Judicial and Bar Council

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Judicial and Bar Council
Sangguniang Panghukuman at Pang-abogasya
AbbreviationJBC
PurposeRecommending appointees to the Judiciary
Location
Membership7
  • Presidential appointment upon approval of the Commission on Appointments (regular members and Secretary of Justice)
  • Presidential appointment from nominees of the Judicial and Bar Council (Chief Justice)
  • Nomination by each house of Congress (Member from Congress)
Chairperson
Alexander Gesmundo
Parent organization
Supreme Court of the Philippines
Website jbc.judiciary.gov.ph

The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC; Filipino : Sangguniang Panghukuman at Pang-abogasya [1] ) of the Philippines is a constitutionally-created body that recommends appointees for vacancies that may arise in the composition of the Supreme Court, other lower courts, and the Legal Education Board, and in the offices of the Ombudsman, Deputy Ombudsman and the Special Prosecutor.

Contents

History

The Supreme Court and other lower courts in the Philippines were established upon the basis of Act No .136 of 1901 of the Philippine Commission. This succeeded the Real Audiencas and lower courts during the Spanish era. At this time, the Supreme Court was appointed by the Philippine Commission. With the approval of the Jones Law in 1916, the justices of the Supreme Court were appointed by the President of the United States, with advice and consent of the United States Senate. Judges of lower courts were then appointed by the Governor-General.

Upon the ratification of the 1935 constitution, all justices and judges are appointed by the President of the Philippines with consent of the 21-member Commission on Appointments of the National Assembly of the Philippines. Upon the reestablishment of bicameralism, the Commission on Appointments then had equal number of members (12) from the House of Representatives and Senate. This became the setup until the approval of the 1973 constitution, where the president had the sole power of appointment, with no check and balance from the Batasang Pambansa. With the approval of the 1987 constitution, the Judicial and Bar Council was created to provide a shortlist of nominees on which the president can appoint from.

Composition

The Council is composed of a representative of the Integrated Bar, a professor of law, a retired member of the Supreme Court, and a representative of the private sector. They are the "regular" members, as opposed to the Secretary of Justice and a representative of Congress who are the ex officio members. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is the ex officio chairman, [2] while the Clerk of the Supreme Court shall serve as the ex officio secretary. [3]

The regular members would be nominated by the President with the consent of the Commission on Appointments for a term of four years. However, since the terms will be staggered, the first set of members would a different lengths of service: the representative of the Integrated Bar shall serve for four years, the professor of law for three years, the retired Justice for two years, and the representative of the private sector for one year. [4] The succeeding members shall then be given the full four-year term.

The Chief Justice is appointed by the president from the shortlist submitted by the JBC. The Secretary of Justice, as a member of the Cabinet, is appointed by the president with advice and consent of the Commission on Appointments. The member of Congress is elected by the chamber where the member came from.

The regular members were allowed to be reappointed without limit. The Secretary of Justice serves at the pleasure of the president, while the representative of Congress serves until they are recalled by their chamber, or until the term of Congress that named them expires. Finally, the Chief Justice serves until mandatory retirement at the age of 70. The regular members' terms start at July 9.

In 2012, a petition at the Supreme Court questioned on who should occupy the seat allocated for Congress. By then, there are two members of Congress in the council, with both having voting rights: the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Justice and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights. [5] The Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that there should only be one member of the JBC from Congress; the court left to Congress whom among the two would be its representative to the JBC. [6]

The council is the only government body that has members from all three branches of the government, excluding ad hoc and advisory bodies.

Function

Entrance to the JBC offices Jbcsc3jf.JPG
Entrance to the JBC offices

The function of the Council is to recommend to the representatives of possible appointees to the Judiciary. [7]

The president shall choose from among those nominated, before the president may ask the Council to nominate somebody else and add it to the list, but this is not allowed anymore. In 2009, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo asked the council to add more nominees on two Supreme Court vacancies. The council rejected the request. [8] Arroyo then appointed someone from the list. [9]

The person then chosen by the president then becomes a member of the Judiciary, and is not anymore reviewed by the Commission on Appointments. This is to prevent politicking and horse-trading among political parties.

Former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban said that the Council's principal objective is to attract the best and brightest to the judiciary and to make them remain there.

Offices shortlisted

Membership

The members of the Judicial and Bar Council are:

MemberTerm startedTerm scheduled to endMembershipTypeAppointed by
1 Alexander Gesmundo April 5, 2021 [10] November 6, 2026 Chief Justice Ex officio chairman Rodrigo Duterte
2 Jesus Crispin Remulla June 30, 2022 [11] Serves at president's pleasure Secretary of Justice Ex officio member Bongbong Marcos
3 Alan Peter Cayetano [a] July 29, 2025 [12] June 30, 2028Member representing Congress Senate 20th Congress
Gerville Luistro [a] July 30, 2025 [13] House of Representatives
4Erlinda Piñera-UyJuly 21, 2023 [14] July 9, 2027Member representing the Integrated Bar Regular member Bongbong Marcos
5Nesauro FirmeJuly 11, 2022 [15] July 9, 2026Member representing the academe Bongbong Marcos
6 Jose C. Mendoza July 25, 2025 [16] July 9, 2029Retired justice of the Supreme Court Bongbong Marcos
7Jose V. MejiaJuly 19, 2024 [17] July 9, 2028Member representing the private sector Bongbong Marcos
  1. 1 2 Under the current arrangement, the congressman sits from January to June, while the senator sits from July to December. Only one representative is to sit at any time.

As a matter of tradition, the two most senior associate justices of the Supreme Court also take part in the JBC deliberations, but do not vote:

Former members

The JBC members in the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines Panel Interview Jbccjpanel.JPG
The JBC members in the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines Panel Interview

The members of the JBC were: [18]

Chief Justice

The Chief Justice became a member starting on December 10, 1987.

Secretaries of Justice

The Secretary of Justice became a member starting on December 10, 1987.

Representatives from Congress

Congress is a bicameral legislature. The representative from Congress is either Chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, or the House Committee on Justice.

One representative

Since the creation of the JBC in 1987 until 1994, the representation for Congress in the body alternated between the House of Representatives and the Senate. By 1993, the two representatives from Congress began sitting simultaneously, each having one-half of a vote. On May 30, 2001, the JBC en banc decided to grant the representatives from both Houses of Congress one full vote each.

In 2013, the eight-member composition of the JBC was questioned at the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court restored the composition of the JBC to seven. It was arranged that the representative of the House of Representatives sits from January to June, while the representative of the Senate sits from July to December. [19]

Term startedSenatorRepresentativeCongress
December 10, 1987 Wigberto Tañada
March 2, 1988 – May 21, 1990
Rogaciano Mercado
December 10, 1987 – February 23, 1989

Isidro Zarraga

July 31, 1989 – June 30, 1992
8th
June 30, 1992 Raul Roco
September 30, 1992 – March 3, 1993

Alberto Romulo

April 14, 1993 – June 30, 1995
Isidro Zarraga
June 30, 1992– August 12, 1992

Pablo P. Garcia

August 26, 1992 – March 8, 1995

Isidro Zarraga

June 28–30, 1995
9th
June 30, 1995 Alberto Romulo
June 30, 1995– August 1, 1995

Marcelo Fernan

August 2, 1995 – December 31, 1996

Raul Roco

January 1. 1997 – June 30, 1998
Isidro Zarraga
June 30, 1995 – June 30, 1998
10th
June 30, 1998 Raul Roco
June 30 – July 30, 1998

Rene Cayetano

July 31, 1998 – January 31, 2000

Nene Pimentel

February 1 – November 29, 2000

Miriam Defensor Santiago

January 10 – February 14, 2001

Rene Cayetano

May 16 – June 30, 2001
Alfredo Abueg
July 31, 1998 – November 29, 2000

Henry Lanot

December 14, 2000 – June 30, 2001
11th
June 30, 2001 Rene Cayetano
June 30 – August 28, 2001

Kiko Pangilinan

August 29, 2001 – June 30, 2004
Alan Peter Cayetano
August 8, 2001 – March 3, 2003

Marcelino Libanan

March 4 – August 8, 2003
12th
June 30, 2004 Kiko Pangilinan
June 30, 2004 – June 30, 2007
Simeon Datumanong
August 9, 2004 – June 30, 2007
13th
June 30, 2007 Kiko Pangilinan
June 30, 2007 – November 23, 2008

Francis Escudero

November 24, 2008 – June 30, 2010
Matias Defensor Jr.
August 8, 2007 – June 30, 2010
14th
June 30, 2010 Francis Escudero
June 30, 2010 – June 30, 2013
Niel Tupas Jr.
July 29, 2010 – June 30, 2013
15th
June 30, 2013 Koko Pimentel
July 23 – December 31, 2013
July 1 – December 31, 2014
July 1 – December 31, 2015
Niel Tupas Jr.
January 1 – June 30, 2014
January 1 – June 30, 2015
January 1 – June 30, 2016
16th
June 30, 2016 Leila de Lima
July 26 – September 19, 2016

Dick Gordon

September 29 – December 31, 2016
July 1 – December 31, 2017
July 1 – December 31, 2018
Reynaldo Umali
January 1 – June 30, 2017
January 1 – June 30, 2018

Paulino Salvador Leachon

January 1 – June 30, 2019
17th
June 30, 2019 Dick Gordon
July 22 – December 31, 2019
July 1 – December 31, 2020
July 1 – December 31, 2021
Vicente Veloso III
January 1 – June 30, 2020
January 1 – June 30, 2021
January 1 – June 30, 2022
18th
June 30, 2022 Francis Tolentino
July 25 – December 31, 2022
July 1 – December 31, 2023
July 1 – August 15, 2024

Koko Pimentel

August 19 – December 31, 2024
Juliet Marie Ferrer
January 1 – June 30, 2023
January 1 – June 30, 2024
January 1 – June 30, 2025
19th
June 30, 2025 Alan Peter Cayetano
July 29, 2025 – present (Term ends December 31, 2025)
Gerville Luistro
(Term begins on January 1, 2026, and ends on June 30, 2026)
20th

Regular members

Term startedRepresentative from the Integrated Bar Representative from the academe Retired Supreme Court justiceRepresentative from the private sectorAppointed by
December 10, 1987

Leon Garcia Jr.

June 17, 1988 – July 9, 1991

Rodolfo Palma

December 10, 1987 – July 9, 1990

Nestor Alampay

December 10, 1987 – December 10, 1989

Ofelia Santos

December 10, 1987 – December 10, 1988
Corazon Aquino

February 25, 1986 – June 30,. 1992

December 10, 1988

Ofelia Santos

December 10, 1988 – July 9, 1992
December 10, 1989

Lorenzo Relova

January 8, 1990 – July 9. 1993
July 9, 1990

Rodolfo Palma

July 9, 1990 – July 9, 1994
July 9, 1991

Presbitero Velasco Jr.

January 7, 1993 – March 22, 1995 a
July 9, 1992

Teresita Cruz Sison

September 30, 1992– July 9, 1996
Fidel V. Ramos

June 30, 1992 – June 30, 1998

July 9, 1993

Jose C. Campos

September 22, 1993 – July 9. 1997
July 9, 1994

Cezar Peralejo

February 8, 1995 – July 9, 1998
July 9, 1995

Francisco Santiago

August 1, 1995 – July 9, 1996

Amado Dimayuga

July 8, 1997 – July 9, 1999
July 9, 1996

Teresita Cruz Sison

July 9. 1997 – July 9, 2000
July 9, 1997

Regino C. Hermosisima Jr.

November 24, 1997 – July 9. 2001
July 9, 1998

Alfredo Marigomen

July 21, 1998 – July 9, 2002
Joseph Estrada

June 30, 1998 – January 20, 2001

July 9, 1999

Amado Dimayuga

July 9, 1999 – July 9, 2003
July 9, 2000

Teresita Cruz Sison

August 18, 2000 – July 9, 2004
July 9, 2001

Regino C. Hermosisima Jr.

September 10, 2001 – July 9, 2005
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

January 20, 2001 – June 30, 2010

July 9, 2002

Amado Dimayuga

July 9, 2003 – July 9, 2006
July 9, 2003

Conrado Castro

July 9, 2003 – July 9, 2007
July 9, 2004

Raoul Victorino

July 12, 2005 – July 9, 2008
July 9, 2005

Regino C. Hermosisima Jr.

October 4, 2005 – July 9. 2009
July 9, 2006

Amado Dimayuga

July 9, 2006 – July 9, 2010
July 9, 2007

Conrado Castro

July 9, 2007 – March 17, 2011 b

Maria Milagros Fernan-Cayosa

May 2 – July 9, 2011
July 9, 2008

Aurora Santiago Lagman

October 13, 2008 – July 9, 2012
July 9, 2009

Regino C. Hermosisima Jr.

July 9, 2009 – July 9. 2013
July 9, 2010

Jose Mejia

April 28, 2011 – July 9, 2014
Benigno Aquino III

June 30, 2010 – June 30, 2016

July 9, 2011

Maria Milagros Fernan-Cayosa

July 9, 2011 – July 9, 2015
July 9, 2012

Aurora Santiago Lagman

July 9, 2012 – July 9, 2016
July 9, 2013

Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez

October 8, 2014 – July 9. 2017
July 9, 2014

Jose Mejia

July 9, 2014 – July 9, 2018
July 9, 2015

Maria Milagros Fernan-Cayosa

July 9, 2015 – July 9, 2019
July 9, 2016

Toribio Ilao Jr.

October 24, 2016 – July 9, 2020
Rodrigo Duterte

June 30, 2016 – June 30, 2022

July 9, 2017

Jose C. Mendoza

October 4, 2017 – July 9. 2021
July 9, 2018

Noel Tijam

March 6, 2019 – July 9, 2022
July 9, 2019

Franklin Demonteverde

July 9, 2019 – July 9, 2023
July 9, 2020

Toribio Ilao Jr.

July 9, 2020 – July 9, 2024
July 9, 2021

Jose C. Mendoza

July 20, 2021 – July 9, 2025
July 9, 2022

Nesauro Firme

July 11, 2022 – present (Term ends July 9, 2026)
Bongbong Marcos

June 30, 2022 – present

July 9, 2023Erlinda Piñera Uy
July 21, 2023 – present (Term ends July 9, 2027)
July 9, 2024Jose Mejia
July 20, 2024 – present (Term ends July 9, 2028)
July 9, 2025 Jose C. Mendoza
July 25, 2025 – present (Term ends July 9, 2029)

Notes:

a. ^ Resigned
b. ^ Died in office [20]

References

  1. "Mga Pangalan ng Tanggapan ng Pamahalaan sa Filipino" (PDF). Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (in Filipino). 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 29, 2017. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  2. 1987 Constitution, Article VIII, Section 8, Paragraph 1
  3. 1987 Constitution, Article VIII, Section 8, Paragraph 3
  4. 1987 Constitution, Article VIII, Section 8, Paragraph 2
  5. "SC asks JBC to comment on Chavez petition". GMANews.tv. July 3, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  6. Punay, Edu (July 3, 2012). "Only one member from Congress in JBC, SC affirms". Philippine Star . Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  7. 1987 Constitution, Article VIII, Section 8, Paragraph 5
  8. Sy, Marvin; Punay, Edu (August 4, 2009). "JBC rejects Palace demand for more nominees to Supreme Court". philstar.com. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  9. Sy, Marvin. "Malacañang bows to JBC, will review Supreme Court shortlist". philstar.com. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  10. Patag, Kristine Joy. "Duterte appoints Gesmundo as new chief justice". Philstar.com. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  11. Buan, Lian (May 23, 2022). "Boying Remulla is Marcos' justice secretary". RAPPLER. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  12. Cayabyab, Marc Jayson. "Senate elects panel heads; Marcoleta gets Blue Ribbon". Philstar.com. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  13. Panti, Llanesca T. (July 30, 2025). "Gerville Luistro elected chairperson of House Committee on Justice". GMA News Online. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  14. Mondares, Claire Bernadette (July 23, 2023). "Retired tax court justice sworn in as JBC member". The Manila Times. Retrieved August 14, 2023.
  15. Canlas, Jomar (August 3, 2022). "Marcos appoints former lawyer to JBC". The Manila Times. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  16. Quevedo, Richbon (July 26, 2025). "Ex-SC Justice Mendoza named to JBC". Daily Tribune. Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  17. "Atty. Jose V. Mejia takes oath as member of SC's Judicial and Bar Council". GMA Integrated News. July 20, 2024. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
  18. "JBC CHAIRPERSONS, EX OFFICIO AND REGULAR MEMBERS, EX OFFICIO SECRETARIES AND CONSULTANTS". Supreme Court of the Philippines . Archived from the original on July 28, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  19. Torres-Tupas, Tetch (January 17, 2017). "SC to JBC: Answer petition on seat for solons at meetings". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  20. Clapano, Jose Rodel. "JBC member killed in traffic mishap". Philstar.com. Retrieved July 15, 2023.

See also

References