Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra has approved the request of Acting Prosecutor General Jorge Catalan to be relieved from his post as head of National Prosecution Service.
“I granted his [Catalan] request,” Guevarra said, in a text message to reporters.
Catalan was appointed acting Prosecutor General after then Prosecutor General Claro Arellano was designated administrator of the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency.
Guevarra explained that Catalan did not resign, but was only relieved of his duties as concurrent acting prosecutor general.
“CP Catalan Jr. did not resign. He just asked to be relieved from his concurrent duty as acting prosecutor general so that he may focus on his full-time job as CP for Makati city,” Guevarra said.
In a June 25, 2018 letter sent to Guevarra, Catalan said he wants to focus as City Prosecutor in Makati City, adding he cannot compromise and sacrifice performance and productivity by holding on to both offices.
“Concurrent with my capacity as City Prosecutor of the Office of the City Prosecutor of Makati, a year ago, I was similarly designated as acting Prosecutor General. Much as I would like to carry on with the parallel arrangement, I am committed to dedicate only the best of what I can offer,” Catalan said.
“In the long run, I cannot compromise or sacrifice my performance and productivity by holding on to both offices,” Catalan said. “The privilege was truly an honor and a challenge to be able to organize and manage both offices, despite the exigent demands of supervisory work it entailed.”
Guevarra said he will announce today the replacement of Catalan as acting prosecutor general.