Aquino 'not happy' with JBC shortlist

MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Simeon Aquino III on Friday expressed his dissatisfaction over the Judicial and Bar Council's (JBC) shortlist of nominees for chief justice.

A television report quoted Aquino saying he was "unhappy" with the JBC list.

Aquino said the JBC was unfair in its decision to consider other nominees while disqualifying others.

Justice Secretary Leila De Lima, reportedly favored by Aquino, was disqualified by the JBC from the shortlist due to her pending disbarment cases with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

The JBC, however, included Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza in the shortlist despite a complaint against him.

Lawyer Jose Mejia, the academe's representative to the JBC, said the cases of Jardeleza and De Lima are different because no "prima facie" was found in the complaint against Jardeleza while the IBP decided to conduct a full-blown investigation in the cases against the De Lima.

Aquino, however, said he has no other choice but to choose from among the nominees because the Constitution requires him to. The President has until August 27 to name his choice.

Besides Jardeleza, also included in the shortlist are acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio, SC justices Roberto Abad, Arturo Brion, Ma. Lourdes Sereno and Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, former executive secretary and San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora and former Ateneo law dean Cesar Villanueva.

Mejia, in a separate TV interview, said Aquino is free to express his opinion about the JBC shortlist, but agreed that the President may only appoint the next chief justice from the list submitted by the JBC.