Eight candidates seeking appointment to the Supreme Court will face public questioning by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on October 13 and 15 as the selection process moves forward for the seat to be vacated by Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier.
The eight are among 19 applicants for the post, but 11 will not need another interview because they retain valid interview records from their applications for a previous Supreme Court vacancy, SC spokesperson Atty. Camille Sue Mae Ting said.
The earlier vacancy arose from the departure of Associate Justice Mario V. Lopez.
The first round of interviews on October 13 will feature Deputy Immigration Commissioner Aldwin Alegre, Legal Education Board chairperson Jason Barlis, Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Geraldine Faith Econg, and Court of Appeals Associate Justice Lily Biton.
On October 15, the council will interview Commission on Audit chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba, Government Corporate Counsel Solomon Mateo Hermosura, lawyer German Quintos Lichauco II, and Commission on Elections Commissioner Ernesto Maceda Jr.
The proceedings will take place at the Division Hearing Room and Court of Appeals Session Hall, according to a Supreme Court advisory.
The selection process comes ahead of Lazaro-Javier’s compulsory retirement on Nov. 16, 2026. She chaired the 2025 Bar examinations and serves as vice chairperson of the judiciary’s Committee on Gender Responsiveness.
Before joining the High Court, Lazaro-Javier served as an associate justice of the Court of Appeals, where she maintained a zero-backlog docket.
The JBC opened applications for her replacement in August and set October 1 as the deadline for online submissions.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a blog on Medium.