4 more candidates accept Chief Justice nominations

Ronaldo Zamora

MANILA, Philippines – Four more candidates for chief justice have accepted their nominations.

JBC records showed that Lawyer Rodolfo Robles, retired Judge Manuel Syangco Jr., former San Juan Representative Ronaldo Zamora and Dean Jose Manuel Diokno were the latest nominees to say yes, raising the number of aspirants to 11.

The other seven candidates who accepted their nominations were Justices Arturo Brion and Roberto Abad, Katrina Legarda, former Ateneo Law Dean Cesar Villanueva, former UP Law Dean Raul Pangalangan, private lawyer Rafael Morales and Commission on Elections Commissioner Rene Sarmiento.

Under the rules, a candidate has to accept the nomination to be considered an aspirant.

Dean Jose Manuel Diokno

Four ranking officials in the Aquino government have yet to confirm their nomination: Justice Secretary Leila De Lima, Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares, Solicitor-General Francis Jardeleza and Peace Process Chief Marvic Leonen.

Out of the nine Supreme Court justices only Brion and Abad have accepted their nominations. Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo De Castro have yet to issue confirmations although they have inhibited from the deliberations of the Judicial and Bar Council.

Carpio, being the acting Chief Justice, is supposed to stand as acting chairman of the JBC while De Castro is JBC consultant.