Vida named acting Justice Secretary

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has appointed Department of Justice (DoJ) Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Fredderick A. Vida as the new acting Justice Secretary, the DoJ said on Thursday.

The presidential appointment was formalized in a letter dated Nov. 12, shared by the DoJ with reporters, confirming Mr. Vida’s elevation from officer-in-charge to acting Justice Secretary. He succeeds Jesus Crispin C. Remulla, who vacated the post after his appointment to the Office of the Ombudsman last October.

Mr. Vida announced his appointment during the 89th anniversary celebration of the National Bureau of Investigation, also held on Thursday.

He assured that his role, whether as officer-in-charge or acting secretary, would not affect the department’s operations.

“The work continues. Nothing has changed, OIC or acting [secretary],” he told reporters on the sidelines of the event.

In government terms, an Acting Secretary has full powers of the position, while an Officer-in-Charge holds limited administrative authority, as defined by the Administrative Code of 1987, jurisprudence, and Civil Service Commission rules.

Mr. Vida, a seasoned lawyer and public servant, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of the Philippines and a Juris Doctor from Ateneo School of Law, where he was a Silver Medalist. He passed the Bar in 1996 and began his legal career as an associate before establishing his own practice.

His public service career includes stints as Assistant Secretary in the Office of the Chief Presidential Counsel, Municipal Vice Mayor and later Mayor of Mendez-Nuñez, and President of the Mayor’s League of Cavite. He returned to the DoJ in January 2023 as Assistant Secretary and was promoted to Undersecretary in October 2023. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking