By Jeffrey Damicog
Twenty applicants are vying for a lone vacancy at the Supreme Court (SC) by virtue of the retirement of Associate Justice Noel Tijam in January.
SC Associate Justice Noel Tijam
(Kevin Tristan Espiritu / MANILA BULLETIN)
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, an ex-officio member of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), said all 20 applicants met the Nov. 5 deadline set by the JBC for the submission of applications and requirements.
The Secretary said, “The supporting documents (are) still being checked by the JBC secretariat.”
Guevarra identified the candidates as Court of Appeals (CA) Justices Manuel Barrios, Ramon Bato Jr., RosemariCarandang, Ramon Cruz, Stephen Cruz, Edgardo delos Santos, JaparDimaampao, Ramon Garcia, Amy Lazaro-Javier, Mario Lopez, Eduardo Peralta Jr., and Ricardo Rosario; Sandiganbayan Justices AmparoCabotaje-Tang, Efrendela Cruz, and Alex Quiros; SC Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez; Tagum Regional Trial Court Judge Virginia Tehano-Ang; and lawyers Cesar Villanueva and Rita Linda Jimeno.
Tijam, a former Court of Appeals justice,was appointed by President Duterte to the High Court on March 8, 2017 – the President’s second appointee to the High Tribunal.
Tijam, Duterte’s classmate at the San Beda College of Law, graduated Magna cum Laude in 1967 with a degree in Bachelor of Arts, Major in Philosophy and Political Science.
He became a lecturer at the Philippine School of Business Administration (PSBA) at the age of 20 while earning his Bachelor of Laws degree on full scholarship.
He graduated Cum Laude and Class Salutatorian from San Beda College of Law in 1971 and passed the Bar Examinations in the same year at age 22.
Tijam worked as a Legal Consultant at the Senate, representing former senator Victor Ziga in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, Senate Economic Affairs Committee, Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Senate Ways and Means Committee, and Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges.
In 1994, Tijam was appointed Presiding Judge of Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 221 and served as President of the Quezon City RTC Judges Association.