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SUPREME Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno wants Malacañang
to know that it cannot dictate on the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC)
its choice for the lone vacancy in the tribunal.
The eight-member council headed
by Puno has blocked the nomination of the Palace’s main bet, Chief
Government Corporate Counsel Agnes Devanadera, who got only two
votes from the JBC.
In an exclusive interview with
The Manila Times, Puno said the JBC has proven its independence in
making nominations for the position left by former chief justice
Artemio Panganiban, who has retired.
Puno was reacting to newspaper
reports that Devanadera was the top Palace choice, with Solicitor
General Antonio Eduardo Nachura coming in second.
A source in the JBC said Malacañang
had instructed its representatives in the council to make sure
Devanadera is in the shortlist of nominees. The two votes she
received reportedly were cast by Justice Secretary Raul M. Gonzalez
and Rep. Simeon Datumanong, the President’s political allies in
the JBC.
Devanadera became close to Mrs.
Arroyo after she was named president of the Mayor’s League of the
Philippines. She was then mayor of Sampaloc, Quezon.
The Times learned that President
Arroyo wanted Devanadera appointed to the Supreme Court to
increase the number of her allies in the Court.
Malacañang suffered a series of
setbacks in the Court. Among the loses cases were Proclamation 1017
or the declaration of the state of rebellion after the failed coup
attempt in February 2006, the calibrated preemptive response,
Proclamation 464 which bans executive officials from attending
congressional hearings, and the people’s initiative.
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