Candidates for new Supreme Court justice down to 7
In this March 1, 2017 photo, members of the Judicial and Bar Council conduct a public interview of applicants for positions to be vacated by Supreme Court associate justices. JBC
MANILA, Philippines — The Judicial and Bar Council released the names of the final nominees for Supreme Court associate justice, who will replace retiring magistrate Bienvenido Reyes.
Among seven names on the shortlist are current magistrates of the Court of Appeals whose order directing the House of Representatives to release Ilocos Norte officials was disputed by the lower chamber's leaders.
Justice Andres Reyes Jr. is the frontrunner, having earned seven votes. Reyes, along with Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, earlier this week expressed "deep concerns" over the implications of the judicial-legislative deadlock on the fate of the "Ilocos 6" employees accused of being uncooperative in the committee probe into tobacco fund discrepancies in the province.
On the JBC's list, Reyes was followed by his Court of Appeals colleagues Rosmari Carandang and Jose Reyes Jr. with six votes each.
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The appellate court's Justice Apolinario Bruselas, Muslim jurist Japar Dimaampao who is also from the Court of Appeals and Centro Escolar University law professor Rita Linda Ventura-Jimeno got five votes each.
Amy Lazaro-Javier is placed last with four votes.
Dimaampao, Ventura-Jimeno and Lazaro-Javier were also nominated last year to fill up the position of then retiring high court magistrates Jose Perez and Arturo Brion.
President Rodrigo Duterte will appoint the next Supreme Court justice from among the names on list of the JBC, the constitutional body tasked to recommend appointees for vacancies at the Supreme Court, lower courts and the Office of the Ombudsman.
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