Lucio Tan ex-counsel among frontrunners in SC race

MANILA, Philippines – Two members of the judiciary and a lawyer who previously served as counsel for one of the companies of business tycoon Lucio Tan were included in the Judicial and Bar Council’s top choices for two vacant Supreme Court seats. Court of Appeals Associate Justice Martin Villarama, Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Francisco Villaruz Jr., and University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law dean Roberto Abad got seven votes each from the eight-member JBC. Abad was the legal counsel for Tan’s Fortune Tobacco Company (FCC), which won a P25.6 billion tax evasion case in 2006. The Forbes Magazine in 2008 named Tan as the second wealthiest Filipino next to SM Prime Holdings mogul Henry Sy. In earlier media interviews, Abad clarified that he did not directly serve Tan and he only represented FCC and the businessman’s other companies. He had likewise vowed independence from prominent clients like Tan. Shortlist The JBC is the body that vets and recommends to the President the nominees to the judiciary. Also included in JBC’s shortlist are Court of Appeals Associates Justice Hakim Abdulwahid and Mariano del Castillo and lawyer Rodolfo Robles. The six are vying for the seats vacated by retired SC Associate Justices Ma. Alicia Austria Martinez and Dante Tinga. Martinez’s early retirement took effect last April 30 while Tinga reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 on May 11, 2009. Villarama, Villaruz, Del Castillo, and Robles had earlier sought the posts vacated by retired SC magistrates Ruben Reyes Jr. and Adolfo Azcuna in January and February, respectively. Abad and Abdulwahid also eyed the seat left by Azcuna. Villarama had been nominated twice by the JBC but President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo picked then Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Diosdado Peralta to replace Reyes and then CA Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin to replace Azcuna. - With Carlo Lorenzo, GMANews.TV