By Jeffrey G. Damicog
Justice Secretary Menardo Gueverra has ordered all undersecretaries and assistant secretaries of the Department of Justice to hand in their courtesy resignations not later than yesterday.
“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 said in a memorandum dated April 24.
He told the officials that they shall “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,” until President Duterte acts on their courtesy resignations.
Guevarra took over the DoJ last April 11 after he was appointed by Duterte to replace Justice Secretary Vitaliano M. Aguirre II who resigned.
Guevarra said he has been instructed by the President not to tolerate want any illegal activities at the DoJ.
“He also told me to remove from the Department those who are generally perceived and backed up by evidence to be engaged in wrong doing,” Guevarra said. “He gave me a free hand to replace people, to bring his honor to the Department of Justice,” he added.
Guevarra is expected to bring his own people to the DoJ.
