THE Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) starts today, Wednesday, the public interviews for applicants to the post of Associate Justice Mario Lopez, who retires from the Supreme Court next month.
Lopez leaves the judiciary on June 4 after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
The JBC said the interviews are scheduled to run until May 21 at either the Supreme Court (SC) en banc session hall or the Court of Appeals (CA) session hall.
Among those seeking the post are CA Presiding Justice Fernanda Lampas Peralta and Associate Justices Ramon Bato Jr., Ramon Cruz, Myra Garcia Fernandez, Nina Antonio Valenzuela, Maria Elisa Diy, Ronaldo Roberto Martin, Walter Ong, and Carlito Calpatura; Sandiganbayan Justices Karl Miranda and Ronald Moreno, and from the Court of Tax Appeals Maria Rowena San Pedro; court administrator Raul Villanueva is also applying.
Also applying for Lopez’s seat are 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 Teehankee.
From the list of applicants, the JBC will make a short list of at least three applicants that it will transmit to Malacañang. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will then make the final choice.
The JBC is the body tasked by the Constitution to vet and screen nominees in the judiciary. Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo heads it in an ex oficio 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 oficio members.
