The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has opened the application and recommendation to the post of associate justice of the Supreme Court (SC) which would be vacant on Jan. 9, 2022 with the compulsory retirement of Associate Justice Rosmari D. Carandang.
Also opened for application and recommendation are five posts of associate justice of the Court of Appeals (CA) and more than 70 judgeship posts in four judicial regions in Mindanao.
In an announcement, the JBC – the constitutional office that nominates appointments to the judiciary – said the deadline for the application or recommendation is on Nov. 2, 2021.
Vacant posts in the CA were those left by Associate Justices Jhosep Y. Lopez who was promoted to the SC on Jan. 25, 2021; Danton Q. Bueser who retired on March 14, 2021; Franchito N. Diamante who passed away May 4, 2021; Edgardo T. Lloren who retired Aug. 8, 2021; and Elihu a Ybanez who will retire on Nov. 2, 2021.
For judicial regions IX, X, XI, and XII, vacant judgeship posts are for the regional trial court (RTC), municipal trial courts (MTC), municipal circuit trial courts (MCTC), and Shari’a district court (SDC).
These are in the provinces of Basilan, Agusan del Sur, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Bukidnon, Sulu, Dinagat Island, Surigao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, Davao Oriental, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, North Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat.
Last Sept. 14, then CA Associate Justice Japaar B. Dimaampao took his oath of office as replacement to the post left in the SC by then Associate Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo who was appointed Chief Justice last April 5.
There is still a vacancy in the 15-member SC – the post left by Associate Justice Edgardo L. Delos Santos who opted for early retirement last June 30 on health reasons.
Six nominees were named by the JBC to Delos Santos’ post. The list was submitted by the JBC to President Duterte last Aug. 27. As of last Sept. 19, the President has not announced his appointee.
Nominated were CA Associate Justices Ramon R. Cruz and Maria Filomena D. Singh; Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo M. Cabotaje Tang and Associate Justice Geraldine Faith A. Econg; and Court Administrator Jose Midas P. Marquez and Deputy Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva.