Another candidate to succeed outgoing Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno has decided to withdraw her nomination to the Supreme Court just a few days before the public interview set by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) for nominees for the country’s top judicial post.

In a letter to the JBC dated last Wednesday, Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales of the Supreme Court (SC) said she won’t show up at the public interview scheduled on Monday, April 19, in Baguio City as she was no longer interested in being included in the shortlist that the  JBC intends to submit to President Arroyo.

Justice Morales was the second Chief Justice contender to withdraw her nomination. Last Monday, Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio also dropped out from the race.

Both Morales and Carpio have earlier expressed their interest in being considered as among the possible successors to Puno, but on condition that their names will be submitted to the next President, who will be elected on May 10.

They both believe that outgoing President Arroyo cannot name a new Chief Justice after Puno’s retirement on May 17 since this would violate the election appointments ban, which started last March 10 and would end on June 30.

However last March 17, the SC voted 9-1 to declare that appointments to the High Court are not covered by the constitutional ban on “midnight appointments”.

Morales was the lone dissenter in that SC ruling, which is subject of various motions for reconsideration.

In her letter to the JBC, Morales said her position, which she ventilated in her dissent, has remained.

She added: “Please consider this letter, therefore, as a manifestation of my disinterest to participate in the interview on Monday, April 19, 2010, and in any related step by the JBC, leading to the possible inclusion of my name in the shortlist of nominees for the position of Chief Justice that the JBC might submit to President Gloria Arroyo, and from which list President Arroyo might appoint the next Chief Justice.”

With Morales and Carpio dropping out of the race, there are only four remaining candidates for Chief Justice.

They are SC Associate Justices Renato C. Corona, Teresita Leonardo de Castro, and Arturo D. Brion, and acting Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Edilberto G. Sandoval.