THE Judicial Bar Council has announced the acceptance of nominations and applications for the post of Court of Appeals presiding justice, which was left vacant following the promotion of Associate Justice Andres Reyes as the new magisrtrate of the Supreme Court.
Reyes took his oath Friday as the the third appointee of President Rodrigo Duterte in the 15-member bench.
Reyes took over the position vacated by Associate Justice Bienvenido Reyes who reached his compulsory retirement age of 70 on July 6, 2017.
The former CA presiding justice was chosen from a shortlist of seven nominees submitted by the JBC. He topped the list after earning the unanimous votes of all seven members of the council tasked to vet nominees to judicial posts.
Duterte earlier appointed Sandiganbayan Samuel Martires and CA Associate Justice Noel Tijam to the SC.
The President is also expected to appoint another SC magistrate to replace Associate Justice Jose Mendoza who will retire on August 13, 2017.
President Duterte is expected to appoint at least 12 justices in the SC during his six-year term.
The JBC concurrently chaired by Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno also announced the opening for nomination for 99 vacancies for various courts in Region 4, composes of the provinces Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Marinduque, Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Palawan, Quezon, Rizal and Romblon.
Filing of nominations or application for judges of regional trial courts, Municipal Trial Courts, and Municipal Trial Courts in Cities in Southern Tagalog.
The deadline for filing of applications or recommendations and complete documentary requirements is on Aug. 29, considering the date of actual receipt by the JBC of the application and complete documentary requirements shall be deemed as the date of filing.
However, the JBC said that application sent through electronic mail or facsimile machine, as well as other documents which are incomplete, out of date, or without a transmittal letter, shall not be given due course. The transmittal letter must contain a manifestation that all the documents submitted are complete and up to date.
Applicants must submit two complete sets of the required documents. If they already applied earlier, what they need to do is to just submit a mere manifestation of an intent to apply for any of the aforementioned positions if they have submitted a complete set of documents within thirty (30) days prior to the filing of such manifestation.
Apart from Mendoza, the JBC announced that it is also accepting applications for the vacancy at the Sandiganbayan that was made open with the retirement of Associate Justice Maria Cristina Cornejo.
Besides Serenio, the JBC has two ex-officio members — Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and legislative representatives Senator Richard Gordon and Mindoro Oriental Rep. Reynaldo Umali, who shall have a term sharing seat in the JBC.
The regular members are retired SC Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez, who heads the Executive Committee; lawyer Jose Mejia, representing the academe; lawyer Milagros Fernan-Cayosa, representing the Integrated Bar of the Philippines; and retired Judge Toribio Ilao, representing the private sector.