High Court associate justice post open for application 

THE JUDICIAL and Bar Council (JBC) has opened the application and recommendation period for the position vacated by recently-retired Associate Justice Edgardo L. Delos Santos.

Applications and recommendations will be accepted until July 16, the JBC announced Tuesday.

Mr. Delos Santos’ early retirement took effect Monday. He still had about a year before reaching the mandatory retirement age but opted to leave his post early “for reasons pertaining to his current state of health,” according to the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo has approved the conduct of fully remote video-conferencing hearings for all judges of all first and second level courts in the country.

The online operation is intended to ensure the continued trial of cases and court processes despite varying levels of quarantine restrictions.    

The directive took effect Monday. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago