MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Appointments (CA) has confirmed to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) retired Supreme Court justice Jose Mendoza, President Rodrigo Duterte’s brother at San Beda’s Lex Talionis fraternity.

Mendoza was among the appointments confirmed by the commission on Wednesday, December 6.

He will be with the JBC until July 9, 2021, joining the 8-member body that screens applicants to the judiciary including the Supreme Court.

With Mendoza’s addition, there are now 3 Lex Talionis members at the JBC. The others are Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, serving as an ex-officio member by virtue of his being Secretary of Justice, and retired judge Toribio Ilao, who Duterte appointed earlier this year.

He will represent the retired Supreme Court justices sector, replacing retired Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez who supposedly applied to renew her term.

Gutierrez is known for her tough questions during public JBC interviews. (READ: EXPLAINER: How the Judicial and Bar Council works)

Other members of the JBC are: Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno (ex-officio chairperson), Representative Reynaldo Umali (ex-officio member), Senator Richard Gordon (ex-officio member), Maria Milagros Fernan-Cayosa (Integrated Bar of the Philippines), and lawyer Jose Mejia (academe).

Until his term finishes in 2022, Duterte will have appointed 12 justices to the SC. Four of those 12 are now sitting on the bench: associate justices Samuel Martires, Noel Tijam, Andres Reyes, and Alexander Gesmundo. 

These changes come as the Supreme Court is handling controversial cases, such as the petitions against the war on drugs and the electoral protest of defeated vice presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. – Rappler.com