By Jeffrey Damicog
Seventeen persons are vying for a seat at the Supreme Court (SC) which was vacated by Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta.
Supreme Court (MANILA BULLETIN)
This was revealed by Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra after the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) stopped accepting the applications for the post last Monday afternoon (Nov. 25).
“17 persons submitted applications for SC AJ vice Peralta,” Guevarra, who is an ex officio member of the JBC, told reporters on Wednesday (Nov. 27).
The Secretary, who himself turned down his nomination as candidate for the post, added the candidates will be subjected “for initial screening tomorrow (Nov. 28).”
The JBC opened the applications after the SC seat was vacated following Peralta’s appointment as chief justice.
Peralta, who took his oath of office before President Rodrigo Duterte on October 24, replaced retired Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin who retired on his 70th birthday last October 18.
He bested two other SC magistrates in the shortlist of chief justice magistrates, namely, Justices Andres Reyes Jr. and Estela Perlas-Bernabe.
Peralta, who was born in Laoag City, Ilocos Sur, will be staying as chief justice until his retirement on March 27, 2002.
A graduate of the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Civil Law in 1979, Peralta has been a magistrate of the SC since being named as justice on January 13, 2009, by then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.