JBC hands Palace 16 names for Supreme Court vacancies
The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has submitted to Malacañang its shortlist of five nominees for chief justice and 11 candidates for associate justice, paving the way for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to fill two upcoming vacancies in the Supreme Court.
The first vacancy will arise when Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 on 6 November 2026. The second will follow the retirement of Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier on 16 November.
The five applicants for chief justice are Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen and Associate Justices Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, Rodil Zalameda, Japar Dimaampao and Jose Midas Marquez.
If Marcos does not appoint a successor before Gesmundo’s retirement, Leonen will serve as acting chief justice.
For Lazaro-Javier’s replacement, the JBC shortlisted 11 candidates following public interviews held from 13 to 15 October.
They are Court of Appeals Associate Justices Ramon Bato Jr., Ramon Cruz, Maria Elisa Sempio Diy, Myra Garcia-Fernandez, Ronaldo Roberto Martin, and Walter Ong; Solicitor General Darlene Marie Berberabe; Commission on Audit Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba; Court of Appeals Presiding Justice Fernanda Lampas Peralta; Commission on Elections Commissioner Ernesto Maceda Jr.; and Court of Tax Appeals Associate Justice Maria Rowena San Pedro.
Decision time
Under the Constitution, the President has 90 days from the date of each vacancy to appoint a replacement from the corresponding shortlist.
Among the chief justice nominees, Marquez has outlined a proposed five-year judicial reform agenda focused on digitalization, accessibility, and faster case resolution.
His plan calls for real-time monitoring of cases to identify delays, faster publication of court decisions, improved access to public records, streamlined court processes, and stronger training for judges and court personnel.
Marquez said technology should support, rather than replace, human judgment, adding that reforms must translate into faster relief for people awaiting court decisions.