Corona, Carpio frontrunners in JBC short list

MANILA, Philippines - Senior Associate Justices Antonio Carpio and Renato Corona are the frontrunners in the short list of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) to fill the post to be vacated by the retirement of Chief Justice Reynato Puno on May 17.

Four other candidates are vying for the chief justice post, considered the pinnacle of the law profession.

Carpio, 60, is the most senior among the SC magistrates in terms of service. President Arroyo appointed him to the Supreme Court (SC) on Oct. 22, 2001. He was a founding partner of the Villaraza Cruz Marcelo and Angangco Law Offices, one of the top legal firms in the country.

Carpio obtained his law degree from the College of Law of the University of the Philippines where he graduated valedictorian and cum laude in 1975. He placed sixth in the 1975 Bar examinations. He earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1970.

Prior to his appointment to the SC, he was a member of the UP Board of Regents from 1993 to 1998, member of the Technology Transfer Board of the Department of Trade and Industry from 1978 to 1979, and a special representative of the DTI for textile negotiations from 1980 to 1981.

Corona, 61, was one of the youngest magistrates appointed into the SC. The President appointed him on April 9, 2002. He finished his Bachelor of Laws at the Ateneo Law School in 1974 and finished his Master of Laws degree at Harvard Law School in 1982.

After law school, Corona pursued a Master’s degree in Business Administration at the Ateneo Professional Schools. Before he was appointed associate justice, Corona served as special counsel at the Development Bank of the Philippines, senior vice-president and general counsel of the Commercial Bank of Manila, and senior officer of the Tax and Corporate Counseling Group of the Tax Division of Sycip Gorres and Velayo (SGV & Co.).

In 1992, he worked under the Ramos administration as assistant executive secretary for legal affairs, and concurrently, head of the Malacañang Legal Office. Two years later, he was promoted to deputy executive secretary and later presidential legal counsel.

He was also Mrs. Arroyo’s chief of staff and spokesperson.

The other four nominees are: SC Associate Justices Conchita Carpio–Morales, Arturo Brion, Teresita Leonardo-de Castro; and Sandiganbayan Senior Justice Edilberto Sandoval.

Morales, appointed to the SC on Aug. 26, 2002, earned her Bachelor of Laws and Economics degrees from UP.

She was Special Assistant to former Justice secretary Vicente Abad Santos and later, Senior State Counsel.

She penned several landmark SC decisions, including Francisco vs. House of Representatives (2003), which affirmed the rule that only one impeachment case per year may be filed, and Senate vs. Ermita (2006) on the validity of executive privilege.

Brion, 1974 Bar topnotcher, was Court of Appeals (CA) associate justice from 2003 to 2006.

He earned his Bachelor of Laws from the Ateneo Law School in 1974, graduating valedictorian and cum laude. He was a recipient of the Golden Leaf Award, Gold Medal for Academic Excellence and First Honors Gold Medal.

Prior to his appointment to the SC on March 17, 2008, Brion was Labor secretary for two years.

De Castro was the presiding Sandiganbayan justice in the plunder case against deposed President Joseph Estrada.

De Castro earned her Bachelor of Laws degree from UP in 1972. She started her judicial career as a law clerk in 1973, moving up the legal ladder as legal and judicial assistant by 1978.

She served as DOJ State Counsel from 1978 to 1985, and was promoted to senior state counsel in 1985. In 1988, she became supervising state counsel, and then chief of legal staff.

Sandoval also handled the Estrada plunder case in the anti-graft court.

He obtained his law degree from Far Eastern University, graduating cum laude in 1964.

Sandoval has been in the judiciary for the last 26 years.

From 1986 to 1996, Sandoval was regional trial court judge in Manila. Before that, he was regional trial court judge in Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro.

JBC ex-officio member acting Justice Secretary Alberto Agra said they would continue to check the background of the six candidates before the deliberation.

The JBC has moved to the next stage of the selection process, which includes public interviews of candidates and deliberation and even interview of constitutional experts if necessary.