recommended and nominated

Accepted recommendation:

1. Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio
2. Associate Justice Presbiterio Velasco Jr.
3. Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro
4. Associate Justice Arturo Brion
5. Associate Justice Roberto Abad
6. Associate Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno
7. Presidential Commission on Good Government Andres Bautista
8. Professor Soledad Cagampang-De Castro
9. Justice Secretary Leila De Lima
10. La Salle Law School Dean Jose Manuel Diokno
11. Securities and Exchange Commission Teresita Herbosa
12. Solicitor-General Francis Jardeleza
13. woman’s rights lawyer Katrina Legarda
14. Atty. Rafael Morales
15. former UP Law School Dean Raul Pangalangan
16. Ferdinand Jose David Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Pijao
17. Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez
18. Commission on Election commissioner Rene Sarmiento
19. Retired judge Manuel Siayngco Jr.
20. Manila Regional Trial Court Judge Amelia Tria-Infante
21. Dean Amado Valdez
22. Atty. Vicente Velasquez
23. Atty. Vicente Veloso
24. Former Ateneo Law School Dean Cesar Villanueva
25. Former San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora

Declined Recommendation:

1. Nepomuceno Aparis
2. Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin
3. Pedro Aquino
4. Gabriel Ingles
6. peace coordinator Marvic Leonen
7. Integrated Bar of the Philippines President Roan Libarios
8. Raphael Lotilla
9. Simeon Marcelo
10. Ramon Maronilla
11. Associate Justice Jose Mendoza*
12. Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr.
13. Associate Justice Jose Perez*
14. Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe
15. Marianito Sasondoncillo
16. Andres Reyes
17. Associate Justice Bienvenido Reyes
18. Pedro Romualdo
19. Former Tarlac Rep. Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
20. Noel Tijam
21. Francisco Villaruz Jr.
22. Senator Franklin Drilon
23. BIR Chief Kim Jacinto-Henares
24. lawyer Frank Chavez
25. Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago
26. Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez
27. Associate Justice Diosdado Peralta


Nominated themselves:

1. teacher-nurse Jocelyn Esquivel
2. former Judge Florentino Floro


Recommended but without conformity:

1. Ed Vincent Albano
2. Rey Oliver Alejandrino
3. Portia Alino-Hormachuelos
4. Hilarion Aquino
5. Joaquin Bernas
6. Ma. Cristina Cornejo
7. Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz
8. Jose Layug
9. Teodoro Locsin Jr.
10. Oscar Orbos
11. Alexander Padilla
12. Ma. Grace Pulido-Tan
13. Rodolfo Robles
14. Persida Rueda-Acosta
15. Rene Saguisag
16. Jose Renante Terre Jr.
17. Martin Villaram Jr.
18. Antonio Villamor

Teacher-nurse Jocelyn Esquivel, and former Judge Floro Florentino applied for the CJ position.

Also, Esquivel and Court of Appeals Justice Hilarion Aquino may be disqualified. Esquivel is not a lawyer by profession. Aquino is 80 years old, while the retirement age for SC justices is 70.

The Procedure

After the application and acceptance of aspiring nominees, the JBC will evaluate the qualifications of the candidates. Subsequently, the council will publish a ‘long list’ of these candidates. Any opposition to a candidacy must be filed within 10 days.

Following the JBC’s ‘discreet’ background checks, the council will publish a ‘shorter list’ of candidates who will go on to be publicly interviewed.

The JBC will pare down the ‘short list’ to at lease three nominees from which the President will chose the next Supreme Court Chief Justice.

The President has 90 days, until August 27, in which to make his choice.
source: gmanetwork.com