13 make it to JBC shortlist for Bersamin’s associate justice post

MANILA, Philippines — Thirteen nominees—nine of them justices of the Court of Appeals—are shortlisted for the post vacated by Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin when he was appointed as the country’s top judge

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, ex-officio member of the Judicial and Bar Council, on Friday released a shortlist for the next magistrate in the high court.

CA Associate Justices Edgardo De Los Santos and Amy Lazaro-Javier got six points each.

Court of Tax Appeals Associate Justice Roman del Rosario and CA Associate Justices Japar Dimaampao and Ramon Garcia each received five points.

Those who obtained four points were CA Associate Justice Henri Inting, Jhosep Lopez, Mario Lopez, Eduardo Peralta and Ricardo Velasco, Supreme Court Administrator Midas Marquez and former Ateneo Law School Dean Cesar Villanueva, and Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang.

The post of Bersamin was declared vacant after he was appointed as the chief justice on Nov. 28, 2018.

He took over the top magistrate post after the retirement of former chief justice Teresita de Castro.