SUPREME Court Associate Justice Jose Mendoza will retire from the judiciary on Aug. 13 when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70.
Mendoza, a fraternity brother of President Rodrigo Duterte in the Lex Talionis fraternity in the San Beda College of Law, was honored by fellow justices and colleagues at the Supreme Court during the flag-raising ceremony on Monday.
Mendoza authored the high court decision in April 2014 that upheld the key provisions of the controversial Republic Act 10354, or the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act.
After passing the 1971 Bar examinations, he served as a legal officer of the Philippine Banking Corp., the Manila Electric Co. and the Gokongwei Group of Companies.
He joined the judiciary as a research attorney in the Court of Appeals in 1977 before being promoted as a judge and later as a Court of Appeals justice.
The Judicial and Bar Council has already submitted to the President last month its shortlist of the nominees to replace Mendoza.
Among the nominees is Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Andres Reyes Jr., who was appointed earlier to the high court for the vacancy left by the retirement of Associate Justice Bienvenido Reyes.
The others in the shortlist are Court of Appeals Associate Justices Jaapar Dimaampao, Jose Reyes, Apolinario Bruselas, Ramon Hernando, Rosmari Carandang and Amy Lazaro Javier, and Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Alexander Gesmundo.
President Rodrigo Duterte has 90 days to name Mendoza’s replacement in the high court.