JBC set to interview Supreme Court associate justice candidates


THE JUDICIAL and Bar Council (JBC) is set to interview on Thursday six candidates for the position of Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice to replace Presbitero J. Velasco, Jr., who will compulsorily retire on Aug. 8, according to the court’s Public Information Office (PIO). Lined up for interview in the morning are Judge Carlos I. Espero II, and Court of Appeals (CA) Associate Justices Oscar V. Badelles and Manuel M. Barrios. In the afternoon, it would be the turn of Ramon D.R. Garcia, CA Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier, and former Ateneo Law School dean Cesar L. Villanueva. The interviews will be live-streamed on YouTube from the official page of the high court. The SCPIO said “the public may submit to the JBC a sworn complaint, report, or opposition against any of the aforesaid applicants.” — Dane Angelo M. Enerio

Hontiveros calls for Senate probe on murders of priests


SENATOR RISA N. Hontiveros-Baraquel, in a Senate resolution filed on Wednesday, called for an investigation into the spate of killings of Catholic priests following the murder of Nueva Ecija priest Father Richmond V. Nilo last Sunday. Fr. Nilo was the third priest to be shot to death after Marcelito Paez in December and Mark Ventura in April. “These killings and attempted killing come on the heels of continued verbal attacks of President Rodrigo Duterte on the Catholic Church and its religious leaders particularly in light of the Catholic Church’s strong critique of the present administration’s War on Drugs policy… Given this current political climate, these killings further reinforce the culture of impunity to silence valid Church-led criticisms on state policies,” Ms. Baraquel said in her resolution. — Camille A. Aguinaldo

Trillanes claims another Chinese plane previously stopped in Davao

SENATOR ANTONIO F. Trillanes IV is claiming that a Chinese plane landed at the Davao International Airport two weeks before another aircraft was reported stopping by at the same airport. “This is not the first time that Chinese planes landed there. There is a previous landing in Davao two weeks ago,” he told reporters on Wednesday, saying that he got the information from sources inside the military. He also said the Chinese aircraft may have unloaded “precious cargo” that he has yet to find out. He also questioned Malacañang’s explanation that the plane stopped by the airport to refuel. “That’s a long-range cargo plane. So even it’s from point-to-point, that does not need refueling. Its capability is transpacific,” he said. — Camille A. Aguinaldo