Aspirants to a Supreme Court vacancy must draft a decision as part of the application process, the first time the Judicial and Bar Council set the requirement.
The applicants, mostly Court of Appeals and Sandiganbayan justices, took a decision-writing exam last Friday, in which one of the cases they had to rule on was a young lawyer’s petition for the legalization of same-sex marriage in the country.
Twenty-three applicants are vying for the associate justice post that will be vacated when Justice Mariano del Castillo retires next month.
Court spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka, replying to questions, said “Before, it was just a personal essay that was asked. I believe this was required by the JBC to assess the logical reasoning, organization, and writing skill of the applicant, among others. After all, that is the primary work and job of a justice of the Supreme Court.”
The JBC, which screens applicants to judiciary posts for recommendation to the president, wrapped up interviews of the aspirants to the upcoming vacancy this week.
Some of the issues raised in the three-day interviews were marriage equality, asserting Philippine sovereignty, and the constitutionality of allowing foreign fishing in the country’s exclusive economic zone.
CA justices Oscar Badelles, Manuel Barrios, Ramon Bato, Jr., Apolinario Bruselas, Jr., Ramon Cruz, Japar Dimaampao, Ramon Garcia, Jhosep Lopez, Mario Lopez, Eduardo Peralta, Jr., Pablito Perez, Ricardo Rosario, Edgardo Delos Santos, Maria Filomena Singh, Elihu Ybañez, and Rodil Zalameda have applied for the scheduled vacancy.
Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang and Associate Justices Efren Dela Cruz and Alex Quiroz, Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez, former Ateneo law school dean Cesar Villanueva, Bureau of Internal Revenue Deputy Commissioner Lanee Cui-David, and law professor Jeremy Benigno Gatdula have also applied.
Appeals court justice Stephen Cruz applied but later withdrew his application.