DOJ Usec. Justiniano resigns from post

CITING family decision, Justice Undersecretary Jose Justiniano resigned from his position on Thursday.

His decision to leave the Department of Justice (DOJ) came two days after Malacañang appointed a new Justice Secretary.

“It is a family decision for me to go back to private practice,” Justiniano said in a text message.

Justiniano was earlier rumored to be one of the strongest candidate to replace former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima who resigned to run for a Senate seat.

Justiniano’s letter states that his resignation is effective October 30, 2015.

He will join the newly-created Peña and Lumagui Law Firm, which will be called the Morales Justiniano Peña and Lumagui Law Firm next year.

Justiniano submitted his resignation letter on the same day his former colleague at the Sycip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan Law Firm, former Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, assumed his new post as Secretary of Justice.

Justiniano supervised the DOJ investigation on the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.

He was also deputized by the Office of the Ombudsman in the prosecution of PDAF related cases before the Sandiganbayan.

Justiniano became prominent when he represented Lance Corporals Keith Silkwood and eventually Daniel Smith, two of the four accused for raping ‘Nicole’ in Olongapo. Silkwood and his two other co-accused was acquitted. Only Lance Corporal Daniel Smith was convicted. He became Smith’s counsel when he appealed his conviction.

He is also one of the private prosecutors during the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Justiniano was appointed as DOJ Undersecretary in 2013.