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MANILA, Philippines – The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on Thursday, March 20, released a list of 15 applicants for the post to be vacated by Supreme Court Associate Justice Roberto A. Abad in May.
Abad will leave the High Court on May 22 when he hits the retirement age of 70.
Below is the preliminary list of applicants:
| Name of Applicant | Present Position |
|---|---|
| 1. Antonio-Valenzuela, Nina G. | Associate Justice, Court of Appeals |
| 2. Bruselas, Apolinario D. | Associate Justice, Court of Appeals |
| 3. Carandang, Rosmari D. | Associate Justice, Court of Appeals |
| 4. Cornejo, Maria Cristina J. | Associate Justice, Sandiganbayan |
| 5. Daway, Reynaldo B. | Presiding Judge, Regional Trial Court, Branch 90, Quezon City |
| 6. Diokno, Jose Manuel I. | Dean, College of Law, DLSU; Chair, Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) |
| 7. Guanzon, Ma. Rowena V. | Commissioner, Commission on Audit |
| 8. Hernando, Ramon Paul L. | Associate Justice, Court of Appeals |
| 9. Jardeleza, Francis H. | Solicitor General |
| 10. Lagos, Rafael R. | Associate Justice, Sandiganbayan |
| 11. Pulido-Tan, Maria Gracia M. | Chairperson, Commission on Audit |
| 12. Reyes, Andres Jr B. | Presiding Justice, Court of Appeals |
| 13. Reyes, Jose Jr C. | Associate Justice, Court of Appeals |
| 14. Tijam, Noel G. | Associate Justice, Court of Appeals |
| 15. Cruz, Stephen C. | Associate Justice, Court of Appeals |
The SC Public Information Office (PIO) said the list is based on the actual receipt of applications as of March 18, 2014, and that other applicants may be added to the list.
“Applicants who filed their applications by mail may still be added to the list if the applications were mailed within the deadline,” the statement read.
The JBC, which recommends appointees to the judiciary, is headed by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. The members are Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Senator Aquilino Pimentel III as Ex Officio members, retired CA Justice Aurora Santiago-Lagman representing the private sector, Jose Mejia representing the academe, and Maria Milagros N. Fernan-Cayosa representing the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.
Jinggoy: Anyone but Tan
Senator Jinggoy Estrada questioned Tan’s qualifications to become Supreme Court Justice.
Asked to comment on Tan’s application for the post, Estrada sarcastically replied: “Oh my God! Ha? Wala na bang iba?…Naging RTC judge na ba siya? Alam ko pwede but may experience ba ‘yun?” (What? Is there no one else? Was she a Regional Trial Court judge? I know it’s allowed but does she have experience?)
He said magistrates should have 15 years experience working for a regional trial court, and must practice law – qualifications he said Tan did not possess. Estrada said while there are others more deserving of the post, he will not oppose Tan’s bid.
“I think she lacks experience. Did she even litigate? Was she active when she passed the bar? I think she purely had a corporate background. Nothing personal. Let’s look at the person’s qualifications. If she’s qualified, why not?”
Estrada has been at odds with Tan since a COA audit report named him as among the lawmakers who had allegedly misused their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in connivance with some public officials and bogus nongovernmental organizations ran by alleged pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim Napoles.
The senator faces a plunder complaint over the pork barrel scam, which the COA audited in a report released last year. – Buena Bernal and Ayee Macaraig/Rappler.com
(EDITOR’S NOTE: The Supreme Court earlier reported 14 applicants, but later issued a correction that a 15th name was inadvertently excluded in their earlier announcement.)
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