JBC reopens applications for deputy overall ombudsman, CA presiding justice
Due to lack of applicants, the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) again opened applications for the positions vacated by axed Deputy Overall Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang and retired Court of Appeals (CA) Presiding Justice Romeo Barza.
Supreme Court (SC) Clerk of Court and JBC Ex Officio Secretary Edgar Aricheta announced that the JBC started accepting applications for the posts last Friday.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, one of the ex- officio members of the JBC, confirmed on Saturday that this is the second time the JBC opened the acceptance of applications for the position vacated by Carandang.
“Kulang sa applicants (There were a lack of applicants). Minimum number is five,” Guevarra explained.
The JBC first opened the acceptance of the applications for the position last June 20.
“Most recently, one of the five applicants withdrew,” Guevarra noted.
Aside from the post of deputy overall ombudsman, Aricheta also announced the re-opening of applications for the post vacated by Barza who retired on Aug. 2.
SC spokesman Brian Hosaka confirmed that the JBC re-opened the application for the position vacated by Barza four times due to the lack of applicants.
“Under present rules, there should be at least five applicants. If not, it will have to be reopened again,” he explained.
The JBC first opened the position on July 26, 2019 but had to re-open it on Oct. 18, 2019, January 17, May 23, and August 7.
In his Aug. 7 advisory, Aricheta said applicants interested in the two positions have until Sept. 22 to submit to the JBC through courier service two complete sets of the documentary requirements.
But Aricheta advised them to first fill out the Online Application Scheduler on the JBC website and wait for the computer-generated letter of intent which they will have to submit as part of the documentary requirements.
In 2017, Malacanang ordered the dismissal of Carandang due to his disclosure of President Duterte’s bank transactions reaching P1 billion without authority from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
Carandang appealed his dismissal before Malacanang, but the Palace turned it down and affirmed his dismissal in June last year.