The Marawi-born associate justice from the Court of Appeals (CA) on Friday led the shortlist of candidates vying for the incoming vacancy at the Supreme Court (SC).
During its regular deliberation, the JBC released on Friday the shortlist of candidates for an SC post that will be left vacant in August.
Court of Appeals Associate Justice Japar B. Dimaampao got the perfect seven votes from all members of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).
Dimaampao was born on Dec. 27, 1963 in Marawi City. Aside from being an associate justice, Dimaampao is also an author, a law professor and Bar reviewer. He is an expert in Taxation and Commercial law, being a certified public accountant.
He was a former prosecutor and judge at the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court. He became the youngest to be appointed at the CA at the age of 40.
Aside from Dimaampao, Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Alexander Gesmundo also received seven votes.
Gesmundo was a law professor, Bar examiner and a former Commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG).
Others included in the shortlist are Court of Appeals Associate Justices Jose C. Reyes Jr. with six votes, Apolinario D. Bruselas Jr., Ramon Paul L. Hernando, all with five votes each. Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Andres B. Reyes Jr. also received five votes.
Court of Appeals Associate Justices Rosmari Declaro Carandang and Amy S. Lazaro-Javier both received four votes.
The names will be submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte who has 90 days from date of SC vacancy to make a choice. The SC post will become vacant on August 13, 2017 upon the mandatory retirement of Supreme Court Associate Justice Jose Catra Mendoza at the age of 70.
The replacement of Mendoza will be Duterte’s fourth appointment to the Supreme Court this year.
Earlier, he appointed Associate Justices Noel Tijam and Samuel Martires, both, like the President, are also graduates of San Beda College of Law.
READ: Duterte turning SC into Red Lions den?
The seven-member JBC is constitutionally mandated to screen nominees for positions in the judiciary and the Office of the Ombudsman. Its chairperson is Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno while the members are Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, Senator Richard Gordon and Mindoro Oriental Representative Reynaldo Umali (term-sharing seat in the JBC), retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez (head of the Executive Committee), Atty. Jose Mejia (representing the academe), Atty. Milagros Fernan-Cayosa (representing the Integrated Bar of the Philippines) and retired Judge Toribio Ilao (representing the private sector). JPV/rga