JBC to screen five candidates for Chief Justice post on October 22 and 26

Five Supreme Court associate justices vying to become the country’s next chief justice are scheduled to undergo public interviews before the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on October 22 and 26.

The council will conduct the panel interviews at the Supreme Court En Banc Session Hall in Manila as the judiciary prepares for the mandatory retirement of Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, who turns 70 on November 6.

Under Article VIII, Section 7 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, members of the Supreme Court hold office during good behavior until they reach age 70 or become incapacitated to discharge their duties.

The public proceedings will begin on Thursday, October 22, with Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., followed by Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Interviews will resume on Monday, October 26, starting with Associate Justices Rodil Zalameda and Japar Dimaampao from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Associate Justice Jose Midas Marquez will take the final slot from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The five aspirants bring varied legal, judicial, and public service backgrounds to their candidacies:

Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen: Appointed to the high court in November 2012, Leonen is the most senior associate justice among the candidates. Prior to his bench appointment, he served as the government’s chief negotiator in peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and served as dean of the University of the Philippines College of Law.

Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa: Appointed to the high court in January 2016, Caguioa previously served as Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and Secretary of Justice under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.

Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda: Appointed in August 2019, Zalameda served as an Associate Justice of the Court of Appeals for nearly 13 years and previously worked as a prosecutor in the City of Mandaluyong.

Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao: Appointed in September 2021, Dimaampao is the second Muslim magistrate appointed to the Supreme Court. He is a recognized expert in commercial law, taxation, and Islamic jurisprudence (Shari’ah).

Associate Justice Jose Midas Marquez: Appointed in November 2021, Marquez served as Court Administrator for over a decade, overseeing lower courts across the Philippines, and previously held positions as Supreme Court spokesperson and Chief of Staff of the Office of the Chief Justice.

Following the public interviews, the JBC—a constitutionally created body tasked with vetting applicants to the judiciary—will deliberate and submit a shortlist of at least three nominees to the President. Under the Constitution, the Chief Executive has 90 days from the occurrence of a vacancy to select and appoint the new head of the judiciary. -Paraluman News