The Shortlist Of President Duterte’s Sandiganbayan Appointees
President Rodrigo Duterte received the shortlist of 2nd Sandiganbayan Appointees, which was submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).
On Friday (March 31, 2017), JBC has submitted the list of the appointees to President Duterte for the vacant slot at the bench of the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan. Currently, there are 5 vacant slots for justices in Sandiganbayan.
The anti-graft court was needing additional personnel after the early retirement of Associate Justice Maria Cristina Cornejo and the appointment of Associate Justice Samuel Martires to the Supreme Court.
The list of appointees includes 4 trial court judges and an assistant Ombudsman, who got 4 votes and among the shortlisted before. But former President Benigno ‘Pnoy’ Aquino III just bypassed them.
Here are the shortlist of Duterte’s 2nd appointees in Sandiganbayan:
- Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Philip Aguinaldo
- Makati RTC Judge Maryann Corpus-Mañalac
- Pasig RTC Judge Danilo Cruz
- Acting Assistant Ombudsman for Luzon Bayani Jacinto
- QC RTC Judge Rosanna Fe Romero-Maglaya
Associate Justice Bernelito R. Fernandez, formerly of the QC RTC was first appointed by President Duterte in Sandiganbayan last October 2016. The shortlist is for the vacancy due to the retirement of Associate Justice Roland Jurado.
Sandiganbayan has 21 justices, 11 of them was appointed by former President Aquino, where 6 of those appointees was appointed in one go last January 20, 2016. While President Duterte will have 7 appointees including Justice Fernandez.
Mr. Duterte can still set 1 more appointees, aside from 5 vacancies in Sandiganbayan during his term as president, which will end on 2022. On September 13, 2017, Associate Justice Rodolfo Ponferrada will have his retirement.
While, Justice Cornejo was set to retire on December 13, 2020, but the Supreme Court has allowed his early retirement due to disability and diseases.