Bar council disqualifies 3 aspirants, including SolGen

MANILA, Philippines – Citing various reasons, the Judicial and Bar Council on Monday disqualified three candidates for a Supreme Court (SC) post to be vacated in January 2009. In a press conference, Supreme Court spokesperson Jose Midas Marquez said Solicitor Agnes Devanadera and former Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Jose Mario Buñag were excluded from the JBC’s shortlist because they have pending cases. Lawyer Rodolfo Robles was disqualified because he exceeded the age limit of 65. The JBC is a constitutionally-created body that vets, screens, and recommends appointees to the President for vacancies in the Supreme Court and the lower courts. The screening body disqualified Devanadera because of a pending case filed by National Security Council deputy director Luis “Chavit" Singson. In October 2006, Singson, then governor of Ilocos Sur province, charged Devanadera and 42 other officials before the Office of the Ombudsman for the alleged anomalous supervision and operation of the Poro Point Special Economic and Freeport Zone in San Fernando, La Union. Devanadera also has a pending administrative complaint and a pending election case lodged against her. Watchdog groups like the Supreme Court Appointments Watch (SCAW) had earlier moved for the disqualification of Devanadera because of her close ties with Malacañang. Devanadera is perceived to be a Malacañang lackey because of her ties to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. JBC member Aurora Santiago Lagman had earlier noted Devanadera for being a "politician and a member of the Lakas-NUCD-Kampi," the administration party. Devanadera had stressed she will be independent if chosen as a Supreme Court justice. Buñag, for his part, still has pending administrative complaints against him at the Office of the Ombudsman, at the Justice Department, and at the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office. Lawyer Rodolfo Robles was disqualified because he is 65 years and four months old. Under Section 2 of the Rules of the JBC, Supreme Court nominees must serve at least five years before reaching the mandatory requirement age of 70. The provision makes Robles unqualified to vie for a Supreme Court post. The exclusion of Devanadera, Buñag, and Robles trims down the JBC’s initial shortlist of 14 candidates to 11. Included in the JBC’s present shortlist are CA Associate Justices Mariano del Castillo, Juan Enriquez, Remedios Salazar-Fernando, Portia Hormachuelos, Andres Reyes, Martin Villarama and Josefina Salonga, Sandiganbayan presiding justice Diosdado Peralta, and Sandiganbayan Associate Justices Francisco Villaruz Jr and Edilberto Sandoval, and Ateneo Law School Dean Cesar Villanueva. In the same press conference, Marquez added that the JBC has set for next week the voting for nominees to the High Court slot to be vacated by Justice Ruben Reyes. Reyes will hang his robe on January 2009 – two weeks before reaching his mandatory retirement age of 70. Open-voting Meanwhile, the JBC also decided to make its voting process for SC aspirants open to the public, amid calls for transparency in fielding nominees for Supreme Court (SC) posts. In the press conference, Marquez said six members of the JBC voted to shed the secrecy of the screening body’s voting process while two thumbed down on the prospects of open-voting. With the appointment of seven new Supreme Court justices in 2009 and with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo having almost a full sweep of the high court before her term expires in 2010, watchdog groups have expressed concern that the President will have a tighter hold on the Tribunal. Groups like the Bantay Korte Suprema and the SCAW have pushed for transparency and integrity in JBC’s selection of the seven new SC justices. - with a report from Carlo Lorenzo, GMANews.TV