JBC to interview SC associate justice aspirants on December 5

Aspirants to the Supreme Court Associate Justice post led by Sandiganbayan presiding justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang and five others will face the Judicial and Bar Council in December for a public interview.

The candidates are vying for the position that will be left vacant by the retirement of Supreme Court Associate Justice Noel Tijam on January 5, 2019.

Aside from Cabotaje-Tang, her colleagues from the Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Efren dela Cruz and Court of Appeals justices Eduardo Peralta Jr., Ramon Cruz, Ricardo Rosario and Ramon Bato Jr. will be interviewed.

“Pursuant to Section 2, Rule 7 of the Revised Rules of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), a public panel interview will be conducted on December 5, 2018 (Wednesday) at the Division Hearing Room, Supreme Court Main Building, of the following candidates for the position of Supreme Court Associate Justice vice Honorable Noel Tijam,” the JBC said in an announcement.

The JBC is constitutionally mandated to vet aspirants to the judiciary and the top Ombudsman positions. They will come up with a shortlist which will be sent to the President for final decision.

Cabotaje-Tang was the youngest member of the anti-graft court at 58 years old when she was appointed in 2013 by then president Benigno Aquino III.

The JBC said there are 14 other aspirants to Tijam’s post, but they will no longer face the JBC in December as their previous interviews are still considered valid.

The other candidates are CA justices Manuel Barrios, Apolinario Bruselas Jr., Rosmari Carandang, Stephen Cruz, Edgardo delos Santos, Japar Dimaampao, Ramon Garcia, Amy Lazaro-Javier, and Mario Lopez; Sandiganbayan justice Alex Quiroz; Tagum Tagum City regional trial court judge Virginia Tehano-Ang, Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez; Centro Escolar University law school associate dean Rita Linda Jimeno and former Ateneo law dean Cesar Villanueva.

Tijam was the second appointee of President Rodrigo Duterte. He was appointed on March 8, 2017.

President Duterte is expected to appoint over 10 members of the SC during his six-year term.

He already appointed six justices so far —  Ombudsman Samuel Martires, Tijam, Andres Reyes Jr., Alexander Gesmundo, Jose Reyes Jr., and Ramon Paul Hernando.

Hernando was appointed to the post vacated by Martires.