DOJ chief grants Prosecutor General’s request to be relieved from his post

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra has granted the request of acting Prosecutor General Jorge Catalan that he be relieved from his position as he wanted to focus on being the City Prosecutor (CP) of Makati.

Catalan was appointed acting Prosecutor General after then Prosecutor General Claro Arellano was named administrator of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA).

“Concurrent with my capacity as City Prosecutor of the Office of the City Prosecutor of Makati, a year ago, I was similarly designated as acting Prosecutor General,” Catalan said in his letter to Guevarra dated June 25, 2018.

“The privilege was truly an honor and a challenge to be able to organize and manage both offices, despite the exigent demands of supervisory work it entailed,” Catalan said.

Although he wanted to carry on with the two posts, Catalan said he could not compromise and sacrifice performance and productivity by holding both offices.

Guevarra said “I granted his request.”

“CP Catalan Jr. did not resign. He just asked to be relieved from his concurrent duty as acting prosecutor general so that he may focus on his full-time job as CP for Makati city,” Guevarra said in his text message.   /vvp