The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has come up with a shortlist of candidates for one of the two vacancies in the Supreme Court.
All included in the shortlist belong to the judiciary, namely Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Andres Reyes and Associate Justices Jose Reyes, Apolinario Bruselas, Japar Dimaampao, and Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Samuel Martires.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre, an ex-officio member of the JBC, said the shortlist was for the position to be vacated by Supreme Court Associate Justice Jose Perez who would be retiring on Dec. 14.
The post to be vacated by Perez would be the first of more than 10 to be appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to the Supreme Court.
The JBC will deliberate again on Dec. 9 to come up with another shortlist for the position to be vacated by Supreme Court Associate Justice Arturo Brion who would be retiring on Dec. 29.
Under the Constitution, the President has 90 days from vacancy to choose from the shortlist of candidates provided by the JBC.