Court of Appeals magistrates dominate list of applicants for SC justice post

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The vacancy will be created by the retirement of Associate Justice Mario Lopez and will pave the way for Marcos to make his first Supreme Court appointment as he marked his third year in office

MANILA, Philippines – Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Mario Lopez is slated to retire in June, paving the way for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to make his first appointment in the country’s highest tribunal.

On Tuesday, April 29, the High Court and the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) released the list of applicants vying for Lopez’s spot. From the applicants, the JBC will make a short list of at least three applicants that will be transmitted to Malacañang. The President, as the appointing authority, will make the final choice based on the JBC list.

Apart from being a natural-born Filipino citizen and at least 40 years old, the chosen candidate must have at least 15 years of experience as a lower court judge or in law practice in the country. The candidate is also required “to have proven competence, integrity, probity, and independence.”

Among the applicants is current Court of Appeals (CA) Presiding Justice Fernanda Lampas Peralta. Marcos appointed Lampas Peralta as CA presiding justice in November 2024, to fill in the vacancy left by the retirement of Mariflor Punzalan Castillo.

There are eight other CA members who are vying for SC justice:

• Associate Justice Ramon Bato Jr., Second Division chairperson
• Associate Justice Ramon Cruz, Fifth Division chairperson
• Associate Justice Myra Garcia Fernandez, Sixth Division chairperson
• Associate Justice Nina Antonio Valenzuela, Eighth Division chairperson
• Associate Justice Maria Elisa Diy, 11th Division chairperson
• Associate Justice Ronaldo Roberto Martin, 16th Division chairperson
• Associate Justice Walter Ong, Sixth Division senior member
• Associate Justice Carlito Calpatura, Ninth Division senior member

SC Court Administrator Raul Villanueva is also vying for the post.

Justices from other courts with appellate functions are also seeking to replace Lopez, among them, Sandiganbayan Associate Justices Karl Miranda (Third Division chairperson) and Ronald Moreno (Third Division junior member), as well as Court of Tax Appeals Associate Justice Maria Rowena San Pedro (Second Division member).

Members of the academe are also part of the list of applicants, including University of the Philippines College of Law dean Darlene Marie Berberabe and former University of Asia and the Pacific law dean Maria Concepcion Noche.

Lawyer and diplomat Manuel Antonio Teehankee is also applying for the SC position. The President reappointed Teehankee as the Philippine representative to the World Trade Organization based in Geneva, Switzerland.

The High Court is currently dominated by appointees of former president Rodrigo Duterte — 13 out of 15 in total — including Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo. The other two are appointees of late former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III: Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen and Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa.

Marcos will make more SC appointments next year upon the retirement of the Chief Justice and Associate Justice Amy Lazaro Javier. – Rappler.com