THE Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has submitted to Malacañang a list of 19 nominees for the position to be vacated by Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Rafael Lagos, who will retire from the judiciary on December 22 this year.
The names were submitted to President Marcos Jr. last November 29.
The JBC nominees are Jonathan Moslares Agnes, Maria Teresa de Guzman Alvarez, Mila Perpetua Anog Catabay-Lauigan, Juris Dilinila-Callanta, Lyn Chua Ebora-Cacha, Maria Luisa Leslie Gutierrez Gonzales-Betic, Rosalia Ignacio Hipolito-Bunagan, Gay Marie Flores Lubigan-Rafael, Ethel Villena Mercado-Gutay, Angelita Villanueva Miranda, Marlon Jay Guillena Moneva, Lily Ann Marcos Padaen, Jocelyn Solis Reyes, Snooky Maria Ana Barena Sagayo, Josefina Eco Siscar, Romeo Dizon Tagra, Maria Victoria Soriano Villadolid, Lord Alipasok Villanueva, and Cecilyn Burgos Villavert.
Human rights groups such as Karapatan has earlier opposed the nomination of Villavert, a Quezon City regional trial court judge, whom they alleged has been “known for having issued defective search warrants that led to the arrest and killings of scores of activists.”
Kapatid, a support group of relatives and friends of political prisoners, has also urged the JBC to reject the bid of Villavert for a higher position in the judiciary.
It echoed Karapatan’s concerns, adding that the search warrants issued by Villavert against activists were later voided by other courts due to significant flaws.
It cited that in 2021, a Mandaluyong court cleared activists Lady Ann Salem and Rodrigo Esparago of charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives, ruling that the search warrant issued by Villavert and used by the police to arrest and detain the two was void.
Kapatid also said that in March 2022, the Quezon City RTC Branch 220 granted the plea of trade union organizer Dennise Velasco to quash the search warrant issued by Villavert and used by the police to arrest him and six other activists due to irregularities and lack of evidence.
Also in September 2022, the CA voided search warrants issued by Villavert and used by the police to arrest human rights activist Reina Mae Nasino and her fellow activists.
The Supreme Court in April this year has upheld the voiding of the search warrant in the Nasino case.
Villavert has earlier failed in her bid to be appointed to the CA, following the retirements of Associate Justices Oscar Badelles and Ramon Garcia early this year and the appointment of Associate Justice Mariflor Castillo as the presiding justice in November 2023.
The JBC is the body tasked by the Constitution to screen and vet nominees to the Judiciary.
It is headed by Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo in an ex oficio capacity, with Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III, Jose Catral Mendoza, Nesauro Firme, Erlinda Pinera Uy, and Jose Mejia as ex oficio members.
