JBC sets schedule for interview of bets for SC post

MANILA, Philippines - The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) announced yesterday that seven of the 14 candidates seeking to replace retiring Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Jose Perez would be interviewed on Nov. 16.

Perez is due to retire on Dec. 14, the JBC said.

Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida Rueda-Acosta would lead the set of personalities to be interviewed during the morning session that would run from 9 a.m. until noon.

Other legal luminaries to be interviewed in the morning are lawyer Rita Linda Ventura-Jimeno, Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Rowena Apao-Adlawan and Court of Appeals (CA) Justice Japar Dimaampao.

In the afternoon, those scheduled to be interviewed are Sandiganbayan Justice Samuel Martires, Department of Justice (DOJ) Chief State Counsel Ricardo Paras III and CA Justice Noel Tijam.

The JBC mentioned that Paras is also a candidate for a position in the Sandiganbayan.

There are seven other applicants who had been previously interviewed.

They are CA Presiding Justice Andres Reyes, CA Justices Rosmari Carandang, Jose Reyes, Stephen Cruz and Apolinario Bruselas, Sandiganbayan Justice Alex Quiroz and Quezon City RTC Judge Reynaldo Daway.

“The public may submit to the JBC a sworn complaint, report or opposition against any of the aforesaid candidates on or before Nov. 2,” the JBC said.

The seven-man council, which is constitutionally mandated to screen and vet nominees to the President for vacant posts in the judiciary and the Offices of the Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman, is chaired by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, with ex-officio members Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and Sen. Richard Gordon and Mindoro Oriental Rep. Reynaldo Umali, who share their term in the JBC.

Retired SC justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez is the head of the executive committee and the members are lawyer Jose Mejia representing the academe, Milagros Fernan-Cayosa representing the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and retired judge Toribio Ilao representing the private sector.