MANILA – Secretary Menardo Guevarra directed all undersecretaries and assistant secretaries of the Department of Justice to leave their posts.
Their “courtesy resignations” must be submitted not later than April 30, Guevarra stated in a memo dated April 24 but made available to the press only on Monday.
These must be addressed to President Rodrigo Duterte and coursed through him, the Justice secretary said.
Gueverra clarified that his order does not cover career officials as defined by civil service laws and regulations.
And until Duterte acts on the courtesy resignations, all undersecretaries and assistant secretaries may continue reporting for work and performing their usual duties and responsibilities, he added.
“In the exigency of service, and in order to give the undersigned a free hand to perform the mandate given to him by the President, all incumbent undersecretaries and assistant secretaries of this department are hereby directed to tender their unqualified courtesy resignations to the President, through the undersigned, not later than 30 April 2018, except career officials as defined by pertinent civil service laws, rules and regulations,” Guevarra stated in the memo.
Duterte appointed Guevarra – who served as deputy executive secretary in Malacañang – as Justice secretary on April 5 to replace Vitaliano Aguirre II, who resigned from the post./PN
