8 nominees for Sandiganbayan post selected

Sandiganbayan building facade. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) announced Tuesday that it has already selected eight nominees—five trial court judges and two senior Justice Department officials–to fill up the lone vacant post at the Sandiganbayan.

Makati Regional Trial Court Judge Maryann Corpus-Mañalac and Quezon City Regional Trial Court Judge Bernelito Fernandez got six votes each, while Antipolo RTC Judge Ronaldo Martin and Makati RTC Judge Andres Soriano received five votes each.

Meanwhile, Chief State Counsel Ricardo Paras III got five votes while Justice Undersecretary Leah Tanodra-Armamento got four votes. Both officials are from the DoJ.

Other candidates who got four votes are Manila RTC Judge Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta and Assistant Solicitor General Marissa Macaraig Guillen.

This is not the first time for Armamento to apply for a judicial post. Before, she also applied for the vacancies at the Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice as well as the Office of the Ombudsman.