JBC to hold Thursday dry run for live coverage of CJ aspirants' public interviews

The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) will hold on Thursday a "dry run" for the live coverage of the public interviews of the 22 candidates aspiring to become the next chief justice.

 

In a media briefing at the Supreme Court, SC spokesperson Ma. Victoria Gleoresty Guerra said the dry run will be held 2 p.m. at the SC Division Room at the ground floor of the SC New Building along Padre Faura in Manila.

 

The Division Room, where regular media briefings are held, will be the actual venue where the 22 candidates for the chief justice post will be interviewed starting July 24. The four-day public interviews will end July 27.

 

The Supreme Court, which has supervisory powers over the JBC, met last week with representatives from broadcast media companies to iron out details of the live coverage of the public interviews.

 

Based on the JBC guidelines for media coverage of the public interviews, only the PIO will be allowed inside the Division Hearing Room due to limited space and the numerous requests for live coverage. 

 

All media networks should coordinate with PIO so it can provide audio-video live feed to all other networks, the JBC said.

 

The JBC said Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza will be among those interviewed on the first day along with lawyer Soledad Cagampang-De Castro, Chairman Andres Bautista of the Presidential Commission on Good Government, founding dean of the De La Salle University College of Law Jose Manuel Diokno, and women rights lawyer Katrina Legarda.

 

On Wednesday, July 25, two Supreme Court associate justices will be interviewed — Arturo Brion and Roberto Abad.

 

Others who will also be interviewed that same day are: lawyer Rafael Morales, former dean of the University of the Philippines College of Law Raul Pangalangan, Elections Commissioner Rene Sarmiento and retired Judge Manuel Siayngco Jr.

 

On Thursday, July 26, acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio and Associate Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro will be among those to be interviewed.

 

Also scheduled on that day are lawyer Vicente Velasquez; University of the East College of Law Dean Amado Valdez; and former dean of the Ateneo de Manila Law School, Cesar Villanueva.

 

On Friday, Securities and Exchange Commission chairperson Teresita Herbosa will kick off the interview followed by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, and former Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora.

 

Remaining candidate-justices Associate Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno and Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr. will conclude the candidates’ public interview. — Mark Merueñas/RSJ, GMA News