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MANILA, Philippines - The Judicial and Bar Council has chosen eight names for its shortlist of nominees for the position of Chief Justice.
They are incumbent Supreme Court justices Antonio Carpio, Roberto Abad, Arturo Brion, Teresita Leonardo De Castro and Maria Lourdes Sereno; Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza, Cesar Villanueva and Ronaldo Zamora.
The JBC also decided not to include Justice Secretary Leila de Lima in the shortlist of nominees for chief justicE.
De Lima, rumored to be President Aquino's top pick for the CJ post, is facing automatic disqualification due to pending disbarment cases before the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. The IBP earlier refused de Lima's petition to junk the disbarment cases.
Last Friday, JBC members failed to reach a consensus on the suspension or amendment of its disqualification rule.
Since the time of former Chief Justice Renato Corona, Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. has been proposing for an amendment to the rule that disqualifies candidates to any judicial post and posts in the Office of the Ombudsman with pending criminal and/or regular administrative cases.
This rule is part of the Rules of the Judicial and Bar Council promulgated in October 2000.
Should this rule be relaxed, candidates for the Chief Justice post who will benefit are all public officials appointed by President Benigno Aquino III: Justice Sec. Leila De Lima, Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairperson Teresita Herbosa.
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