1st batch of Supreme Court aspirants face JBC

The first round of the Judicial and Bar Council's interviews for those vying for a Supreme Court seat began on Monday. Scheduled to face the council in the morning are Court of Appeals Associate Justice Hakim Abdulwahid, Court of Tax Appeals Presiding Justice Ernesto Acosta, and Court of Tax Appeals Associate Justice Lovell Bautista. Court of Appeals Associate Justices Mariflor Castillo and Japar Dimaampao are set to face the JBC in the afternoon. The Judicial and Bar Council is the constitutionally created body tasked to vet, screen, and nominate to the President appointees to vacant positions in the judiciary. There are 28 people vying for the vacant Supreme Court post left by Renato Corona when he assumed the Chief Justice post last May 17. [See the list of aspirants here.] The 1987 Constitution says that a vacancy in the high tribunal must be filled up within 90 days. This means that President Benigno Aquino III has until August 17, or 90 days after Corona's appointment, to name his first Supreme Court appointee. Earlier, SC administrator and spokesperson Jose Midas Marquez said the JBC might submit its shortlist of nominees to Mr. Aquino by the first week of August. — Sophia Dedace/RSJ, GMANews.TV