The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on Wednesday began interviewing the aspirants to the position of Ombudsman, which was vacated in May by Merceditas Gutierrez. Five of the 27 candidates will face the eight-member council on Wednesday. These are:
Alfredo Agawa, retired Regional Trial Court judge; Philip Aguinaldo, Muntinlupa RTC presiding judge; Pelagio Apostol, former deputy Ombudsman for Visayas; Leah Armamento, Justice undersecretary; and Procopio Beltran Jr., lawyer; The 22 other nominees scheduled to be interviewed in the coming days include: Emmanuel Bonoan, lawyer; Jose Calida, former Justice undersecretary; Howard Calleja, lawyer for suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) governor Zaldy Ampatuan; Felix Carao, lawyer; Conchita Carpio-Morales, retired Supreme Court associate justice; Orlando Casimiro, acting Ombudsman; Francisco Chavez, lawyer and former Solicitor General; Jose Manuel Diokno, national chair of the Free Legal Assistance Group and De La Salle University College of Law dean; Donato Faylona, lawyer and law professor; Ernesto Francisco, advocacy lawyer; Raymundo Francisco, lawyer; Catalino Generillo Jr., lawyer; Portia Hormachuelos, Court of Appeals associate justice; Amelia Infante, Manila RTC judge; Francis Jardeleza, lawyer; Marlon Manuel, public interest lawyer and head of the Alternative Law Groups; Gerard Mosquera, lawyer; Divinagracia Ongkeko, Sta. Cruz, Laguna RTC judge; Renan Ramos, assisant solicitor general; Roy Seneres, former Ambassador and National Labor Relations Commission chair; Artemio Tuquero, former Justice secretary; and Florencio Villarin, lawyer. The JBC is the body that vets, screens, and recommends to the President nominees to posts in the judiciary and nominees to the positions of Ombudsman and deputy Ombudsman. Under the 1987 Constitution, the President has to appoint a new Ombudsman 90 days after the post is vacated. As Gutierrez relinquished her seat last May 6, President Benigno Aquino III has until August 4 to appoint a new Ombudsman from the shortlist to be submitted by the JBC. - VVP, GMA News 
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