DOJ revamp looms amid courtesy resignations

MANILA, Philippines — A reorganization in the Department of Justice (DOJ) looms after Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra ordered his subordinates holding appointive positions to tender their courtesy resignations.

In a one-page memorandum issued last April 24 but released to the media only yesterday, Guevarra directed all undersecretaries and assistant secretaries to hand in their “unqualified” resignations before April 30.

The DOJ chief issued the order following the resignation last month of his predecessor, former justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, “in the exigency of service and in order to give the undersigned a free hand to perform the mandate given to him by the President.”

Guevara said until the President acts on the resignation letters, the DOJ officials “shall continue to report for work and perform their usual duties and responsibilities, subject to any modification that the undersigned may deem proper to adopt in the meantime.”

Traditionally, undersecretaries and assistant secretaries of DOJ are appointed by the President upon recommendation by the sitting justice secretary.

Malacañang has allowed Guevarra to use his own prerogative in the revamp of the justice department after several undersecretaries and assistant secretaries tendered their courtesy resignations.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said Guevarra is given a free hand to implement changes at the DOJ.  

“It is the call of the Secretary of Department of Justice, that’s his call,” Roque said when asked to react to Guevarra’s memorandum.

All five current DOJ undersecretaries were appointed during the tenure of Aguirre. 

Four of them are members of Lex Talionis, the fraternity of Duterte and Aguirre at the San Beda University law school.

They were identified as Antonio Kho Jr., Erickson Balmes, Raymund Mecate and Reynante Orceo. Deo Marco is a son of another fraternity brother.

The order also covered assistant secretaries Adonis Sulit, Juvy Manwong, George Ortha II, Moslemen Macarambon Sr., Cheryl Daytec-Yañgot, Sergio Yap II and Margaret Padilla.

Only Sulit did not submit a resignation letter because he is a career official who enjoys security of tenure. 

Guevara said all of his deputies have complied with the order, with some of them even filing courtesy resignation “much earlier.” 

When he assumed the DOJ post early last month, Guevarra vowed to address what he called the “huge image problem” of the department.

He admitted the department has been “corroded inside” because of controversies that hounded it in recent months – including the dismissal of drug charges against confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa and the provisional coverage of pork barrel scam queen Janet Lim-Napoles in the witness protection program. 

Guevarra has submitted a copy of his memorandum to the Office of the Executive Secretary led by Salvador Medialdea and Office of the Special Assistant to the President under Christopher Go.

Prior to his appointment as justice chief, Guevarra was deputy senior executive secretary in Malacañang. – With Christina Mendez