KIKO LAUDS DEVELOPMENTS IN JBC SEARCH FOR NEXT SC JUSTICE

Independent senator and former Senate ex-officio member to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) Kiko Pangilinan today welcomed the decision of the JBC to open the voting process to the public and to disqualify certain candidates who did not pass the requirements.

"We welcome the Judicial and Bar Council's decision to finally open the voting process of its nomination of candidates to the Supreme Court. We have pushed very hard for this more transparent and accountable system and we are glad that the JBC heeded our proposal," Kiko said.

The JBC is a constitutionally-created body that recommends appointees for vacancies that may arise in the composition of the Supreme Court and other lower courts. Seven SC justices are due to retire next year, raising concern as to the credibility of the next magistrates of the High Court.

The JBC yesterday voted 6-2, making the voting system open to the public. On the same day, the council disqualified three aspirants to the post to be vacated by Associate Justice Ruben Reyes. Lawyer Rodolfo Robles was disqualified because he was over the 65-year-old limit while Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera and former Bureau of Internal Revenue commissioner Mario Buñag were disqualified due to pending administrative and criminal cases.

"The disqualification of some candidates is also a very good sign that the selection process is stricter. According to the rules, candidates with pending cases cannot be considered for the position, and the JBC has been mindful of this," Kiko added.

Senator Kiko now works with his brainchild watchdog group Bantay Korte Suprema, a multi-sector organization that aims to ensure that the nomination, evaluation, recommendation and appointment of the seven incoming Supreme Court Justices be transparent and public, and not duly influenced by parochial and short-term political considerations.

"The JBC currently stands at a pivotal point in our history as it is tasked to evaluate and recommend the seven incoming Supreme Court justices next year. With Malacañang pushing persistently for Charter Change, the JBC will in effect dictate the path this nation will take in the next years should the constitutional assembly debate be raised to the level of the High Court. While the crusade for transparency and accountability in the selection process of the next seven justices has started strongly, we are only at the beginning of the battle. We thus call on our public to continue its vigilance and active participation," Kiko ended.