MANILA, Philippines — Nine members of the Bar have made it to the shortlist of the next associate justice of the Supreme Court.
The Judicial and Bar Council released on Friday the shortlist of candidates that may take the seat of Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, who is set to retire on October 26.
They are the following:
- Court of Appeals Associate Justice Manuel Barrios
- Court of Appeals Associate Justice Edgardo delos Santos
- Court of Appeals Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao
- Court of Tax Appeals Presiding Justice Ramon Del Rosario
- Court of Appeals Associate Justice Jhosep Lopez
- Court Administrator Midas Marquez
- Court of Appeals Associate Justice Pablito Perez
- Court of Appeals Associate Justice Ricardo Rosario
- Court of Appeals Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh
President Rodrigo Duterte will pick his 12th appointee to the SC from the list.
The JBC earlier held a three-day public interview of 28 applicants vying for the seats of Carpio and recently retired Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza.
The council submitted its shortlist for Jardeleza’s spot to Duterte last October 13. It contained 13 names.
Voting for next chief justice shortlist deferred
The JBC panel, however, deferred deliberating on who would succeed Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, a member of the JBC by virtue of his position, confirmed this Friday.
“JBC action [chief justice] nominations until October 15,” Guevarra told reporters.
Bersamin is set to retire on October 18.
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Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Estele Perlas-Bernabe, Andres Reyes Jr. and Jose Reyes Jr. faced the Judicial and Bar Council for a public interview on October 2.
The chief justice earlier said that if Duterte would ask him who to choose from the four candidates, he would reply: “Choose the one who you believe has more [EQ] than the others.”
“This is also a position of leadership among equals — primus inter pares (first among equals) — so it is very important here, a large part is the EQ,” Bersamin also said.
Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, for his part, said that the next head of the judiciary should have a consultative personality as the position entails listening to their colleagues at the tribunal to personnel of the farthest court in the country.