The applicants to be interviewed by the JBC are SC Administrator Jose Midas Marquez and Court of Appeals (CA) Presiding Justice Andres Reyes Jr. and Associate Justice Ramon Bato, Apolinario Bruselas, Rosmari Carandang, Stephen Cruz, Ramon Paul Hernando and Jose Reyes.
The JBC has received 12 nominations and applications for the upcoming vacancy in the SC that would enable President Rodrigo Duterte to name his third appointee to the high court.
Marquez has been endorsed by the Philippine Judges Association (PJA) through its president Georgina Hidalgo. The group called for the promotion of Marquez as member of the high court, citing his "integrity, competence, work ethic and dedication to the judiciary" as his qualifications.
Marquez started his career in the SC in 1991 as a law clerk for several justices, including retired Associate Justice Abraham Sarmiento, Senior Justice and former Philippine Judicial Academy chancellor Ameurfina Melencio-Herrera, and retired Senior Associate Justice Josue Bellosillo.
Marquez finished both his degree in Economics and juris doctor degree at the Ateneo de Manila University. From a legal clerk for several justices, he rose from the ranks before being appointed court administrator in 2010.
Marquez became prominent during the terms of retired Chief Justice Reynato Puno and late Chief Justice Renato Corona when he served as spokesman of the high tribunal.
He was also named director of the SC-United Nations Development Program Project on Technical Assistance to the Philippine Judiciary from 1998 to 2000.
Meanwhile, Hernando was a former Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutor and regional trial court judge of San Pablo, Laguna and Quezon City while Bato was a former RTC judge and known for dismissing the criminal charges against Senator Panfilo Lacson in the controversial Dacer-Corbito murder cases.
The four other nominees � CA Associate Justices Japar Dimaampao and Amy Lazaro Javier; Centro Escolar University law school vice dean Rita Linda Ventura-Jimeno; and Pasig RTC Judge Rowena Apao-Adlawan � will no longer face the JBC as they were already interviewed for the two previous vacancies from the retirement of Associate Justices Jose Perez and Arturo Brion in December last year.
All the applicants will be screened by the JBC and the shortlist would be submitted to President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
Last March, President Duterte named his first two appointees to the high court � Associate Justices Samuel Martires and Noel Tijam.
The JBC is chaired by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Aranal-Sereno, with two ex-officio members � Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and legislative representatives Senator Richard Gordon and Mindoro Oriental Rep. Reynaldo Umali, who shall have a term sharing seat in the JBC.
Source: Philippines News Agency