The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Malacañang has officially received the Judicial and Bar Council’s (JBC) shortlist of candidates for the Supreme Court (SC) post that will soon be vacated by Associate Justice Mario Lopez, who is set to retire on June 4 upon reaching the mandatory age of 70.
The list represents President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s first opportunity to appoint a justice to the country’s highest court.
Among the leading contenders is University of the Philippines College of Law Dean Darlene Berberabe, who was recently appointed as Solicitor General but had applied for the Supreme Court position prior to her designation as the government’s chief legal counsel.
Joining her in the shortlist are SC Court Administrator Raul Villanueva and several seasoned magistrates from various appellate courts. These include Court of Appeals Justices Fernanda Peralta, Ramon Bato Jr., Nina Antonio-Valenzuela, Myra Garcia-Fernandez, Ma. Elisa Diy, Ramon Cruz, Ronaldo Roberto Martin, and Walter Ong. Also under consideration are Sandiganbayan Justice Karl Miranda and Court of Tax Appeals Justice Maria Rowena Modesto-San Pedro.
The President’s choice from the shortlist will mark a key judicial appointment during his term, with another major selection looming — the naming of a new Ombudsman to replace Justice Samuel Martires, whose seven-year term concludes in August.