Applications for SC seat open as Delos Santos' early retirement nears
MANILA, Philippines — The Judicial and Bar Council has opened applications for the seat soon to be vacated by Associate Justice Edgardo Delos Santos who has opted for early retirement.
The JBC, the panel that screens applicants to the Judiciary, announced that interested applicants to the high court may access its Online Application Scheduler not later than July 16.
“After filling in the required information in the Online Application Scheduler, they will receive a computer-generated letter of intent in their email addresses,” the JBC said.
Applicants must submit their letter of intent and document requirements through e-mail on their selected date and time and appointment. The submission of these documents shall be deemed as date of filing.
The SC on May 24 approved Delos Santos’ request for “optional retirement, effective June 30, 2021, for reasons pertaining to his current state of health.” He will hang his judicial robes a year ahead of his mandatory retirement in June 2022.
No other details on Delos Santos’ early retirement were made available, but SC spokesperson Brian Hosaka earlier confirmed that the magistrate had advised his staff as early as March 19 to start looking for other jobs.
This is the third early retirement of a sitting justice of the SC since 2020.
Associate Justice Priscilla Baltazar-Padilla applied for disability retirement and stepped down at 62 years old. She was not expected to step down until 2028, but she retired in November 2020.
Former Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta also opted for early retirement, a year ahead of him reaching the age of 75 years old. He stepped down in March.
Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo has since taken over the helm of the Judiciary.
Delos Santos’ early retirement opened up another seat at the high court for President Rodrigo Duterte to fill.
Currently, the JBC is screening applicants for the associate justice seat Gesmundo vacated. Public interviews are set on June 2 and 3.
Before his term ends in June 2022, Duterte is expected to appoint two more justices to the high court following the retirement of Senior Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe and Associate Justice Rosmari Carandang next year.
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