20 applicants are vying for the position of Supreme Court (SC) associate justice which will be vacated by Justice Noel G. Tijam next year, Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra said.
Mr. Guevarra, an ex-officio member of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), told reporters in a text message that SC Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez is among the aspirants.
Thirteen are justices from the Court of Appeals. They are: Manuel M. Barrios, Ramon M. Bato Jr., Apolinario D. Bruselas Jr., Rosemari D. Carandang, Ramon A. Cruz, Stephen C. Cruz, Edgardo L. Delos Santos, Japar B. Dimaampao, Ramon R. Garcia, Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, Mario V. Lopez, Eduardo B. Peralta Jr., and Ricardo R. Rosario.
Sandiganbayan Justices Amparo M. Cabotaje-Tang, Efren N. Dela Cruz, and Alex D.L. Quiroz are also vying for the justice seat.
The others are lawyers Cesar Villanueva and Rita Linda V. Jimeno and Tagum City regional trial court Judge Virginia D. Tehano-Ang.
Mr. Tijam will retire on Jan. 5, 2019 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
The JBC held public interviews last Oct. 18 for the associate justice position vacated by retired chief justice Teresita J. Leonardo-De Castro when she was appointed to the top post on Aug. 25. — VMMV

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