Malacañang picks retired SC justice Jose Mendoza for JBC post

Malacañang has chosen retired Supreme Court (SC) Justice Jose Mendoza for a spot on the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), a multi-sectoral body that vets nominees to judicial posts and the Office of the Ombudsman.

Mendoza's nomination was submitted by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno on October 4, a copy of which was released by the SC Public Information Office on Monday.

A fraternity brother of President Rodrigo Duterte at the San Beda College of Law, Mendoza was tapped to become a representative of the retired high court justices in the JBC, replacing retired SC Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez.

Under Article VIII, Section 8(2) of the 1987 Constitution, the four JBC regular members including the representative from retired SC justices must secure the nod of the powerful Commission on Appointments.

Mendoza, who retired on August 13, would serve a term expiring on July 9, 2021. —Virgil Lopez/RSJ, GMA News