President Rodrigo Duterte has replaced three more fraternity brothers holding key positions in the Justice department following the resignation of Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II in April.
He made the decision after accepting the courtesy resignations of Justice Undersecretaries Raymund Mecate, Erickson Balmes and Reynante Orceo, who are fellow brothers of Aguirre in the Lex Talionis fraternity.
Mecate, Balmes, and Orceo joined the department in 2016 along with Aguirre.
Duterte filled the vacancies with the appointment of lawyers Adrian Sugay, Mark Parete and Emmeline Aglipay-Villar, a former party-list representative, and wife of Public Works Secretary Mark Villar.
Duterte also accepted the resignation of Assistant Secretary Juvy Manwong and designated lawyer Neal Vincent Bainto as his replacement.
All four appointees were recommended by Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra.
Villar, daughter of former Philippine National Police chief Edgardo Aglipay, obtained her law degree from the University of the Philippines, where she joined the Order of the Purple Feather Honors Society.
Perete has worked for the multinational company Coca Cola and taught law subjects in several universities. Also a product of the UP College of Law, he has served as assistant secretary for legal affairs at the Office of the President.
Sugay and Bainto are graduates of the Ateneo law school. Sugay, who has had years of experience in litigation, served as special assistant to the corporate head of the Philippine Ports Authority, while Bainto was the senior associate in the Villaraza and Angangco law offices. With Evalea Casaljay