Bets start SC justice race

Four candidates with backgrounds in government auditing, corporate legal affairs, private legal practice and election administration faced the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on Thursday as it continued screening applicants for the Supreme Court associate justice post to be vacated by Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier on 16 November 2026.

The four applicants interviewed were Commission on Audit (CoA) Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba, Government Corporate Counsel Solomon Mateo Hermosura, lawyer German Quintos Lichauco II, and Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Ernesto Perez Maceda Jr.

Cordoba is banking on his experience in the executive branch, regulatory agencies and the constitutional audit body to bring a different perspective to the High Court, while Hermosura emphasized the need for an anti-political dynasty law that would cover both elected and appointed government officials.

Cordoba, who has headed the CoA since October 2022, said his experience in government and quasi-judicial bodies would help him resolve cases involving executive agencies, regulatory institutions and constitutional commissions.

Higher public service level

“I feel that it’s time to go to a higher level of public service,” Cordoba told the JBC, explaining his decision to seek the post after decades in government. He said he wanted to expand his public service, reach more Filipinos and leave a lasting legacy.

Before becoming CoA chairperson, Cordoba held positions in the Office of the President, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. and the National Telecommunications Commission.

On judicial activism, Cordoba said courts could intervene when necessary but should exercise restraint when the law and the Constitution are clear.

He also highlighted the CoA’s fraud audits and disciplinary measures against personnel implicated in irregularities, particularly those involving flood-control projects. He said audit findings were being used by the Office of the Ombudsman in preliminary investigations and cases before the Sandiganbayan.

Cordoba estimated that 65 to 70 percent of disallowed public funds had been recovered. He also said about 90 percent of CoA-related cases elevated to the Supreme Court had been resolved in favor of the government.

He expressed support for continuing the Supreme Court’s Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027, including digitalization and improved access to justice. He proposed using a YouTube channel to explain court decisions affecting ordinary Filipinos and making judicial decisions available in Filipino.

Hermosura pushes anti-dynasty law

Hermosura, who heads the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel, said an anti-political dynasty law should cover both elected officials and appointed personnel.

“I think that the anti-political dynasty should cover both elected and appointed positions,” he said during his JBC interview.

However, Hermosura cautioned against overly restrictive provisions that could prevent qualified relatives from entering public service. He said the law should consider family relationships and the different branches and levels of government, leaving Congress to determine the scope of the restrictions.

He also warned that proposals to raise qualifications for national elective positions could limit access to public service, particularly for Filipinos with limited financial resources.

“I hope we can do so without restricting access also to public service,” he said.

Hermosura cited four decades of experience in private legal practice, corporate governance, government service and legal education as qualifications for the High Court. His career includes nine years in private practice, about two decades in corporate governance and nearly three years in government service.

Before heading the government’s corporate legal office, he served as general counsel and a member of the management committee of Ayala Corp. and its affiliates. He has also taught commercial and civil law, as well as corporate governance, for more than 15 years.

Hermosura said his loyalty as a magistrate would be to the Constitution, the law and the facts rather than to any particular stakeholder.

On judicial activism, he said justices should decide cases based on legal principles instead of automatically adopting either an activist or restrained approach. He also emphasized the judiciary’s role in protecting constitutional rights amid technological advances and enforcing laws addressing technology-related offenses.

Lichauco, a senior partner at the law firm Siguion Reyna, Montecillo and Ongsiako, and Maceda, a Comelec commissioner, were the other applicants interviewed on Thursday.

The two are among 19 applicants seeking the seat to be vacated by Lazaro-Javier. The JBC is screening candidates and will submit a shortlist to the President for appointment.