9 shortlisted for Supreme Court post to be vacated by Carpio

The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on Friday shortlisted Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez and eight justices of the Court of Appeals (CA) for the Supreme Court (SC) post that Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio will vacate when he retires in two weeks.

The council nominated Marquez and CA justices Manuel Barrios, Edgardo delos Santos, Japar Dimaampao, Ramon Garcia, Jhosep Lopez, Pablito Perez, Ricardo Rosario, and Maria Filomena Singh for appointment by President Rodrigo Duterte.

After 18 years in the SC, Carpio will retire on October 26, his 70th birthday.

Marquez, Delos Santos, Dimaampao, Garcia, Lopez, and Singh were also nominated for the associate justice vacancy created by the retirement of Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza last September 26.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, an ex-officio member of the JBC, informed reporters of the new recommendations and said action on nominations for chief justice was deferred until October 15.

Four incumbent magistrates have applied to succeed Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, who retires on October 18: Associate Justices Diosdado Peralta, Estela Perlas-Bernabe, Andres Reyes, Jr., and Jose Reyes, Jr.

The JBC screens applicants to judiciary posts and comes up with a shortlist for the president, who is mandated by the Constitution to pick his appointee from the list.

Bersamin serves as the ex-officio chair of the JBC, with Guevarra, Senator Richard Gordon, and Oriental Mindoro Representative Doy Leachon as ex-officio members.

Retired justices Jose Mendoza and Noel Tijam and retired judges Franklin Demonteverde and Toribio Ilao, Jr., are the council's regular members. —KBK, GMA News