Law professor named audit commissioner

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines—Another woman has joined the Commission on Audit, making it an all-woman commission.

President Aquino has appointed lawyer Rowena Guanzon, former mayor of Cadiz City in Negros Occidental, as a commissioner, Malacañang spokesman Edwin Lacierda said on Wednesday.

Lacierda said the President signed the appointment of Guanzon on March 8.

“It is going to be an all-woman COA commission, with (COA chairperson) Grace Tan and (Commissioner) Heidi Mendoza,” Lacierda told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a phone interview.

Guanzon, who replaced Juanito Espino Jr., will serve as commissioner until Feb. 2, 2020.

Guanzon, a lawyer, graduated top ten of her Class (Dean’s Medal) in the University of the Philippines College of Law. She also has a degree in economics also from the University of the Philippines.

She has a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government where she was an Edward Mason Fellow and Class Marshal.

Before her appointment, Guanzon was teaching at the University of the Philippines College of Law. She is a founding member of the Asia Cause Lawyers Network, Gender Justice Network and CEDAW Watch. She was also the officer-in-charge of the Institute for the Administration of Justice of the UP Law Center.