The Judicial and Bar Council has announced it is now accepting until February 15 applications or nominations of candidates for the judiciary’s most coveted post that will be left vacant on March 27 with the early retirement of Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta.
In an announcement, the seven-member JBC also opens the applications or nominations for the post of Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao Rodolfo M. Elman whose term of office will end on March 13.
For the Deputy Ombudsman’s post, the deadline for applications or recommendations is on March 1.
The JBC is the constitutional office that accepts, screens, and nominates appointments to the judiciary, the Ombudsman and deputy Ombudsman, among other offices.
Peralta’s early retirement on March 27, or one year ahead of his mandatory retirement on March 27, 2022, which will be his 70th birthday, was announced last December 1 in his letter to his colleagues in the Supreme Court.
Peralta’s reason for early retirement was not immediately known and the letter has not been made public.
In its announcement, the JBC said Peralta’s optional retirement was approved by the SC as a full court last January 5.
Interested applicants or those who would make recommendations must access the Online Application Scheduler through jbc.gov.ph website before the deadline.
Meanwhile, the Judicial and Bar Council has submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte the shortlist of nominees for the post of Supreme Court Associate Justice Priscilla Baltazar-Padilla who retired in November last year due to health reasons.
The list that the JBC submitted to Malacanang last January 12 includes Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez and five Court of Appeals associate justices, a Sandiganbayan Justice and one from the academe.
The five CA magistrates are Apolinario Bruselas Jr., Ramon Cruz, Japar Dimaampao, Jhosep Lopez and Maria Filomena Singh.
Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje and former Ateneo de Manila Law School Dean Sedfrey Candelaria are also vying for the post.
The SC approved the application for “disability retirement of Baltazar-Padilla on November 3, 2020.
The 62-year old Baltazar-Padilla was only appointed to the SC last July 2020 as the 188th associate justice after serving as an associate justice in the appellate court since 2006.
Based on seniority, the most senior justice in the SC is Senior Associate Justice Estela M. Perlas Bernabe who is mandatorily retiring on May 14, 2022.
Next to Bernabe is Associate Justice Marvic Mario Victor F. Leonen who is retiring on Dec. 29, 2032.
Also retiring in 2022, aside from Bernabe are Associate Justices Rosmari D. Carandang and Edgardo L. delos Santos.
Peralta was appointed Chief Justice on Oct. 23, 2019 by President Rodrigo Duterte. He took over the post from retired Chief Justice Lucas P. Bersamin.
Prior to his appointment as top magistrate, Peralta was the head of the SC’s third division, head of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET), and chairman of the SC’s committee on the revision of rules.
As Chief Justice, Peralta is the chairman of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) and head of the JBC.