In no particular order, the candidates are Court Administrator Presbitero J. Velasco Jr., Court of Appeals Justices Conrado M. Vasquez Jr., Portia Aliño Hormachuelos, Roberto A. Barrios, Rodrigo V. Cosico, and Andres B. Reyes Jr.; Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro, Sandiganbayan Justices Edilberto G. Sandoval, Gregory S. Ong, and Francisco H. Villaruz Jr.;

Solicitor General Alfredo L. Benipayo, Atty. Jesus M. Manalastas, a senior partner of the Ponce Enrile Reyes and Manalastas Law Offices; Philippine Judicial Academy (PhilJA) professor and former Ateneo Dean Eduardo D. de los Angeles, and former Samar Rep. Antonio Eduardo B. Nachura.

The vacancy in the High Court ensued from the appointment as chief justice of then Associate Justice Artemio V. Panganiban. He replaced Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide Jr., who reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 last Dec. 20.

The public is given until next Friday, Feb. 3, to submit information, written reports, sworn complaints, or opposition against the candidates, the JBC said. The schedule of the panel interview of each candidate will be announced later.

Senate panels  told to comment  on Bolante petition

By REY G. PANALIGAN

The Supreme Court, in a full court resolution, directed the Senate Committees on Agriculture and Food, and on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations, to comment within 10 days on former Agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante’s petition seeking to stop the Senate’s arrest order on him.

The High Court, meanwhile, did not issue a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to stay the arrest order.

The Senate directed Bolante’s arrest last Dec. 12 for his failure to attend the hearings called by the Senate committees investigating alleged irregularities in the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani program.

In his petition, Bolante told the High Court that his lawyer, Antonio Zulueta, received the Senate’s arrest order last Dec. 15 after the committee headed by Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. cited him in contempt for his failure to attend hearings that were set last Oct. 6 and 26, Nov. 17 and 24, and Dec. 12.

Named respondents in Bolante’s petition were the chairmen of the two committees, and their members, and Senate Seargentat-Arms Jose Balajadia.

Bolante said in issuing the arrest order against him, the Senate violated his constitutional rights. He cited Section 21, Article 6 of the Constitution which provides that "The Senate or the House of Representatives or any of its respective committees may conduct inquiries in aid of legislation in accordance with its duly published rules of procedure. The rights of persons appearing in or affected by such inquiries shall be respected."

He also said under Section 2, Article 2 of the 1987 Constitution, "it is only judges, and no other, who may issue warrants of arrest."

"The bottomline is clear — the Constitution clearly and expressly states that only judges may issue warrants of arrest and the Senate or any of its committee has no power, implied or otherwise, to issue the same," he said.

"Any exercise or threatened exercise of the purported power of the Senate to issue orders of arrest pursuant to Section 21, Article 6 of the Constitution is unconstitutional and invalid," he added.