By Dane Angelo M. Enerio
ALL incumbent Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries of the Department of Justice have been directed to “tender their unqualified courtesy resignations to (President Rodrigo R. Duterte)… not later than 30 April, 2018,” following a memorandum by Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra.
Mr. Guevarra in his memorandum dated April 24 and released to media on Monday said the order was to “give (him) a free hand to perform the mandate given to him by the President.”
He also pointed out, “until any action is taken by the President on such courtesy resignations, all Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries shall continue to report for work and perform their usual dates and responsibilities.”
Mr. Guevarra told BusinessWorld in a text message that “all of them except (Assistant Secretary Adonis P. Sulit), who is on vacation leave,” have submitted their courtesy resignation letters.
When asked if he had specific people in mind to fill in the posts, Mr. Guevarra said it was “(too) premature to disclose” but he pointed out that he is “still searching for a few good men.”
DoJ spokesperson Undersecretary Erickson H. Balmes, for his part, told media that he submitted his courtesy resignation letter “on day one of Secretary of Justice Menardo I. Guevarra’s stewardship,” along with Undersecretaries Antonio T. Kho, Jr. and Raymund L. Mecate.
The three were appointed by former justice secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II, a fraternity brother at Lex Talionis in San Beda College of Law.
According to Mr. Balmes, none of the Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries left following Mr. Aguirre’s resignation on April 5.
Mr. Aguirre left while the department was under fire for its dismissal of the criminal case against several high profile drug personalities and for alleged pork barrel mastermind Janet L. Napoles’ provisional entry into its Witness Protection Program (WPP.)

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