By Rey Panaligan
The country’s regional trial court (RTC) judges have asked President Duterte to appoint Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez as replacement to Supreme Court (SC) Justice Presbitero J. Velasco Jr. who will retire on August 8.
Through Marikina City RTC Judge Felix Reyes, the Philippine Judges Association (PJA) endorsed the integrity and competence of Marquez “who has been in the SC for almost three decades in various positions.”
Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez and SC Justice Presbitero J. Velasco Jr.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
Aside from Reyes as president, the resolution endorsing Marquez was signed by 29 other executive committee officers of the PJA.
SC records showed that Marquez started his career in the High Tribunal as a law clerk of several justices. He as promoted as court administrator in 2010 and also served as spokesperson of the SC.
Marquez also served as director of the SC-United Nations Development Program Project on Technical Assistance to the Philippine Judiciary from 1998 to 2000.
He finished both his degrees in Economics and Jurist Doctor at the Ateneo de Manila University.
The PJA resolution stated:
"Whereas, Court Administrator Marquez possesses the necessary qualifications, character, and temperance required of a justice of the highest court of the land. He solely possesses an institutional memory on the operation of the courts as well as the highest tribunal having been in the service the Supreme Court for almost three (3) decades.
“Whereas, the Supreme Court would greatly benefit from such institutional memory of Court Administrator Marquez if he is given the chance to serve as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
"Now, Therefore, the Philippine Judges Association, through its Executive Committee, meeting for the purpose of adopting this resolution, and unanimously ratified by all Thirty (30) National Officers and Regional Directors, has resolved to endorse and recommend to President Rodrigo Duterte the appointment of Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez as the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
"Corollary, further resolve that the Philippine Judges Association and all its officers and members do hereby express, affirm, and stand by, the integrity and competence of Court Administrator Marquez to be the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Finally, resolve that copy of this resolution be furnished the Office of the President."
Marques has been nominated by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), the office that is mandated by the Constitution to accept, screen, and nominate appointments to the judiciary.
Aside from Marquez, also nominated by the JBC were Court of Appeals Associate Justices Jose Reyes Jr., Amy Lazaro-Javier, Ramon Garcia, Apolinario Bruselas, Rosmari Carandang and Ramon Hernando, and former Ateneo law school dean Cesar Villanueva.
Under the Constitution, the President has 90 days from August 8 to appoint the replacement of Velasco.