MANILA, Philippines ? Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez on Monday vouched for the integrity of Manila Regional Rrial Court Judge Myra Fernandez who was included in the list of nominees for a seat in the Court of Appeals a few days after issuing the warrant of arrest against Senator Panfilo Lacson.
Marquez, who?s also the Supreme Court spokesperson, said Fernandez?s application for one of the three vacancies in the appellate court was filed way ahead of her handling of the Lacson case in connection with the Dacer-Corbito murders.
Marquez dispelled speculations that the inclusion of Fernandez in the short list was due to the arrest warrant she issued against Lacson, a known critic of the Arroyo administration.
?I don?t think her inclusion in the list has anything to do with that,? Marquez told reporters. He said the Judicial and Bar Council?s (JBC) interviewed Fernandez for the appellate court post ?several months ago.?
?She (Fernandez) has been an outstanding judge and her record is clean. We believe she deserves to be in the shortlist,? Marquez said.
The JBC included Fernandez in the shortlist of nine nominees for the three appellate court seats left by recent Supreme Court appointees Lucas Bersamin and Mariano Del Castillo and recent retiree Monina Zenarosa.
The other nominees for the appellate court posts are Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 62 Judge Selma Palacios-Alaras, Manila RTC Branch 53 Judge Reynaldo Alhambra, Pasig RTC Branch 154 Judge Abraham Borreta, Marikina RTC Branch 193 Judge Alice Castaneda-Gutierrez, Manila RTC Branch 17 Judge Eduardo Peralta Jr. and Judges Pedro Corrales, Manuel Luna and Raul Villanueva.
The JBC also came up with the shortlist for the vacancy in the Sandiganbayan created by the promotion as presiding justice of Justice Ma. Cristina Estrada.
The four nominated to the anti-graft court are Assistant Chief State Prosecutor Lea Armamento, Assistant Solicitor General Amparo Tang, Assistant Solicitor General Renan Ramos and Makati regional trial court executive Judge Maria Cristina Cornejo.
