Malacañang assured Saturday that there will be transparent selection of the next Chief Justice, saying that it has faith and confidence on the list that will be submitted by the independent Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).

Presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo said that the independence of the JBC cannot be questioned, since its composition, includes top and independent-minded lawyers, including the outgoing Chief Justice Reynato Puno and opposition Sen. Francis Escudero.

“Sisiguruhin po nila na ‘yung mga pangalang ibibigay sa Pangulo ay mga talagang nagpakita ng independence at saka paggalang sa batas at sa Saligang-Batas — ‘yan po ang ibibigay nilang mga pangalan sa Pangulo. Kaya pagtingin ng Pangulo doon sa listahan ng JBC, wala siyang makikita roon na hahayaang gamitin siya ng sinuman (They will ensure that those names given to the President have shown their independence and respect for the law and the Constitution — that’s what they are going to give to the President. So when the President looks at the list, she will only see names that won’t allow themselves to be used),” he told government-run DzRB.

The Constitution grants authority to the JBC to come up with a list of nominees from which the President will choose Puno’s replacement.

“Kaya sisiguruhin po ng ating JBC na sinumang ilalagay nila roon ay may proven integrity, independence, at may mahusay na [prinsipyo] sa ating batas at sa Konstitusyon — ‘yan po ang makikita natin sa listahang ‘yon. Doon siya pipili, hindi siya pipili mula sa ibang listahan (That is why the JBC will ensure that those in the list have proven integrity, independence and principles guided accordingly by our law and our Constitution — these will be the basis of the list. She will choose from there and not from other list),” Saludo said.

He lashed back at the senatorial candidate and former Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim who earlier pronounced that Mrs. Arroyo has been waging a military revolt in a move to have power over the Supreme Court.

“Hindi natin maiaalis na merong mga grupo na kusang lilihis sa batas at kokontra sa mga nasa kapangyarihan alinsunod sa Konstitusyon. Ang maganda naman nito hindi naman sila sinusuportahan ng taong-bayan at ito ang leksyon sa mga kabiguan na siyang kinahinatnan ng mga kudeta, ng mga destabilization (It is inevitable that there are some groups who tried to run counter against our Constitution and oppose the authorities. What is good about it is they don’t have the support of the people and this is the lesson that led to the failure of coup d’etat and of destabilization.)