The Judicial and Bar Council has announced that it is now accepting applications and nominations for the associate justice post in the Supreme Court, which will be left vacant when Associate Justice Rosmari Carandang reaches compulsory retirement age of 70 on January 9, 2022.
The seven-member JBC concurrently chaired by Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo also opened for reception of the application and recommendation for five posts of associate justice of the Court of Appeals (CA) and more than 70 judgeship posts in four judicial regions in Mindanao.
The JBC, which is the constitutional office that vets and nominates appointments to the judiciary, said the deadline for the application or nomination is on November 2, 2021.
Vacant posts in the appellate court were those left by Associate Justices Jhosep Y. Lopez who was promoted to the SC on Jan. 25, 2021; Danton Q. Bueser who retired on March 14, 2021; Franchito N. Diamante who passed away May 4, 2021; Edgardo T. Lloren who retired August 8, 2021; and Elihu a Ybanez who will retire on November 2, 2021.
For judicial regions IX, X, XI, and XII, vacant judgeship posts are for the regional trial court (RTC), municipal trial courts (MTC), municipal circuit trial courts (MCTC), and Shari’a district court (SDC).
These are in the provinces of Basilan, Agusan del Sur, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Bukidnon, Sulu, Dinagat Island, Surigao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, Misamis Occidental, Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, Davao Oriental, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, North Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat.
Last Sept. 14, then CA Associate Justice Japaar Dimaampao took his oath as successor to the post left in the SC by then Associate Justice Gesmundo who was appointed Chief Justice last April 5.
There is still a vacancy in the 15-member SC, which is the post left by Associate Justice Edgardo L. Delos Santos, who opted for early retirement last June 30 on health reasons.
Six nominees were named by the JBC to Delos Santos’ post. The list was submitted by the JBC to President Duterte last Aug. 27.
As of last Sept. 19, the President has not announced his appointee.
Nominated were CA Associate Justices Ramon Cruz and Maria Filomena Singh; Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje Tang and Associate Justice Geraldine Faith Econg; and Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez and Deputy Court Administrator Raul Villanueva.