Guevarra orders DOJ top-level officials to tender resignation

FILE: Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra ordered all incumbent undersecretaries and assistant secretaries of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to submit their courtesy resignations today, April 30. (Photo: TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra ordered all incumbent undersecretaries and assistant secretaries of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to submit their courtesy resignations today, April 30.

“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, all incumbent undersecretaries and assistant secretaries of the Department are hereby directed to tender their unqualified courtesy resignations to the President, through the undersigned, not later than 30 April 2018, except career officials as defined by pertinent civil service laws, rules and regulations,” Guevarra’s April 24 memorandum said.

While these officials await action by President Rodrigo Duterte on their courtesy resignations, Guevarra said they will “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.”

All undersecretaries and assistant secretaries have already complied with the order except for one, Assistant Secretary Adonis Sulit, who was on leave. Sulit is a career executive service board passer.

Undersecretary Erickson Balmes, who was brought by former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II when he assumed office, confirmed that he, and undersecretaries Antonio Kho Jr. and Raymund Mecate had resigned already even before Guevarra issued the order.

“I can only speak for myself, USec Kho and USec Mecate, we submitted ours on Day one of SoJ MIG’s [Secretary of Justice Menardo Guevarra] stewardship,” Balmes said in a message to reporters.

Balmes, Kho, and Macate were Duterte’s fraternity brothers at Lex Talionis.

He added that Assistant Secretary George Ortha, who is also their fraternity brother, submitted his resignation too.

Guevarra, Duterte’s former senior deputy executive secretary, was appointed to head the Justice department on April 5. It was also the same day the President announced that he accepted Aguirre’s resignation.

Aguirre’s resignation came after Malacañang said the Chief Executive was displeased with the DOJ’s dismissal of charges against alleged narco-personalities Kerwin Espinosa, Peter Lim, and several others.