KIKO: PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS, OTHER ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
"TO DETERMINE FITNESS, COMPETENCE, INTEGRITY,
AND PROBITY IS CONSISTENT WITH CONSTITUTION",
"NECESSARY FOR JBC TO DO ITS JOB"

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, former ex-oficio of the JBC, defends the JBC practice of conducting psychological tests, and reacts to statements that nominees to the post of Chief Justice should object to this and other additional requirements because these are "unconstitutional."

"The mandate of the JBC is to ensure that those shortlisted are qualified and meet the requirements laid down by the Constitution," Pangilinan says. "I disagree with those who say that these additional requirements are unconstitutional."

He cites: "The public interviews required by the JBC is not found in the Constitution. Does this mean that the interviews are also unconstitutional? How can the JBC fulfill its duty to ensure that only the qualified are nominated if it cannot even interview a nominee because the Constitution does not say that interviews are required?"

"Clearly, this is not the intent of the framers of our Constitution," he concludes.