111 candidates vie for 21 NCR judge posts

MANILA, Philippines — One hundred eleven candidates are vying for at least 21 vacant posts in the National Capital Region (NCR)’s regional trial courts (RTC), the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) announced yesterday.

In an advertisement published in The STAR, the JBC said five RTC branches in Manila are vacant, four in Makati, three each in Quezon City and Mandaluyong, two in Caloocan and one each in Las Piñas, Parañaque, Pasig and Taguig.

Of the 111 aspiring judges, 14 of them are “considered partially compliant,” according to the JBC, which is a constitutional office that accepts, screens and nominates appointments to the judiciary.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the overwhelming number of aspiring judges could mean that lawyers now believe that a career in the judiciary is prestigious, dignified and respectable.

“Others go for the security and stability of employment, not to mention the benefits after retirement; others have a genuine and sincere desire to help in the administration of justice,” he said.

Guevarra, however, noted that this trend “is not discernible in the far-flung judicial regions, where good applicants remain few.”