SC contradicts Palace on chief justice issue

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected moves by Malacañang to appoint the next chief justice prior to the May 17 retirement of Chief Justice Reynato Puno. At a press briefing, court administrator and SC spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said whoever will be appointed as Puno’s successor should wait until May 17 before he or she assumes the position. “We can’t have chief justice at the same time," Marquez said, contradicting deputy presidential spokesman Gary Olivar’s claim that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo can appoint the next chief justice before May 10.

“The successor will only succeed in office when the vacancy arises. But when there is no vacancy there can’t be any appointment," Marquez said. Olivar said President Arroyo will make the appointment as soon as she receives the shortlist of nominees for the position from the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on Wednesday. The JBC is an eight-man body that screens nominees for vacant positions in the judiciary. Those who made it on the list were Supreme Court Associate Justices Renato Corona, Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, and Arturo Brion; and Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Edilberto Sandoval. — KBK, GMANews.TV