JBC accepting nominations for SC chief

The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) declared open yesterday the nomination for the position of chief justice with the mandatory retirement of Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban on Dec. 7.

Being the most senior among the SC justices, Associate Justices Reynato Puno, Leonardo Quisumbing, Consuelo Ynares-Santiago, Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez and Antonio Carpio are automatically considered by the JBC as nominees for the post.

The JBC said the applications or recommendations for chief justice must be submitted to the JBC secretariat located at 2F, Centennial Building, Supreme Court, Padre Faura street, Manila.

For further inquiries or referral, the JBC may be contacted through tel. no. (02) 552-9512 or through fax no. (02) 552-9598.

"Also, inquiries may be made via the JBC website, by logging on to http://jbc.supremecourt.gov.ph," the JBC said.

The JBC said under the Constitution, all applicants for judicial positions must be natural born citizens of the Philippines.

A member of the Supreme Court must be at least 40 years old and must have served as judge of a lower court or engaged in the practice of law in the Philippines for 15 years.

"The Constitution also mandates that a member of the judiciary must be a person of proven competence, integrity, probity and independence," the JBC said.

The last day for submission of nominations and applications is Oct. 30. — Jose Rodel Clapano