JBC starts search for new SC associate justice

MANILA, Philippines — The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has opened the application for the position of Supreme Court (SC) associate justice to replace Teresita Leonardo-de Castro who was appointed by President Duterte as chief justice last Aug. 25.

De Castro, who will retire on Oct. 8, would only lead the SC for 45 days. The President would then have to pick another chief justice. 

In the five-page announcement posted by the JBC on its website last Aug. 31, SC clerk of court and JBC ex officio secretary Edgar Aricheta said, “Interested applicants shall submit two complete sets of application or recommendation with conforme, together with all the documentary requirements to the JBC office.”

The JBC office is located at the second floor of the Centennial Building of the SC along Padre Faura Street in Manila. 

All applications and documentary requirements should be submitted not later than 4:30 p.m. of Oct. 1.

“The date of actual receipt by the JBC of the complete documentary requirements shall be deemed as the date of filing. The qualification of applicants shall be reckoned from the said deadline,” said Aricheta.

The JBC added, “All incomplete applications and/or out-of-date documentary requirements and those submitted beyond the deadline shall not be given due course.”

Those who would send their applications and documentary requirements through courier should make sure that their submissions are complete and updated.

It also informed the applicants that the JBC is “under no obligation to advise the applicants if they have incomplete and/or out of date documentary requirements.”

Among the documentary requirements that should be submitted are their sworn Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN) for the last 10 years. 

For those who are currently in government service, all SALNs for the past 10 years must be submitted. Those who have been with government for less than 10 years only have to submit for the years they were working in government. 

Those currently employed in the private sector but were in government service during the past 10 years are required to submit their SALNs for those years they were working in government.

As for those applicants from the private sector who have never served in government, they only have to submit their SALN as of Dec. 31, 2017.

The issue on the non-filing of some of her SALNs was one of the issues raised against ousted SC chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.