By Rey E. Requejo

The Judicial and Bar Council yesterday began its search for the successor of Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna who retired last Feb. 16.

One of the nominees, Dean Roberto Abad of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Law, was first to go through the wringer.

The 8-man council headed by ex-officio chairman Chief Justice Reynato Puno grilled Abad on such issues as the Right of Reply Bill, Philippine baselines, Visiting Forces Agreement and reproductive health bill.

Abad said he does not see anything wrong with the Right-to-Reply Bill which requires a news organization to ?give equal space or air time? to a person or entity subject of a negative article.

The bill should not be considered as a transgression of the press freedom but as a means to balance news reports, Abad said in reply to a question from Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez. ?Not in a serious way because there is no prior restraint, so that is not really muzzling or gagging them. It?s part of fairness. That is my temporary, provisional position,? Abad said.

On the issue of Visiting Forces Agreement, Abad said that he does not have enough knowledge about the provisions and issues involving the VFA and the Philippine baselines bill since most of his information on the matter were based mainly from newspaper accounts.

Abad had served as assistant solicitor general from 1985 to 1986 and as legal consultant for the presidential committee on the nuclear power plant from 1988 to 1990.

Abad said he taught such subjects as Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Election Law, Law on Public Corporations and Public International from 1979 to 1990. He also once served as a Bar reviewer on political law.

Puno, for his part, inquired about the position of the UST College of Law on the Reproductive Health Bill.

?We are pro-life. We are a Catholic university but we?re open to birth control,? Abad replied.

On the reform of the country?s legal education, Abad suggested the closure of law schools that are not ?academically proficient.?

Abad noted that there are many law schools that failed to produce a decent passing average in Bar examinations.

Court of Appeals Associate Justice Hakim Abdulwahid, one of the two Muslim associate justices applying for the SC vacancy, was also interviewed by the JBC.

Out of the 18 nominees, only the seven new candidates will undergo public interview. Among them are Abad, Abdulwahid, CA Associate Justice Japar Dimaampao, Court of Tax Appeals Presiding Justice Ernesto Acosta, Court of Appeals Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin, human rights lawyer Pablito Sanidad Sr., and CA Associate Justice Amelita Tolentino.