Sandiganbayan. INQUIRER PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA
MANILA, Philippines–A government prosecutor assisting the Office of the Ombudsman in the plunder cases against Senators Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Juan Ponce Enrile and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. is among the aspirants for the position vacated by Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Gregory Ong, according to the website of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).
Justice Undersecretary Jose Justiniano is one of eight candidates listed by the JBC for consideration to the antigraft court.
Earlier, Justiniano also acted as counsel for US soldier Lance Corporal Daniel Smith when the serviceman appealed his conviction in 2006 for the rape of a Filipino woman inside the Subic Bay Freeport.
Prior to that appeal, Justiniano also led the successful defense of Smith’s co-accused Lance Corporal Keith Silkwood.
Currently, the undersecretary is assisting in prosecuting the three senators, Janet Lim-Napoles and several others in relation to the P10-billion pork barrel scam.
Aside from Justiniano, another candidate for the position is Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 208 Judge Esteban Adolfo Tacla Jr. who is trying the P200-million Ponzi scheme case of accused Elvy Mansilangan Lu, one of the heads of Minerva Co., a group operating in Central Luzon and in Metro Manila.
Another candidate, Assistant Solicitor General Sarah Jane Tan Fernandez is the sister of Dagupan Mayor Belen Fernandez.
Tarlac City RTC Branch 63 Judge Cesar Limbo Aganon, on the other hand, handled the case on the death of Tarlac Bishop and human rights advocate Alberto Ramento who was stabbed to death on Oct. 3, 2006 in Tarlac, Philippines, while Antipolo RTC Branch 71 Kevin Narce Batan Vivero notarized the Certificate of Candidacy of the late action king Fernando Poe Jr.
Baguio RTC Branch 6 and currectly assigned in Quezon City Judge Cleto Ramirez Villacorta III is handling the civil suit filed by the so-called Morong 43 against former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Other aspirants include Mandaluyong RTC Branch 211 Judge Ofelia Lineses Calo; Manila RTC Branch 173 Judge Armando Alvarez Yanga is also the president of the RTC Judges Associatio; Zamboanga City Branch 12 Judge Gregorio Valencia Dela Peña III is handling the Zamboanga seige case; and Caloocan RTC Branch 120 Judge Aurelio Rambayon Ralar Jr.
The JBC has scheduled their psychological evaluation for Jan. 6, 7 and 26, 2015.
The Sandiganbayan post became vacant after the Supreme Court dismissed Ong for gross misconduct, dishonesty and impropriety under the New Code of Judicial Conduct for the Philippine Judiciary due to his alleged ties with Napoles.
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