Metro Manila, Philippines – Five Supreme Court justices have been named as candidates to succeed Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, who is set to retire on Nov. 6 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70.
The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) announced that it will conduct public interviews on Oct. 22 and 26 as part of the selection process for the next chief justice.
The five candidates are Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen and Associate Justices Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, Rodil Zalameda, Japar Dimaampao and Jose Midas Marquez.
According to the JBC announcement, Leonen will be interviewed on Thursday, Oct. 22, from 9 a.m. to noon, followed by Caguioa from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Zalameda, Dimaampao and Marquez will undergo interviews on Monday, Oct. 26, from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The interviews will be held at the Supreme Court En Banc Session Hall in Manila.
Gesmundo, the country’s 27th chief justice, was appointed by former President Rodrigo Duterte in April 2021.
This will give President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. his first opportunity to appoint a chief justice.
Under the 1987 Constitution, the president must choose the next chief justice from a list of at least three nominees submitted by the JBC.
The JBC, which screens applicants for judicial positions, will evaluate the candidates before submitting its shortlist to the president.
