JBC excludes 'Doctorney' from chief justice race

The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has excluded lawyer and cardiologist Jose Cabrera Montemayor Jr., popularly known as “Doctorney,” from consideration for the next chief justice of the Supreme Court.

Supreme Court spokesperson Camille Ting confirmed Monday, 19 October, that the council did not consider Montemayor for the position but declined to disclose the reasons.

“The JBC members did not consider him for the position. As to the reasons, I am not privy to the JBC’s deliberations and therefore cannot comment on the matter,” Ting said in a Viber message.

Montemayor was among the applicants seeking to succeed Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, who is scheduled to retire on 6 November upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.

A lawyer and physician, Montemayor graduated from the Philippine Law School in 2004. He also earned degrees in medical technology and medicine from Far Eastern University.

With Montemayor out of contention, five incumbent Supreme Court justices remain in the race for the judiciary's highest post.

They are Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen and Associate Justices Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, Rodil Zalameda, Jose Midas Marquez and Japar Dimaampao.

Leonen, Caguioa and Zalameda are among the high court's most senior members.

Former Vice President and incumbent Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo has endorsed Leonen's candidacy.

Marquez, meanwhile, received endorsements from the Association of Retired Regional Trial Court Judges of the Philippines and former Supreme Court Associate Justice Arturo Brion.

Dimaampao was endorsed by the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos and the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament.

The JBC is scheduled to conduct public interviews with the candidates on 22 and 26 October before submitting a shortlist of at least three nominees to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Under the Constitution, the President must appoint a new chief justice within 90 days of the vacancy.