4 more join Supreme Court nominees’ list; 5 decline

Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo

An associate justice of the Supreme Court, who was accused of plagiarism, and three other justices were added to the growing list of nominees as the 24th Chief Justice of the country.

As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has received recommendations of 50 individuals and two applications for the seat vacated by ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona.

The names of Associate Justices Mariano del Castillo, Bienvenido Reyes, Lucas Bersamin and Martin Villarama Jr. have been added to the JBC list.

Del Castillo was the subject of an impeachment complaint in the House of Representatives after he was accused of copying the works of two international legal experts in the decision he wrote on a case involving the so-called comfort women.

With their nominations, all the 14 sitting justices of the high court have been recommended to the country’s highest judicial post.

Only Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe, one of President Benigno Aquino’s three appointees to the high court, has turned down her nomination.

On the other hand, Associate Justices Arturo Brion and Roberto Abad both have accepted their nominations.

Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Andres Reyes Jr. and Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Francisco Villaruz have also been nominated.

Former Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Integrated Bar of the Philippines president Roan Libarios, Laguna assistant provincial prosecutor Marianito Sasondoncillo and lawyer Rodolfo Robles have also declined their nominations.