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TWO FORMER officials during the administration of the late former president Corazon "Cory" C. Aquino have been added to the list of prospective aspirants for chief justice (CJ).
Former solicitor general Francisco I. Chavez and former presidential legal counsel Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. were both nominated to the position vacated by Renato C. Corona, who was sacked by the Senate Impeachment Court late last month for betrayal of public trust.
Mr. Chavez was nominated by Manuel V. Baviera, founder and organizer of the Whistle Blowers’ Association of the Philippines.
Mr. Chavez graduated cum laude, Bachelor of Laws in 1971 from the University of the Philippines and was a bar examiner for remedial law in 1985. He was solicitor general in 1987-1992.
"Having personally known Atty. Chavez for the last 10 years, I have consistently observed that he has the trust and confidence of the general public not only because of his proven competence, integrity and probity but more importantly, his independence," Mr. Baviera said.
Mr. Locsin, on the other hand, was nominated by Brigido J. Dulay, counsel of former elections chairman Benjamin S. Abalos, Sr., and by Jonathan A. dela Cruz, president of ABAKADA party-list group.
Messrs. Dulay and dela Cruz outlined Mr. Locsin’s professional qualifications, including having a Bachelor of Laws from the Ateneo de Manila University and a Masters of Laws from Harvard University.
Mr. Locsin was presidential legal counsel, Secretary of Information and speechwriter of Mrs. Aquino, mother of President Benigno S. C. Aquino III. Having worked as a print and broadcast journalist since the Martial Law era, he also served three terms as congressman of the first district of Makati City.
The nominations of Messrs. Locsin and Chavez brought the total number of nominees and applicants for chief justice to 18.
Others include Justice Secretary Leila M. de Lima, Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim S. Jacinto-Henares, Raul Pangalangan (dean, University of the Philippine College of Law), Cesar L. Villanueva (dean, Ateneo School of Law), family lawyer Ma. Carolina "Katrina" T. Legarda and Solicitor General Francis H. Jardeleza. Meanwhile, Jocelyn Esquivel, a nurse, applied on her own.
Aside from nominations outside the Supreme Court, automatically nominated are the five most senior magistrates, namely, Antonio T. Carpio, Presbitero J. Velasco, Jr., Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Arturo M. Brion and Diosdado P. Peralta.
EARLY SUBMISSION
Meanwhile, the screening body has initially targeted the middle of next month to submit the short list of nominees to Mr. Aquino.
"Our tentative schedule is on July 15," Senator Francis Joseph "Chiz" G. Escudero, an ex-officio member of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), said during a weekly forum at the Senate yesterday.
The panel wants to give the President "one and a half months to study the list, read through it, have the names there investigated, talk to them and find out who is the best person for the job," he added.
The JBC started accepting applications and recommendations on June 6 and will continue to do so until June 18.
As provided for in the Constitution, it will have 90 days to vet out applicants who will form the short list of candidates to be presented for the President’s selection.
"After the deadline, we will conduct interviews, tests and make applicants and nominees submit documentary requirements to the JBC in order to fully paint their picture," Mr. Escudero said in Filipino.
The names of the applicants and nominees will be published, he added, to solicit further information on them.
In a related development, the JBC has yet to receive confirmation of nomination from the five senior justices.
"We have not received confirmation on the consideration of the five senior justices," said Mr. Escudero.
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By Aubrey E. Barrameda and Antonio Siegfrid O. Alegado
Source: BusinessWorld, June 15, 2012
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