22 apply for Bersamin's associate justice seat

Twenty-two lawyers, mostly Court of Appeals (CA) justices, have applied for the Supreme Court (SC) associate justice's seat vacated by Lucas Bersamin when he was appointed chief justice last November.

Sandiganbayan Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang, who is on the shortlist of candidates for another high court vacancy, also applied, according to Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, an ex-officio member of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).

The aspirants are trying out for Bersamin's associate justice post, including CA justices Ramon Bato, Jr., Apolinario Bruselas Jr., Ramon Cruz, Stephen Cruz, Amy Lazaro-Javier, Sandiganbayan justice Efren dela Cruz, and Court Administrator Midas Marquez.

The other CA justices on the list are Edgardo delos Santos, Japar Dimaampao, Ramon Garcia, Henri Jean-Paul Inting, Jhosep Lopez, Mario Lopez, Eduardo Peralta Jr., Ricardo Rosario, and Oscar Badelles.

Court of Tax Appeals' Presiding Justice Roman del Rosario; former Ateneo law school dean Cesar Villanueva; Bureau of Internal Revenue deputy commissioner Lanee Cui-David; and law professor Jeremy Gatdula also applied.

The JBC, which screens applicants to judicial posts for recommendation to the president, will deliberate and come up with the official list of contenders for the position on Thursday, Guevarra said.

The candidates usually go through a public interview by the JBC before the council decides who will make its shortlist, the pool the president is mandated to choose his appointee from.

More than two years since he assumed the presidency, President Rodrigo Duterte has designated seven people to the SC, namely Samuel Martires, who is now the Ombudsman; Noel Tijam, Andres Reyes, Jr., Alexander Gesmundo, Jose Reyes, Jr., Ramon Paul Hernando and Rosmari Carandang.

Duterte named former associate justices Teresita Leonardo-De Castro as chief justice after the ouster of Maria Lourdes Sereno, and appointed Bersamin to take over after De Castro retired last October.

The president has not yet appointed a new associate justice to fill the vacancy created by Tijam's retirement earlier this month.

The plebiscite in the cities of Cotabato and Isabela was for their inclusion in the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. —KBK, GMA News