AMID the administration’s continuing purge in the guise of “government reorganization,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. tapped a law dean from one of the country’s finest state universities to replace Menardo Guevarra.
Currently the dean of the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law, lawyer Darlene Berberabe took her oath before Marcos Jr. on Thursday.
NO STRANGER
Prior to his appointment, Berberabe served as Pag-IBIG Fund chief executive officer (CEO) during the administration of the late former President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.
Interestingly, Berberabe was among those being considered by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) for the position of Supreme Court (SC) associate justice in view of the compulsory retirement of Associate Justice Mario Lopez on June 4.
Meanwhile, Guevara welcomed Berberabe whom he described as a top-caliber lawyer with an impressive management background, adding that he would return to private life. There was no mention though whether he would still engage in law practice.
SAW IT COMING
The decision to replace Guevarra is something that is expected following the Solicitor General’s manifestation seeking to recuse itself from the consolidated habeas corpus petitions filed before the Supreme Court by former President Rodrigo Duterte’s children, who are seeking his release and return from The Hague, Netherlands.
In its nine-page motion, the OSG stated it “may not be able to effectively represent respondents in these cases” due to its firm stance that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has no jurisdiction over the Philippines.
It was then that Malacañang called on Guevarra to assess himself if he is still capable of serving as the Solicitor General.