WATCH: The search for Marcos’ first Supreme Court justice

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will pick his first Supreme Court justice three years into his term since Associate Justice Mario Lopez is set to retire on June 4

MANILA, Philippines – The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on Wednesday, May 21, concluded its public interviews to look for the replacement of Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Mario Lopez.

The JBC, responsible for selecting a short list of candidates, held the interviews of 16 applicants on May 14, 15, 16, and 21.

These public interviews are part of the process to determine the names that will be transmitted to Malacañang. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., as the appointing authority, will make the final choice based on the JBC list.

This will mark his first SC appointee since his presidency started in 2022. The current composition of SC justices is dominated by appointees of former president Rodrigo Duterte, with the rest handpicked by late former president Benigno Aquino III.

Marcos is expected to name his first SC justice soon since Lopez is retiring on June 4 — the magistrate’s 70th birthday, which is the compulsory retirement age for judges and justices.

Originally, there were 17 applicants for the post, but Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Ronald Moreno withdrew his application, according to the SC.

Watch how applicants fared in responding to the questions thrown at them by members of the JBC panel.

May 14, 2025

APPLICANTS. (From left) Court of Appeals (CA) Associate Justices Nina Antonio-Valenzuela and Ramon Bato, Jr., University of the Philippines College of Law Dean Darlene Marie Berberabe, corporate lawyer Maria Rosario de Leon Bernardo, and CA Associate Justice Carlito Calpatura. Photo by SC Office of the Spokesperson

• Court of Appeals (CA) Associate Justice Nina Antonio Valenzuela, Eighth Division chairperson
• CA Associate Justice Ramon Bato Jr., Second Division chairperson
• Darlene Marie Berberabe, University of the Philippines College of Law dean
• Maria Rosario Bernardo, corporate lawyer
• CA Associate Justice Carlito Calpatura, Ninth Division senior member

May 15, 2025

APPLICANTS. (From left) CA Associate Justices Ramon Cruz, Maria Elisa Diy, and Myra Garcia-Fernandez, and CA Presiding Justice Fernanda Lampas Peralta. Photo by SC Office of the Spokesperson

• CA Associate Justice Ramon Cruz, Fifth Division chairperson
• CA Associate Justice Maria Elisa Diy, Eleventh Division chairperson
• CA Associate Justice Myra Garcia Fernandez, Sixth Division chairperson
• CA Presiding Justice Fernanda Lampas Peralta

May 16, 2025

APPLICANTS. (From left) CA Associate Justice Ronaldo Roberto Martin, Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Karl Miranda, and Philippine Judicial Academy professorial lecturer Maria Concepcion Noche. Photo by SC Office of the Spokesperson

• CA Associate Justice Ronaldo Roberto Martin, Sixteenth Division chairperson
• Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Karl Miranda, Third Division chairperson
• Maria Concepcion Noche, Philippine Judicial Academy professorial lecturer

May 21, 2025

APPLICANTS. (From left) Court of Tax Appeals Associate Justice Maria Rowena San Pedro, CA Associate Justice Walter Ong, Department of Foreign Affairs Philippine Mission to the World Trade Organization in Geneva Permanent Representative Manuel Antonio Teehankee, and Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva. Photo by SC Office of the Spokesperson

• Court of Tax Appeals Associate Justice Maria Rowena San Pedro, Second Division member
• CA Associate Justice Walter Ong, Sixth Division senior member
• Manuel Antonio Teehankee, Department of Foreign Affairs Philippine Mission to the World Trade Organization in Geneva Permanent Representative
• SC Court Administrator Raul Villanueva

– Rappler.com