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So,
it's Christmas time once again folks and here's wishing a blessed Christmas to
our dear readers. Let's reserve the prosperous New Year next issue.
What
do we have this Christmas? Well, the Judicial and Bar Council finalized last Monday
its shortlist of nominees to fill up the vacancy in the Supreme Court due to the
retirement of SC Justice Ruben T. Reyes next month.
Court
of Appeals (CA) Justice Martin S. Villarama got seven votes from the JBC panel
headed by Chief
Justice Reynato S. Puno as ex-officio chair while Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice
Diosdado M. Peralta, CA Associate Justice Portia Aliño Hormachuelos, Sandiganbayan
Justice Francisco H. Villaruz, and Dean Cesar L. Villanueva, Dean of the Ateneo
Law School and senior founding partner of Villanueva Gabionza and de Santos law
offices, all came in second with five votes.
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The
eight-member JBC panel also reconsidered its earlier decision and included former
Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner (BIR) Jose Mario Buñag in its list
of qualified applicants after it was shown that the cases filed against him have
been dismissed.
But
despite the reconsideration, Bunag got only one vote from the JBC panel.
On
the other hand, the JBC remained firm on its earlier disqualification of lawyer
Rodolfo Robles for exceeding the age limit of 65 for outsiders.
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The
JBC meanwhile deferred its action on Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera who has
a number of pending cases in their preliminary stages before the Office of the
Ombudsman. The JBC will request the Ombudsman to expedite its resolution of the
said pending cases.
Under
the Constitution, the President has 90 days from Jan.2, the date of Justice Reyes'
retirement, to fill up the said position.
The
JBC is a constitutionally-created body which receives and screens nominations
for all judicial posts, as well as nominations for Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman.
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The
other ex-officio JBC members are Justice Secretary Raul M. Gonzales, Senator Francis
Joseph G. Escudero, and Rep. Matias V. Defensor, Jr., while the regular JBC members
are retired SC Justice Regino C. Hermosisima, Dean Amado L. Dimayuga, Jr., Atty.
J Conrado P. Castro, and retired CA Justice Aurora S. Lagman.
According
to the Supreme Court website, the voting were as follows:
Justice Villarama
- Chief Justice Puno, Sec. Gonzales, Rep. Defensor, Justice Hermosisima, Dean
Dimayuga, Atty. Castro, and Justice Lagman;
Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice
Peralta - Sec. Gonzales, Sen. Escudero, Justice Hermosisima, Dean Dimayuga, and
Atty. Castro;
Justice Hormachuelos - Sec. Gonzales, Rep. Defensor, Justice
Hermosisima, Atty. Castro, and Justice Lagman;
Justice Villaruz - Chief Justice
Puno, Sen. Escudero, Rep. Defensor, Dean Dimayuga, and Atty. Castro; and
Dean
Villanueva - Chief Justice Puno, Sen. Escudero, Justice Hermosisima, Dean Dimayuga,
and Justice Lagman.
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For
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