Bayan Muna urges JBC: Disqualify Villavert from higher judicial positions

MANILA, Philippines — The Bayan Muna party-list has called on the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) to disqualify Judge Cecilyn Burgos Villavert from being promoted to higher judicial positions amid her track record of “violating human rights and her collusion with the Duterte administration’s crackdown on activists.”

READ: Flawed warrants laid bare as courts side with law in freeing activists

In a statement on Wednesday, former Bayan Muna Rep. Ferdinand Gaite expressed strong opposition against Villavert’s candidacy for positions such as Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals (CA) or Associate Justice of the Sandiganbayan.

record of issuing search warrants that led to the death and illegal arrest of many activists.

“We vehemently oppose Judge Villavert’s candidacy to positions such as Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals or Associate Justice of the Sandiganbayan. Her track record of violating pic.twitter.com/ErfxivNX3B

— BAYAN MUNA Partylist (@BayanMuna) June 5, 2024

“Her track record of violating human rights and her collusion with the Duterte administration’s crackdown on activists make her unfit for any higher judicial position,” he added.

According to Gaite, Villavert had a history of issuing several questionable search warrants which led to the arrest and filing of “trumped-up” charges against 76 activists.

These charges, said Gaite, were eventually dismissed by the Regional Trial Court and the Court of Appeals, further indicating her “abuse of power and disregard for human rights.”

“Her promotion would be a travesty of justice and would only perpetuate the culture of impunity in our judiciary. We demand that the Judicial and Bar Council disqualify Judge Villavert from being considered for higher judicial positions,” Gaite said.

READ: Another court voids search warrants, this time against 2 peace talks staff

Bayan Muna released the statement after the JBC announced four vacancies in higher judicial positions — four positions of Associate Justice at the CA, two at the Sandiganbayan, and one for Ombudsman Special Prosecutor.

Villavert was included in JBC’s list of applicants for CA and Sandiganbayan Associate Justice.