The Judicial and Bar Council is now accepting applications or nominations for associate justice of the Supreme Court and president justice post in the Court of Appeals.
In an advisory, the seven-member council concurrently chaired by Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta said the upcoming vacancy at the Supreme Court will result from the forthcoming retirement of Associate Justice Andres Reyes Jr. on May 11, when he reaches his mandatory retirement age of 70.
Whoever President Rodrigo Duterte will appoint as successor of Justice Reyes will be his 14th appointee to the 15-member bench. He also has appointed three justices, namely Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Lucas Bersamin, and Peralta.
The JBC said the vacancy in the appellate court occurred when former Presiding Justice Romeo Barza retired last Aug. 2, 2019.
Applicants must fill in the required information in the Online Application Scheduler on the JBC website within 15 days from the publication of the Jan. 17 announcement, the JBC advisory said.
After that, they are to print out a computer-generated letter of intent and submit it alongside two complete sets of the documentary requirements to the JBC’s office at the SC’s Centennial Building on Padre Faura Street in Manila.
The JBC is a constitutional body mandated to screen applicants to the judiciary and votes on a shortlist of nominees for endorsement to the president, the appointing authority.