The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has already come up with a shortlist of candidates for the Supreme Court Associate Justice position to be vacated by Associate Justice Arturo Brion, who will compulsorily retire on Dec. 29.
Included in the shortlist are Court of Appeals Associate Justices Rosmari Carandang, Apolinario D. Bruselas Jr., Jose C. Reyes Jr., Japar B. Dimaampao, Amy Lazaro-Javier and Noel Tijam.
Also in the shortlist is Centro Escolar University Law Vice Dean Rita Linda Ventura-Jimeno.
Aside from Brion, Associate Justice Jose Perez will also retire on Dec. 14. The JBC has already submitted its shortlist of candidates for Perez’ post to President Rodrigo Duterte.
READ: JBC presents shortlist for Supreme Court vacancies
Justices Bruselas, Dimaampao and Reyes were shortlisted in the two positions. The others shortlisted for the position to be vacated by Perez are Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Samuel Martires and Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Andres Reyes
Under Article VIII, sec. 4, par. 1 of the 1987 Constitution, vacancies in the office of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court shall be filled within ninety (90) days from its occurrence.`
The positions to be vacated by Brion and Perez are the first two of the possibly more than 10 appointments that Duterte will have to make at the Supreme Court. IDL/rga