In a letter sent to the JBC on Monday, Pangilinan respectfully suggest that except for executive proceedings handling with matters which are confidential in nature, which will probably be made to the general public only upon majority vote of the members of the Council present, the voting procedures for the judicial post at the Sandiganbayan, Court of Appeals, and Supreme Court, or Ombudsman or Deputy Ombudsman, including all meetings and deliberations before the voting can be available to the general public,"
He said that it's necessary to amend its rules to allow the open public totake part in governance and inthe modification process. "As such, we should make the process of selection of the Chief Justice transparent," he stated.
"The appointment of our public officials is a matter of public interest. The Constitution guarantees our people the right to information on matters of public interest," he also added.
The JBC is a organizational body created under the 1987 Constitution to generate 3 candidates each for each vacant judicial position to all courts. Only the President designate judges and justices in the short list of candidates listed by the JBC.
The JBC consists of the Supreme Court chief justice as ex-officio chair, with the secretary of Justice, and also the chairs of the House and Senate justice committees as ex-officio members. Another 4 regular members come from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the academe, the private sector, and also a retired member of the Supreme Court.
Senator Francis Escudero, a JBC member, asserted that under the JBC requirements, all chief justice applicants should be at least 40 years of age; a Filipino citizen; a member of the Philippine bar; has served 15 years or more as the judge in a lower court or perhaps in practicing law in the Philippines; possesses competence, integrity, probity and independence.
On Monday, Escudero said that JBC has created the signing of the waiver on their bank deposits, statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) , and income tax returns (ITR) one of the prerequisites in the electing the new chief justice.
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