Supreme Court vacancy draws CA, Sandiganbayan heavyweights
The Supreme Court. Photo by Tetch Torres/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines–Court of Appeals Associate Justices dominate the list of aspirants for the Supreme Court (SC) posts that will be left vacant by Associate Justice Mario Lopez’s retirement next month.
Lopez will retire on June 4, after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
The position to be vacated by Lopez will be the first appointment to the Supreme Court that President Ferdinand Marcos will make since he assumed the presidency in 2022.
Of the 17 applicants for Lopez’s post, nine are from the CA, including current Presiding Justice Fernanda Lampas Peralta.
Peralta was appointed last year as CA presiding justice to fill the vacancy left by Justice Mariflor Punzalan Castillo’s retirement.
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Other Court of Appeals justices aspiring for the Supreme Court position are Associate Justices Ramon Bato Jr., Ramon Cruz, Myra Garcia Fernandez, Nina Antonio Valenzuela, Maria Elisa Diy, Ronaldo Roberto Martin, Walter Ong and Carlito Calpatura.
Meanwhile, two justices from the Sandiganbayan are vying for the same position. They are Karl Miranda and Ronald Moreno. Also aspiring for the SC post is Court of Tax Appeals Justice Maria Rowena San Pedro.
Former court administrators
Court Administrator Raul Villanueva also applied for the post. If appointed, there will be two SC justices who are former court administrators, the other one is Justice Jose Midas Marquez.
Other aspirants include UP College of Law dean Darlene Marie Berberabe, former University of Asia and the Pacific law dean Maria Concepcion Noche, lawyer-diplomat Manuel Antonio Teehankee, and former official from the Department of Finance Maria Rosario De Leon Bernardo, who is currently a tax lawyer.
The Supreme Court is mainly comprised of appointees of former President Rodrigo Duterte with 13 justices, including Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo.
Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen and Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa were appointed by former President Benigno Aquino III.
The JBC is a constitutionally created body tasked with screening nominees and applicants to the judiciary and the Ombudsman.
The Constitution also mandates the JBC to submit to the Office of the President a shortlist of nominees for appointment to fill in vacancies in the judiciary.
Lopez, who chaired the 2024 Bar Examinations was appointed by former President Duterte to the SC on December 5, 2019.
