GMA names Dante Tinga as SC associate justice

President Arroyo appointed yesterday former Taguig mayor and congressman Dante Tinga (Lakas-CMD) as new associate justice of the Supreme Court.

Tinga becomes the eighth political appointee of Mrs. Arroyo to the 15-member high tribunal since she assumed the presidency in January 2001.

The President chose Tinga over four other nominees on the list submitted to her by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) to take over the seat vacated by retired Associate Justice Vicente Mendoza.

Tinga is the dean of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines’ College of Law.

His appointment was officially transmitted to Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. on the July 4 deadline set by the Constitution, within which the President must name her appointee from the JBC list of nominees.

Under the 1987 Constitution, any vacancy in the SC must be filled within 90 days. The vacancy created by Mendoza’s retirement lapsed yesterday.

In choosing Tinga, the President followed her tradition of picking the candidate with the most votes from the JBC, Press Secretary Milton Alingod said.

"Tinga got seven votes (from the JBC), which was the highest among the other candidates," Alingod said.

On the JBC list with Tinga were court administrator Presbiterio Velasco, University of the Philippines College of Law dean Raul Pangalangan; Court of Appeals Justice Ruben Reyes; and Sandiganbayan Justice Gregory Ong.

Tinga joins the ranks of Mrs. Arroyo’s other appointees to the SC: Associate Justices Antonio Carpio, Alicia Martinez, Renato Corona, Conchita Carpio-Morales, Romeo Callejo Sr. and Adolfo Azcuna.