The Judicial and Bar Council on Friday submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte a shortlist of candidates led by Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez and eight justices of the Court of Appeals to take over the seat to be vacated by Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio when he reaches his mandatory retirement age of 70 in two weeks.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, an ex-officio member of the JBC, said that aside from Marquez, the 7-member JBC shortlisted CA Justices Manuel Barrios, Edgardo delos Santos, Japar Dimaampao, Ramon Garcia, Jhosep Lopez, Pablito Perez, Ricardo Rosario, and Maria Filomena Singh for possible appointment by the Chief Executive.
After 18 years as associate justice of the 15-member bench, Carpio will retire on Oct. 26.
Marquez, Delos Santos, Dimaampao, Garcia, Lopez, and Singh were also nominated for the SC justice post vacated by Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza who retired last Sept. 26.
Meanwhile, Guevarra revealed that the JBC deferred taking action on the nomination for the most coveted post in the judiciary, which will be vacated by Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, until Oct. 15.
Four incumbent magistrates have applied to succeed Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, who retires on Oct. 18: Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Estela Perlas-Bernabe, Andres Reyes Jr., and Jose Reyes Jr.
The JBC screens applicants to judiciary posts and comes up with a shortlist for the president, who is mandated by the Constitution to pick his appointee from the list.
Bersamin serves as the ex-officio chairman of the JBC, with Guevarra, Senator Richard Gordon, and Oriental Mindoro Rep. Doy Leachon as ex-officio members.
Retired justices Jose Mendoza and Noel Tijam and retired judges Franklin Demonteverde and Toribio Ilao Jr. are the council’s regular members.