The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has extended an invitation to the five most senior magistrates of the Supreme Court to contend for the Chief Justice seat, which will soon be left open by the upcoming retirement of Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, high court officials confirmed Tuesday.
Supreme Court spokesperson Atty. Camille Ting named Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen alongside Associate Justices Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, Ramon Paul Hernando, Henri Jean Paul Inting, and Rodil Zalameda as the figures invited to apply for the judiciary’s top leadership role.
“Since the early 2000s, the JBC has followed the practice of inviting the five most senior Associate Justices to apply for the Chief Justice post as a matter of courtesy and in recognition of their seniority,” Ting explained in an official statement.
“What began as an informal practice has since become a standing JBC policy,” she added.
The post will become vacant when Chief Justice Gesmundo steps down on November 6.
The council officially launched the nomination and application period over the weekend, setting the submission deadline for online applications for Tuesday, October 13, at 4:30 p.m.
Prospective candidates must complete their filings through the JBC Online Registration and Application System via the Philippine Judiciary Platform and consult the official portal for full instructions.
The council further cautioned all aspirants regarding the integrity of their submissions.
“Applicants who have been found by the Council to have willfully made false statements, misrepresentations, or concealments of any material information as provided for under the 2020 Revised JBC Rules, as amended, shall be considered disqualified from being nominated by the Council or may be subject to perjury,” the JBC stated.