24 candidates vying for Justice Del Castillo's Supreme Court seat

MANILA, Philippines — The Judicial and Bar Council set a three-day public interview for the 24 members of the Bar vying for the seat to be vacated by Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo of the Supreme Court.

On Friday, the JBC panel mandated to screen applicants for Judiciary and Office of the Ombudsman seats set June 21, 25 and 26 for the public interview of SC aspirants.

Del Castillo is set to hang his SC justice robes on July 29, as he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Clerk of Court Edgar Aricheta, who is also the JBC's ex officio secretary, urged the public to submit a sworn complaint, report or opposition against the candidates to the council through personal delivery, phone call or email before the afternoon of 4:30 p.m.

On June 21, the JBC will interview the following:

• Court of Appeals Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda
• Law professor Jeremy Benigno Gatdula
• Court of Appeals Associate Justice Pablito Perez
• Court of Appeals Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh

The JBC set eight lawyers, mostly appellate court justices, for a public interview on June 25. They are:

• Court of Appeals Associate Justice Elihu Ybañez
• Bureau of Internal Revenue Deputy Commissioner Lanee Cui-David
• Court of Appeals Associate Justice Oscar Badelles
• Court of Appeals Associate Justice Manuel Barrios
• Court of Appeals Associate Justice Ramon Bato Jr.
• Court of Appeals Associate Justice Apolinario Bruselas Jr.
• Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang
• Court of Appeals Associate Justice Ramon Cruz

Twelve aspirants will face the JBC panel on June 26. They are:

• Court of Appeals Associate Justice Stephen Cruz
• Court of Appeals Associate Justice Eduardo Peralta Jr.
• Court of Appeals Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao
• Court of Appeals Associate Justice Ramon Garcia
• Court of Appeals Associate Justice Jhosep Lopez
• Court of Appeals Associate Justice Mario Lopez
• Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Efren de la Cruz
• Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez
• Court of Appeals Associate Justice Edgardo Delos Santos
• Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Alex Quiroz
• Court of Appeals Associate Justice Ricardo Rosario
• Former Ateneo law school dean Cesar Villanueva

Of the 15 sitting justices of the high court, President Rodrigo Duterte has already appointed seven of them.

He is set to appoint five more, including a new chief justice before the year ends.