The Judicial and Bar Council has opened the nominations for the position of associate justice of the Supreme Court that will be vacated by Justice Noel Tijam, who will retire at the age of 70 on Jan. 5 next year.
The 70-member JBC said applicants must submit two complete sets of application, together with all the documentary requirements, to the council’s office on the Second Floor, Centennial Building, Supreme Court, Padre Faura Street, Manila, not later than 4:30 pm of No. 5.
“The date of actual receipt by the JBC of the complete documentary requirements shall be deemed as the date of filing. The qualification of applicants shall be reckoned from the said deadline,” the JBC said in its advisory.
The JBC is the body tasked to screen and vet applicants and nominees to the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan and the Office of the Ombudsman.
Among the documentary requirements that must be submitted to the JBC are the application letter or recommendation letter with conforme, duly accomplished, computerized, and notarized latest version of the Personal Data Sheet (PDS—Version August 2018) where all fields are accomplished, transcript of law school records, birth certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority and the certificate of admission to the Bar with the Bar rating issued by the Office of the Bar Confidant.
Applicants and nominees are also required to submit the certificate of payment of membership dues or of lifetime membership issued by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines National Office not earlier than May 5, 2018, certificate of employment issued by the current employer not earlier than May 5, 2018, stating the applicant’s present position, annual salary, salary grade and judicial rank, if any, service record of applicants who have been employed in the government at any point, issued not earlier than May 5, 2018, and the certificate of assumption of office or oath of office of applicant’s current position.
Applicants are also required to submit certificate of compliance with, or exemption from, the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Program for the 5th Compliance Period, income tax returns or certificates of compensation payment/tax withheld for 2015, 2016 and 2017, and Sworn Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth for the last 10 years.
Tijam was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Rodrigo Duterte on March 8, 2017. He was a Court of Appeals associate justice from 2003 to 2017 before his appointment to the high court.
Tijam authored the high court decision ordering the removal of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno after it nullified her appointment via quo warranto proceedings.”‹