The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has officially opened the application and recommendation process for the Supreme Court associate justice post left vacant following the assumption of office by Rodil Zalameda as Chief Justice on November 6.
According to an announcement from SC Clerk of Court and JBC Ex-officio Secretary Atty. Marife Lomibao-Cuevas, applications must be submitted through the JBC Online Registration and Application System (JBC O.R.A.S) at www.portal.judiciary.gov.ph by 4:30 p.m. on December 28, 2026.
The council noted that the date of formal online submission will serve as the official date of filing.
Meanwhile, another vacancy in the high court will occur on November 16 with the mandatory retirement of Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier upon reaching the retirement age of 70. The JBC has already completed interviews for this post and submitted a list of 11 nominees to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The nominees for Justice Lazaro-Javier’s position include:
- Court of Appeals (CA) Associate Justice Ramon Bato Jr.
- Solicitor General Darlene Marie Berberabe
- Commission on Audit (COA) Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba
- CA Associate Justices Ramon Cruz, Maria Elisa Sempio Diy, and Myra Garcia-Fernandez
- CA Presiding Justice Fernanda Lampas Peralta
- Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Commissioner Ernesto Maceda Jr.
- CA Associate Justices Ronaldo Roberto Martin and Walter Ong
- Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) Associate Justice Maria Rowena San Pedro
Under the Philippine Constitution, the President has a 90-day window from the date of a vacancy to appoint a replacement.
The JBC is a constitutional body tasked with screening, accepting, and nominating appointments across the judiciary, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Legal Education Board. The council is chaired ex-officio by Chief Justice Zalameda, who succeeded retired Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo.