Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio on Friday said the Judicial and Bar Council's (JBC) additional requirements on a candidate's assets and bank records should apply not only to the chief justice post but to all judicial positions.
In a speech delivered during the Integrated Bar of the Philippines' (IBP) regional convention in Pampanga, Carpio expressed support to the JBC's new rule of including as requirements for candidates the submission of their statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) as well as waivers allowing the JBC to examine their bank accounts.
Carpio, who temporarily sits as chief justice in an acting capacity after Renato Corona's ouster in May, however, said the chief justice should not be singled out. "If the JBC deems it necessary that nominees to the post of Chief Justice should execute bank waivers to verify their SALNs, and hence determine their integrity and honesty... then the bank waiver requirement must also apply to all other applicants to the judiciary," Carpio said.
Carpio also assured candidates not only for chief justice but for other judicial posts that these additional requirements' sole purpose is to determine their fitness for public office.
This is not an additional qualification for the office, but merely a tool to determine the integrity of the applicant, similar to submitting police, Ombudsman and court clearances," Carpio said.
Apart from the new requirement of SALNs and waivers, the usual documents that a candidate must submit are:
clearances from the National Bureau of Investigation, Ombudsman, Integrated Bar of the Philippines, police from place of residence, Office of the Bar Confidante and employer;
transcript of school records;
certificate of admission to the Bar (with Bar rating);
Income Tax Return for the past two years;
proofs of age and Filipino citizenship;
certificate of good standing or latest official receipt from the IBP;
certificate of compliance with, or exemption from, Mandatory Continuing Legal Education;
results of medical examination; and sworn medical certificate with impressions on such results, both conducted/issued within two months prior to the filing of the application.
No-brainer
Also in his speech, Carpio stressed that justices should lead in complying with the law on the disclosure of their SALNs, especially after the recent impeachment trial in which Corona was convicted for his non-declaration in his SALNs some P200 million in dollar and peso deposits.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court has vowed to make public the SALNs of all justices and judges in the country, with guidelines for it being released just last week.
Likewise, as a result of the Corona impeachment trial, the Supreme Court also started posting its financial reports on SC special funds, as well as the Commission on Audit report on the high court.
This is part of the new transparency and accountability policy of the Supreme Court. This is really a no-brainer since all these financial reports are public documents," Carpio said.