LABOR Secretary Arturo Brion and Court of
Appeals Associate Justice Martin Villarama were the top picks of
the members of the Judicial and Bar Council for the lone vacancy
at the Supreme Court.
The vacancy was brought about by the
retirement of Associate Justice Angelina Sandoval Gutierrez last
February 27.
Brion and Villarama, who each got eight
votes, led five other candidates in the shortlist to be
submitted by the screening body to President Arroyo, who has 90
days to name Gutierrez' replacement.
Court of Appeals Associate Justice Portia
Alino-Hermachuelos got seven votes while Sandiganbayan Justices
Francisco Villaruz and Edilberto Sandoval got six and five
votes, respectively.
Brion was a former justice of the Court of
Appeals before he accepted the labor portfolio.
Chief Justice Reynato Puno is JBC ex-officio
chairman.
Other JBC ex-officio members are Justice Secretary Raul
Gonzalez, Sen. Francis Pangilinan and Rep. Simeon Datumanong.
The regular members are Dean Amado Dimayuga, retired Court of
Appeals Justice Regino Hermosisima Jr., lawyer J. Conrado
Castro, and retired Sandiganbayan Justice Raoul Victorino.
- Evangeline de Vera
