The Senator in the News
From The Philippine Daily Inquirer, 22 November 2006NOMINATION OF 4 BETS FOR CHEIF JUSTICE OPPOSED
By Juliet Labog-JavellanaThe Judicial and Bar Council has received opposition to the nomination of four of the six candidates for the position of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, according to Senate majority Leader Francis Pangilinan.
Pangilinan, ex-officio member of the JBC which screens nominations to the judiciary, said oppositors have submitted position papers against Associate Justices Reynato Puno, Consuelo Ynares-Santiago and Leonardo Quisumbing and Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago so far.
The other two nominees are Associate Justices Angelina Sandoval Gutierrez and Antonio Carpio.
Pangilinan said the filing of opposition against the nominees was part of the screening process. The JBC is deliberating on the nominees, one of whom will be chosen by President Macapagal-Arroyo to succeed Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban who is set to retire on Dec. 7. The JBC is mandated to submit a short list of at least three names to the President.
Panganiban said the JBC met on Monday and tackled this proposal to conduct public interviews of the nominees to ensure greater transparency in the selection process.
He said the eight-member panel failed to agree on his proposal and is set to meet again tomorrow.
“I think the majority sentiment (in the JBC) is for public interviews but some of our collegues are looking at the position of the Supreme Court (against it),” Pangilinan said.
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