The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has finalized its shortlist of five nominees to succeed Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, who faces mandatory retirement upon turning 70 on November 6.
The council concluded its deliberations and selected Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen alongside Associate Justices Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, Rodil Zalameda, Japar Dimaampao, and Jose Midas Marquez. All five aspirants underwent public interviews by the JBC on October 22 and 26.
The shortlist will be submitted to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who under the Constitution has 90 days to appoint a replacement. If an appointment is not finalized by November 6, Senior Associate Justice Leonen will assume duties as acting Chief Justice by operation of law under the Judiciary Act of 1948.
Filling the resulting vacancy on the 15-member bench will trigger a new JBC application process.
The JBC is also vetting applicants to fill an upcoming vacancy left by Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier, who retires on November 16. Among the applicants are Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Fernanda Lampas Peralta, Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Geraldine Faith Econg, and Solicitor General Darlene Marie Berberabe, alongside various other judicial and government officials.
Gesmundo concludes a legal career that spans decades, marked by his appointment as an associate justice in 2017 and Chief Justice in 2021. Throughout his tenure, he championed the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations (SPJI) to modernize the court system.
His contributions have earned him several honorary doctorates and international recognitions, including the 2023 Chief Justice Richard W. Holmes Award of Merit.