JBC shortlists nominees for Carpio replacement

MANILA, Philippines — The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) yesterday shortlisted eight justices of the Court of Appeals (CA) and a court administrator to replace Supreme Court (SC) Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.

In a two-page nomination of the JBC submitted to President Duterte, the council listed CA justices Manuel Mejorada Barrios, Edgardo Lao delos Santos, Japar Babay Dimaampao, Ramon del Rosario Garcia, Jhosep Ylarde Lopez, Pablito Alhambra Perez, Ricardo de Rivera Rosario, Maria Filomena Dumandan Singh and Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez to possibly succeed Carpio, who is set to retire on Oct. 26.

Under the law, the JBC is mandated to submit nominees for the vacant SC position.

In another development, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the JBC’s action on the nomination for chief justice has been deferred to Oct. 15. 

Guevarra is an ex-officio member of the JBC. 

The JBC has recently interviewed Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Estela Perlas-Bernabe, Andres Reyes Jr. and Jose Reyes Jr. as they have applied to replace Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin who will retire on Oct. 18.