MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino III would have a difficult time choosing the next chief justice of the Supreme Court as the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) would be shortlisting "next to an angel" nominees.
Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr., a member of the JBC, said that the council is seekingto present to President Benigno Simeon Aquino III nominees that the public would trust and would expect to have qualities befitting the country's highest magistrate.
"Mahihirapan si Pangulo kasi mataas expectation ng public, napakataas. May positive at negative iyan so mahirap na choice itong next Chief Justice kasi next to an angel [ang dapat] na piliin natin. Maaga ibibigay [sa kanya ang listahan] para makapag-isip si Presidente," Tupas said in a television interview.
Under the Constitution, the President has 90 days from vacancy of the post to choose the next Chief Justice, but Tupas said that the JBC would expedite the screening and shortlisting of the applicants for the post.
"Para sa amin, hindi na namin paabutin ng 90 days...so before July 30," said Tupas, the lead prosecutor in the impeachment trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona.
De Lima, Sarmiento cases
Tupas said that from the list of 22, it could be whittled down to 20 nominees if Justice Leila de Lima and poll commissioner Rene Sarmiento would fail to secure a dismissal of their respective cases.
"We'll give them a chance na maipa-dismiss yung case...Naawa rin kami sa mga applicants na outright disqualified na sila on the day of the voting. Pabayaan natin sila mag-interview at mag-exam pero kahit magandang perfomance sa July 30 voting, pwede silang ma-disqualify kung administrative ang case pero kung fact-finding, may discretion kami," Tupas added.
From the original 26 applicants, four have been disqualified by the JBC for various reasons, such as being overaged and being unqualified for the post, Tupas said.
Tupas said only six of the 22 nominees are from the Supreme Court (SC) while the rest are "outsiders," coming from the academe and other branches of the government.
The six nominees from the SC are:
Acting Chief Justice Antonio T. Carpio
Supreme Court Associate Justice Roberto A. Abad
Supreme Court Associate Justice Arturo D. Brion
Supreme Court Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo De Castro
Supreme Court Associate Justice Maria Lourdes A. Sereno
Supreme Court Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr.
The "outsider" nominees are:
Presidential Commission on Good Government Chairman Andres Bautista
Law Professor Soledad Cagampang-De Castro
Justice Secretary Leila M. De Lima
Human rights lawyer Jose Manuel I. Diokno
Securities and Exchange Commission Chairperson Teresita J. Herbosa
Solicitor-General Francis H. Jardeleza
Women’s rights advocate Maria Carolina T. Legarda
Lawyer Rafael Morales
Former University of the Philippines Law Dean Raul C. Pangalangan
Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez
Commission on Elections Commissioner Rene V. Sarmiento
Lawyer Manuel DJ Siayngco Jr.1
University of the East Law Dean Amado D. Valdez
Lawyer Vicente Velasquez
Former Ateneo Law Dean Cesar Villanueva
Former Executive Secretary Ronaldo B. Zamora