Nominees, applicants for SC top post balloon to 40

The Supreme Court building in Manila. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – The nominees and applicants for Chief Justice have ballooned to 40 as of June 19, according to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).

There are actually 46 nominees and 2 applicants, the JBC said. Of the 46 nominees, one withdrew, two were disqualified, and 5 turned down their nomination, including that of former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. A total of 11 nominees have accepted their nominations.

Added to the list were Andres Bautista of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Teresita Herbosa, Court of Appeals Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao, President of Malabon University Ramon Maronilla, Ormoc 2^nd Assistant City Prosecutor Jose Renante Terre Jr., Manila Regional Trial Court Judge Branch 9 Amelia Tria-Infante and Rey Oliver Alejandrino.

Dean Rodolfo Robles who had earlier accepted his nomination withdrew his candidacy as of Tuesday.

Aside from Teodoro, others who declined their nominations were Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) President Roan Libarios, Prosecutor Marianito Sasondoncilo and two others who, as per JBC records, requested that their names not be mentioned. One of those who refused to be named told the JBC that he “was not consulted by the recommending party and not interested at all.”

Disqualified were Jocelyn Esquivel because she was not a lawyer and retired Justice Hilarion Aquino because of his age.

Those who accepted their nominations were:

1. SC Associate Justice Roberto Abad
2. SC Associate Justice Arturo Brion
3. Professor Soledad Cagampang De Castro
4. Atty. Jose Manuel Diokno
5. Atty. Katrina Legarda
6. Atty. Rafael Morales
7. Dean Raul Pangalangan

8. Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento
9. Retired Judge Manuel DJ. Siayngco Jr.
10. Dean Cesar Villanueva
11. Ex-San Juan Representative Ronaldo Zamora

A total of nine Supreme Court Justices were nominated, including the five most senior justices Seven are from the Executive Department – Justice Secretary Leila De Lima, Internal Revenue Chief Kim Henares, Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza, Government Chief Negotiator for MILF and former Dean Marvic Leonen, PCGG Chairman Andres Bautista and SEC Chair Teresita Herbosa and another government negotiator for the New People’s Army Alexander Padilla.

Deadline for submission of nominations is on July 2 following a request by private lawyer Earl Hans Santos for an extension.

“Besides being the democratic option, it would also be a reasonable move as the JBC can afford itself a greater opportunity of casting the widest possible net in terms of merit and talent for a position as sensitive and crucial to good government as that of Chief Justice,” Santos said in his letter.