The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) will start vetting candidates on Nov. 16 for the next Supreme Court Associate Justice.
Seven of the 14 candidates eyeing the seat of Associate Justice Jose Perez, who is set to retire on Dec. 14, will go through a rigorous interview by the JBC panel.
The seven to be interviewed are Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Acosta, Court of Appeals Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao, Centro Escolar University law school vice dean Rita Linda Ventura-Jimeno, Pasig Regional Trial Court Judge Rowena Apao-Adlawan, Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Samuel Martires, Chief State Counsel Ricardo Paras III, and Court of Appeals Justice Noel Tijam.
The other seven candidates need not go though the process as they have been interviewed previously by the seven-member JBC led by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. —Gil Cabacungan