Shortlist of nominees for vacant SC post out August

President Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III is likely to make his first appointment to the Supreme Court in August when the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) submits its shortlist of nominees for the post vacated by Chief Justice Renato Corona. Supreme Court spokesperson Jose Midas Marquez on Monday said the council — the body tasked to screen nominees for vacant judicial posts — convened earlier in the day and set the time frame for the nomination process for the 28 people vying for the post. "The names of the candidates for the vacancy will be published in a day or two. We will be starting the public interviews on July 19, and then hopefully by the first week of August, we will have a shortlist," Marquez said at a media briefing. The post became available when Corona was appointed chief justice last May 17, replacing Reynato Puno who reached the mandatory retirement age of 70. The Supreme Court is composed of 15 justices. Those who attended JBC's meeting on Monday are Corona, the ex-officio chairman of the JBC; Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Sen. Francis Escudero, ex-officio members; and regular members retired Supreme Court Justice Regino Hermosisima Jr. and Integrated Bar of the Philippines representative J. Conrado Castro. Another regular member, retired Court of Appeals Justice Aurora Santiago-Lagman, was on leave, Marquez said. Past members of the council are former Quezon City Rep. Matias Defensor, who used to chair the House justice committee, and former University of Santo Tomas law dean Amado Dimayuga, whose term ended last July 6. - Sophia Regina Dedace/KBK, GMANews.TV