Duterte accepts resignation of 4 DOJ execs

President Rodrigo Duterte has accepted the resignation of three undersecretaries and one assistant secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Wednesday.

The three undersecretaries who resigned are Raymund L. Mecate, Erickson D. Balmes and Reynante B. Orceo–all are fraternity brothers of the President. The President also accepted the resignation of Assistant Secretary Juve R. Manwong.

Replacing them are  lawyers Emmeline Aglipay-Vilar, Adrian F. Sugay, Markk L. Perete and Neal Vincent M. Bainto. They were appointed on the recommendation of Guevarra.

Aglipay-Villar obtained her law degree from the University of the Philippines in 2006. She was a Member of the House of Representatives and party-list representative of the labor sector with a national constituency, prior to her appointment. On the other hand, Sugay graduated in 1993 from the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law where he studied Law. He has since been in active litigation practice, and was at one time a partner at De Borja Medialdea Bello Guevarra & Serapio Law Offices. Prior to his appointment, he acted as Special Assistant to the Corporate Head at the Philippine Ports Authority.

Like Aglipay-Villar, Perete is a graduate of the UP College of Law (2006). He worked as a legal counsel in a large multinational company, taught various law subjects in several universities prior to his appointment, and was at one time a Technical Assistant with the rank of Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs at the Office of the President.

Meanwhile, Bainto attained his Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo de Manila University School of law and was the recipient of the Evelio Javier Leadership Award in 2012. He was a Senior Associate at the Villaraza and Angangco Law Offices prior to his appointment. Alyssa Javier/INQUIRER.net intern  /muf