(Eagle News) — The Judicial and Bar Council has shortlisted 13 candidates for the associate justice post left vacant by Lucas Bersamin, now the Chief Justice, in the Supreme Court.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, ex-officio JBC member, said Court of Appeals justices Edgardo delos Santos, Amy Lazaro-Javier, Eduardo Peralta, Ricardo Rosario, Japar Dimaampao, Ramon Garcia, Henri Inting, Jhosep Lopez, and Mario Lopez; Court of Tax Appeals Presiding Justice Roman Del Rosario; Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang; Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez; and former Ateneo law school dean Cesar Villanueva were shortlisted for the post.
According to Guevarra, Delos Santos and Lazaro-Javier led the shortlist with six votes each; followed by Del Rosario, Dimaampao and Garcia with five votes each.
Cabotaje-Tang, Inting, Lopez, Jhosep Lopez, Mario Lopez, Marquez, Peralta, Rosario and Villanueva got four votes each.
Guevarra said Dimaampao, Tang, Garcia, Marquez, Lazaro-Javier, Mario Lopez, and Villanueva are also in the shortlist for the SC associate justice post left vacant by Noel Tijam, who has retired.