JBC endorses 12 nominees to fill SC justice post that will be vacant on June 4
The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) submitted to President Marcos its 12 nominees to the Supreme Court (SC) associate justice post which would be vacated on June 4 with the compulsory retirement of Associate Justice Mario V. Lopez.
Whoever would be appointed by the President would be his first appointee to the 15-member SC, the highest court in the country.
Nominated were (in alphabetical order) Court of Appeals Associate Justice Nina Geluz Antonio-Valenzuela, CA Associate Justice Ramon M. Bato Jr., newly appointed Solicitor General Darlene Marie Basco Berberabe, CA Associate Justice Ramon A. Cruz, CA Associate Justice Maria Elisa Sempio Diy, CA Associate Justice Myra V. Garcia-Fernandez, CA Presiding Justice Fernanda Lampas Peralta, CA Associate Justice Ronaldo Roberto B. Martin, Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Karl B. Miranda, CA Associate Justic Walter S. Ong, Court of Tax Appeals Associate Maria Rowena M. San Pedro, and SC Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva.
Under the Constitution, the President has 90 days from the date of the vacancy in the judiciary to appoint a replacement.
The list of nominees was submitted to the President in a letter sent by the JBC on Friday, May 30, and was received on the same day.
The letter was signed by Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo as ex-officio chairperson of JBC; Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remula and Rep. Juliet Marie De Leon Ferrer as ex-officio members; and Jose Catral Mendoza, Nesauro H. Firme, Erlinda Pinera Uy, and Jose V. Mejia as regular JBC members.
The JBC is a constitutional office that accepts, screens, and nominates appointments in the judiciary, the Office of the Ombudsman and its deputies and special prosecutor, and members of the Legal Education Board.