PRESS RELEASE
Date: 13 June 2012
CHIZ ASKS MINDANAONS TO NOMINATE CANDIDATES
FOR CJ POST
Sen. Chiz Escudero is
asking Mindanaons to participate in the selection of the next Chief Justice by
nominating candidates from their region they feel fit to occupy the top post in
the Supreme Court.
Escudero, the Senate
representative to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), said the search for the
next chief magistrate is not limited to applicants and nominees from Luzon and
from within the Supreme Court.
“The hunt for the next
Chief Justice is an open season and is not limited to the Supreme Court
justices. We need someone who is neutral and not identified with partisan groups.
Applicants and nominees within and outside the highest court of the land are
welcome as long as he or she is qualified, reputable and has a clean record,”
Escudero said.
Under the existing JBC
requirements, all court applicants must be Filipino citizens; possess proven
competence, integrity, probity and independence and a member of the Philippine
bar; at least 40 years old; and have been in the practice of law in the
Philippines for at least 15 years.
In addition, aspirants
for the top magistrate post are now required to submit a waiver on the
confidentiality of bank deposits, income tax return (ITR) and the opening of
the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), as a result of the
proposal put forward by Escudero to the JBC following the conclusion of the
impeachment of former Chief Justice Renato Corona.
“He can apply or be
nominated either by a group, by an individual, by a classmate, by a friend, by
a relative. It doesn’t really matter for as long as after being nominated, he should
manifest his intent to accept and he should manifest before the committee that
he is accepting the nomination. We will be accepting applications and
recommendations until June 18,” Escudero said.
Among the nominees
outside the Supreme Court as of June 8 are former University of the
Philippines law dean Raul Pangalangan, Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares, family
law expert Katrina Legarda, Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza, dean emeritus
of the Ateneo Law School Cesar Villanueva, and Justice Secretary Leila De Lima.
The
five sitting magistrates of the Supreme Court – Associate Justices Antonio
Carpio, Presbitero Velasco Jr., Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Arturo Brion and
Diosdado Peralta – are automatically nominated for the top post by virtue of seniority.
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