SC recommends four aspirants for post to be vacated by Justice Velasco

The Supreme Court (SC) has recommended to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) four aspirants for the post to be vacated by Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr. when he retires this August.

In their session on Tuesday, the justices voted and selected the four persons from 12 applicants for the high court post.

Court of Appeals Associate Justice Rosmari Carandang topped the list with 10 votes. He was followed by Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez with eight votes.

CA Associate Justices Jose Reyes and Ramon Garcia also made it to the list with six votes each.

The list will be forwarded to the JBC for consideration.

The JBC already conducted a public interview of the aspirants last June 14 and will come out with a shortlist for President Rodrigo Duterte, who will have 90 days to choose the next SC justice.

The Constitution requires an SC justice to be at least 40 years of age; with 15 years or more experience as a judge of a lower court or in the practice of law in the country; and has proven competence, integrity, probity and independence.

The rules also require applicants to submit 17 documentary requirements, including their complete sworn statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) for the previous years.

All applicants must also submit the results of their medical examinations that they took within the past six months.

The JBC is chaired by Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio with three ex-officio members: Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, Senator Richard Gordon, and Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali.

The regular members of the council are retired SC justice Jose Catral-Mendoza, retired judge Toribio Ilao, and lawyers Jose Mejia and Milagros Fernan-Cayosa.  /vvp