JBC grills 4 contenders for chief justice post

Four contenders for the soon-to-be vacated post of chief justice were grilled Monday by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), an eight-man panel constitutionally mandated to screen nominees vying for vacant judicial posts. The four were Supreme Court Associate Justices Renato Corona, Arturo Brion, Teresita Leonardo-De Castro; and Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Edilberto Sandoval. Chief Justice Reynato Puno will vacate his post on May 17 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70. During the grilling, Corona became emotional when the interview touched on the alleged death threats received by his family since he was nominated for the chief justice position. He also denied that his decisions as Supreme Court justice had mostly favored the Arroyo administration.

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“I want to assure you, and I say this in good conscience, I have never voted not according to my conscience. Every time I affix my signature, it’s always a well-thought out decision to concur or to dissent," he said. Brion, meanwhile, told JBC panel members that the judiciary under him would work “away from the glare of the media." “Perhaps under the Brion court the Supreme Court will not be in the news except with respect to its decisions. What I will do is to work silently away from the glare of the media," he said. Brion said he would also continue with the programs of the past chief justices while introducing new innovations to make them more efficient. For her part, De Castro, the only woman candidate for the chief justice post, said she would bring her administrative expertise to the Court if she gets appointed to the chief justice position. “I think my strong points will be in my commitment in performing administrative task. I have the patience and passion to pursue administrative work," she said. - KBK, GMANews.TV