Justice Secretary Leila de Lima
MANILA, Philippines–Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio and Justice Secretary Leila De Lima inhibited themselves from the deliberation of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) due to their possible nomination to replace former Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Lawyer Milagros Cayosa, representative of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), said Carpio presided on the discussion about vacancies in the lower court.
“In the proceedings for determination of nomination in the lower court, Justices Carpio and [Teresita Leonardo] de Castro presided with Justice Carpio as presiding officer and De Castro as consultant,” Cayosa said.
She said when they were about to discuss the chief justice nomination, the justices inhibited along with De Lima.
De Lima inhibited saying that while she is not personally applying “should there be a need later, I would like to keep my options open.”
Under Article 8 Section 7 of the 1987 Constitution, a member of the Supreme Court must be a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, at least 40 years of age, and must have been for 15 years or more, a judge of a lower court or engaged in the practice of law in the Philippines.
The same law also requires that a member of the Judiciary must be “a person of proven competence, integrity, probity, and independence.”
The JBC is the constitutionally mandated body to screen and recommend to the President of the Philippines aspirants to Judiciary post and the Office of the Ombudsman.
Aside from Cayosa other members of the JBC are De Lima and Iloilo Representative Niel Tupac Jr, Senator Francis Escudero, all ex-officio members while its regular members include retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Regino Hermisisima Jr., lawyer Jose V. Mejia as representative of the academe; and lawyer Aurora Santiago Lagman as representative for the private sector.