Manila: The Supreme Court (SC) announced that its five senior magistrates have been formally invited to submit applications for the upcoming vacancy in the chief justice position.
According to Philippines News Agency, the invitation was extended by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) to the five most senior Associate Justices of the Supreme Court. These include Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen and Associate Justices Alfredo Benjamin S. Caguioa, Ramon Paul L. Hernando, Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, and Rodil V. Zalameda. The vacancy will arise following the retirement of Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo.
SC spokesperson Camille Mae Sue Ting conveyed this information, noting that the JBC has maintained a practice of inviting the five most senior Associate Justices to apply for the Chief Justice position as a form of courtesy and acknowledgment of their seniority. This practice, which started informally in the early 2000s, has since evolved into a formal JBC policy.
The deadline set by the JBC for submitting applications is October 13, 2026. As a constitutional body, the JBC is tasked with screening, vetting, and recommending nominees to the President for vacant judiciary positions and other significant legal offices.
The Council is responsible for preparing shortlists of qualified nominees for vacancies in both the high court and lower courts. It also plays a role in recommending appointees for the Office of the Ombudsman and the Legal Education Board.
Chief Justice Gesmundo will reach the mandatory retirement age of 70 on November 6, 2026. He was appointed as the 27th Chief Justice of the Philippines in 2021 by former President Rodrigo Duterte and has been serving as an SC associate justice since 2017.
