MANILA, Philippines – The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has shortlisted 6 trial court judges and one private practitioner for the vacant spot of Court of Appeals (CA) justice.

The vacancy is in place of Justice Francisco Acosta who will retire on April 2. The JBC on Friday, March 31, submitted the shortlist to President Rodrigo Duterte who will make the appointment. 

The nominees are the following:

1. Judge Gregorio dela Peña (Zamboanga City RTC) – 5 votes
2. Walter Ong (private practitioner) – 5 votes
3. Judge Joselito Vibandor (Las Piñas City RTC) – 5 votes
4. Judge Merianthe Pacita Zuraek (Manila RTC) – 5 votes
5. Judge Jeoffre Acebido (Cagayan de Oro City RTC) – 4 votes
6. Judge Anisah Amanodin-Umpa (Iligan City RTC) – 4 votes
7. Judge Tita Marilyn Payoyo-Villordon (Quezon City RTC) – 4 votes

Dela Peña, Vibrandor, Acebido, and Umpa were shortlisted in 2016 for the spot vacated by Associate Justice Agnes Reyes-Carpio, but were bypassed in place of Acosta’s brother, Judge Louis Acosta, formerly of the Taguig Regional Trial Court (RTC).

Judge Payoyo-Villordon recently convicted a Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) official for pocketing the prize money of lotto winners.

Ong, meanwhile, is the brother of former Sandiganbayan Justice Gregory Ong, who was dismissed by the SC in 2014 for impropriety. Justice Ong was shown to have links to alleged pork scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles. (READ: INSIDE STORY: Ousted justice tried to bargain with SC)

In 2010, Napoles got off the hook in the Kevlar helmet case that was tried by the Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division which Justice Ong chaired.

The CA is currently hearing an appeal by Napoles to overturn her conviction in the serious illegal detention case filed by Benhur Luy. – Rappler.com