JUSTICE of the Court of Appeals (CA) dominate the list of applicants for the Supreme Court post that will be left vacant when Associate Justice Mario Lopez retires next month.
Lopez, who will retire on June 4, was appointed to the post in 2019, replacing Francis Jardeleza, who retired after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
Of the 17 applicants for Lopez’s post, nine are from the CA, among them current Presiding Justice Fernanda Lampas Peralta.
Peralta was appointed last year as CA presiding justice to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Justice Mariflor Punzalan Castillo.
The other CA justices vying for the post are Associate Justices Ramon Bato Jr., Ramon Cruz, Myra Garcia Fernandez, Nina Antonio Valenzuela, Maria Elisa Diy, Ronaldo Roberto Martin, Walter Ong, and Carlito Calpatura.
Justices from the Sandiganbayan — Karl Miranda and Ronald Moreno, and the Court of Tax Appeals, Maria Rowena San Pedro, are also vying for the same post.
Court Administrator Raul Villanueva also applied for the post of Lopez.
UP College of Law Dean Darlene Marie Berberabe, former University of Asia and the Pacific law dean Maria Concepcion Noche, and lawyer-diplomat Manuel Antonio Teehanke are also applying for the SC position.
The SC is currently dominated by appointees of former President Rodrigo Duterte, including Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo.
Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen and Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa are appointees of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.
The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) released the list of applicants. From this, the JBC will make a short list of at least three applicants that will be transmitted to Malacañang.
The President will then make the final choice based on the JBC list.
The JBC is the body tasked by the Constitution to vet and screen nominees in the judiciary.
It is headed by Gesmundo in an ex-officio capacity, with Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Jose Catral Mendoza, Nesauro Firme, Erlinda Pinera Uy, and Jose Mejia as ex-officio members.
