Department of Justice (Philippines)
Encyclopedia
The Department of Justice (Filipino: Kagawaran ng Katarungan), abbreviated as DOJ, is the executive department
of the Philippine government
responsible for upholding the rule of law in the Philippines. It is currently under the leadership of Former Commission on Human Rights Chief, Secretary Leila De Lima
.
The Department of Justice traces its beginnings at the Revolutionary Assembly in Naic, Cavite on April 17, 1897. The establishment of a regime of law was tasked to Don Severino delas Alas who headed the Department of Grace and Justice. Shortly after the proclamation of independence in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898, President Emilio Aguinaldo issued a decree on September 26, 1898
reorganizing the Department. A year later, the American military force established the Office of the Attorney of the Supreme Court in place of the Department. On June ll, 1901, the new office was renamed the Office of the Attorney General and on September 1, 1901, the Office became the Department of Finance and Justice.
In the 1916 government reorganization, the department became a separate entity and was given executive supervision over all courts of first instance and other inferior courts.
Under the Japanese occupation, the Department was made a Commission. The civilian government established by the Japanese in 1943 changed it to a Ministry. After the war in 1945, the Government of the Philippine Commonwealth was re-established and the Department of Justice was re-activated. The Department continued in this form under the Philippine Republic.
Presidential Decree No. 1 during Martial Law reorganized the Executive Branch of the national government. Letter of Implementation No. 20 of December 31, 1972 organized the Department proper into the Office of the Secretary, the Financial and Management Service, the Administrative Service, Technical StaftQ the Prosecution Staff, the Legal Staff and the Judiciary Division; the Commission on Immigration and Deportation, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel; the Board of Pardons and Parole; the Bureau of Prisons; and the Citizens Legal Assistance Office.
Under the 1973 Constitution, Department became a Ministry of Justice. The 1986 People Power Revolution ushered in the contemporary Department of Justice.
With the adoption of the 1987 Constitution and the Administrative Code of 1987 (Executive Order No. 292), the Department of Justice was named as the principal law agency of the Republic of the Philippines serving as its legal counsel and prosecution arm.
Today, the DOJ continues to pursue its primary mission: To uphold the Rule of Law; with its "Justice for All" motto. The Office of the Secretary (OSEC) is composed of the National Prosecution Service, the Legal Staff, the Administrative, Financial, Technical and Planning and Management Services and the Board of Pardons and Parole. The constituent and attached agencies include the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Bureau of Immigration (BI), Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC), Bureau of Corrections(BuCOR), Parole and Probation Administration (PPA), Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) and the Land Registration Authority (LRA).
OSEC has six major work divisions, namely, the Legal Staff; the Board of Pardons and Parole; the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor; and the Technical Staff. The two remaining work units of OSEC perform housekeeping chores. These are the Financial and Management Service and the
Executive Departments of the Philippines
The Executive departments of the Philippines is the largest component of the national executive branch of the government of the Philippines. There are a total of nineteen executive departments. The departments comprise the largest part of the country's bureaucracy...
of the Philippine government
Politics of the Philippines
The Politics of the Philippines takes place in an organized framework of a presidential, representative, and democratic republic whereby the president is both the head of state and the head of government within a pluriform multi-party system...
responsible for upholding the rule of law in the Philippines. It is currently under the leadership of Former Commission on Human Rights Chief, Secretary Leila De Lima
Leila De Lima
Leila Magistrado De Lima is the secretary of Philippine Department of Justice under the Administration of President Noynoy Aquino...
.
The Department of Justice traces its beginnings at the Revolutionary Assembly in Naic, Cavite on April 17, 1897. The establishment of a regime of law was tasked to Don Severino delas Alas who headed the Department of Grace and Justice. Shortly after the proclamation of independence in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898, President Emilio Aguinaldo issued a decree on September 26, 1898
reorganizing the Department. A year later, the American military force established the Office of the Attorney of the Supreme Court in place of the Department. On June ll, 1901, the new office was renamed the Office of the Attorney General and on September 1, 1901, the Office became the Department of Finance and Justice.
In the 1916 government reorganization, the department became a separate entity and was given executive supervision over all courts of first instance and other inferior courts.
Under the Japanese occupation, the Department was made a Commission. The civilian government established by the Japanese in 1943 changed it to a Ministry. After the war in 1945, the Government of the Philippine Commonwealth was re-established and the Department of Justice was re-activated. The Department continued in this form under the Philippine Republic.
Presidential Decree No. 1 during Martial Law reorganized the Executive Branch of the national government. Letter of Implementation No. 20 of December 31, 1972 organized the Department proper into the Office of the Secretary, the Financial and Management Service, the Administrative Service, Technical StaftQ the Prosecution Staff, the Legal Staff and the Judiciary Division; the Commission on Immigration and Deportation, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel; the Board of Pardons and Parole; the Bureau of Prisons; and the Citizens Legal Assistance Office.
Under the 1973 Constitution, Department became a Ministry of Justice. The 1986 People Power Revolution ushered in the contemporary Department of Justice.
With the adoption of the 1987 Constitution and the Administrative Code of 1987 (Executive Order No. 292), the Department of Justice was named as the principal law agency of the Republic of the Philippines serving as its legal counsel and prosecution arm.
Today, the DOJ continues to pursue its primary mission: To uphold the Rule of Law; with its "Justice for All" motto. The Office of the Secretary (OSEC) is composed of the National Prosecution Service, the Legal Staff, the Administrative, Financial, Technical and Planning and Management Services and the Board of Pardons and Parole. The constituent and attached agencies include the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Bureau of Immigration (BI), Public Attorney’s Office (PAO), Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC), Bureau of Corrections(BuCOR), Parole and Probation Administration (PPA), Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) and the Land Registration Authority (LRA).
Secretary of Justice
The Office of the Secretary of Justice (OSEC) is composed of the offices of the Secretary of Justice and his/her four Undersecretaries and three Assistant Secretaries.OSEC has six major work divisions, namely, the Legal Staff; the Board of Pardons and Parole; the Office of the Chief State Prosecutor; and the Technical Staff. The two remaining work units of OSEC perform housekeeping chores. These are the Financial and Management Service and the
List of Secretaries of Justice
| No. | Name | Position | Date started | Date finished |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gregorio S. Araneta Gregorio S. Araneta Gregorio S. Araneta , also known as Don Gregorio Araneta y Soriano, was a Filipino lawyer, businessman, nationalist and patriot, who served his country and people during the Spanish colonization and American occupation.... |
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| 2 | Florentino Torres | Attorney General | May 29, 1899 | June 4, 1901 |
| 3 | Henry C. Ide | Secretary of Finance and Justice | September 1, 1901 | June 30, 1908 |
| 4 | Gregorio S. Araneta Gregorio S. Araneta Gregorio S. Araneta , also known as Don Gregorio Araneta y Soriano, was a Filipino lawyer, businessman, nationalist and patriot, who served his country and people during the Spanish colonization and American occupation.... |
Secretary of Finance and Justice | July 1, 1908 | October 10, 1913 |
| 5 | Victorino Mapa Victorino Mapa Victorino Mapa was the second Chief Justice of the Philippines.-Career:He graduated his Bachelor of Laws and Jurisprudence from the University of Santo Tomas at the age of 25.... |
Secretary of Finance and Justice | November 1, 1913 | June 30, 1920 |
| 6 | Quintin B. Paredes Quintín Paredes Quintín B. Paredes was a Filipino lawyer, politician, and statesman.He was born in Bangued, Abra, Philippines in 1884 to Juan Felix Paredes and Regine Babila.-Education and early career:... |
Secretary of Justice | July 1, 1920 | December 15, 1921 |
| 7 | Jose Abad Santos José Abad Santos In 1919, Abad Santos would become instrumental in laying the legal groundwork as well as drafting the by-laws and constitution of the Philippine Women's University, the country's and Asia's first private non-sectarian institution for higher learning for women... |
Secretary of Justice | April 26, 1922 | July 17, 1923 |
| 8 | Jose Abad Santos José Abad Santos In 1919, Abad Santos would become instrumental in laying the legal groundwork as well as drafting the by-laws and constitution of the Philippine Women's University, the country's and Asia's first private non-sectarian institution for higher learning for women... |
Secretary of Justice | September 1, 1928 | June 18, 1932 |
| 9 | Luis P. Torres | Secretary of Justice | August 31, 1928 | June 19, 1932 |
| 10 | Alexander A. Reyes | Secretary of Justice | June 19, 1932 | December 31, 1932 |
| 11 | Quirico M. Abeto | Secretary of Justice | January 1, 1933 | July 5, 1934 |
| 12 | Jose Yulo Jose Yulo José Yulo was the Chief Justice of the Philippines during the Japanese Occupation and was Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives from 1939 until the World War II started in 1941.-Career:... |
Secretary of Justice | July 6, 1934 | November 15, 1938 |
| 13 | Jose Abad Santos José Abad Santos In 1919, Abad Santos would become instrumental in laying the legal groundwork as well as drafting the by-laws and constitution of the Philippine Women's University, the country's and Asia's first private non-sectarian institution for higher learning for women... |
Secretary of Justice | December 5, 1938 | July 16, 1941 |
| 14 | Teofilo L. Sison | Secretary/Commissioner of Justice | July 18, 1941 | November 27, 1941 |
| 15 | Jose P. Laurel Jose P. Laurel José Paciano Laurel y García was the president of the Republic of the Philippines, a Japanese-sponsored administration during World War II, from 1943 to 1945... |
Secretary/Commissioner of Justice | December 24, 1941 | December 4, 1942 |
| 16 | Teofilo L. Sison | Secretary/Commissioner of Justice | December 4, 1942 | October 14, 1943 |
| 17 | Teofilo L. Sison | Secretary/Commissioner of Justice | October 19, 1943 | October 24, 1944 |
| 18 | Delfin J. Jaranilla | Secretary of Justice | March 8, 1945 | December 31, 1945 |
| 19 | Ramon Quisumbing | Secretary of Justice | January 2, 1946 | May 28, 1946 |
| 20 | Roman Ozaeta | Secretary of Justice | May 29, 1946 | September 17, 1948 |
| 21 | Sabino B. Padilla | Secretary of Justice | September 19, 1948 | June 30, 1949 |
| 22 | Ricardo P. Nepomuceno | Secretary of Justice | July 1, 1949 | July 25, 1950 |
| 23 | Jose P. Bengzon | Secretary of Justice | August 29, 1950 | September 23, 1951 |
| 24 | Oscar Castelo | Secretary of Justice | January 1, 1952 | December 1953 |
| 25 | Roberto Gianzon | Secretary of Justice | August 17, 1953 | December 1953 |
| 26 | Pedro T. Tuazon | Secretary of Justice | January 4, 1954 | June 4, 1959 |
| 27 | Jesus G. Barrera | Secretary of Justice | April 18, 1958 | June 4, 1959 |
| 28 | Enrique Fernandez | Secretary of Justice | June 11, 1959 | July 13, 1959 |
| 29 | Alejo R. Mabanag | Secretary of Justice | July 14, 1959 | December 31, 1961 |
| 30 | Jose W. Diokno | Secretary of Justice | January 2, 1962 | May 19, 1962 |
| 31 | Juan R. Liwag | Secretary of Justice | May 20, 1962 | July 7, 1963 |
| 32 | Salvador L. Marino | Secretary of Justice | July 8, 1963 | December 31, 1965 |
| 33 | Jose Yulo Jose Yulo José Yulo was the Chief Justice of the Philippines during the Japanese Occupation and was Speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives from 1939 until the World War II started in 1941.-Career:... |
Secretary of Justice | January 1, 1966 | August 4, 1967 |
| 34 | Claudio Teehankee | Secretary of Justice | August 5, 1967 | December 16, 1968 |
| 35 | Juan Ponce Enrile Juan Ponce Enrile Juan Ponce Enrile is a Filipino politician. As a protege of President Ferdinand Marcos, he served as Justice Secretary and then Defense Secretary under the Marcos regime. He later became one of the leaders of the 1986 People Power Movement that drove Marcos from power... |
Secretary of Justice | December 17, 1968 | February 7, 1970 |
| 36 | Felix Makasiar Felix Makasiar Felix V. Makasiar was the 14th Chief Justice of the Philippines, serving in that capacity for four months in 1985. His 85-day stint as Chief Justice, abbreviated only because of the rule requiring mandatory retirement upon reaching the age of 70, was the second-shortest such tenure in Philippine... |
Secretary of Justice | February 8, 1970 | August 1, 1970 |
| 37 | Vicente Abad Santos Vicente Abad Santos Vicente Abad Santos was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.-Profile:He was born in San Fernando, in Pampanga province of central Luzon... |
Secretary/Minister of Justice | August 2, 1970 | January 16, 1979 |
| 38 | Catalino T. Macaraig, Jr. | Minister of Justice | January 17, 1979 | July 22, 1979 |
| 39 | Ricardo C. Puno | Minister of Justice | July 23, 1979 | June 30, 1984 |
| 40 | Estelito P. Mendoza | Minister of Justice | June 30, 1984 | February 27, 1986 |
| 41 | Neptali A. Gonzales | Minister/Secretary of Justice | February 28, 1986 | March 8, 1987 |
| 42 | Sedfrey A. Ordoñez | Secretary of Justice | March 13, 1987 | January 2, 1990 |
| 43 | Franklin M. Drilon Franklin Drilon Franklin Magtunao Drilon is a Filipino politician who served as President of the Senate of the Philippines in 2000 and from 2001 to 2006. Drilon currently serves his third term in the Senate... |
Secretary of Justice | January 4, 1990 | July 14, 1991 |
| 44 | Silvestre H. Bello III | Secretary of Justice | July 15, 1991 | February 6, 1992 |
| 45 | Eduardo G. Montenegro | Secretary of Justice | February 10, 1992 | June 30, 1992 |
| 46 | Franklin M. Drilon Franklin Drilon Franklin Magtunao Drilon is a Filipino politician who served as President of the Senate of the Philippines in 2000 and from 2001 to 2006. Drilon currently serves his third term in the Senate... |
Secretary of Justice | July 1, 1992 | February 2, 1995 |
| 47 | Demetrio G. Demetria | Secretary of Justice | February 3, 1995 | May 19, 1995 |
| 48 | Teofisto T. Guingona, Jr. | Secretary of Justice | May 20, 1995 | February 3, 1998 |
| 49 | Silvestre H. Bello III | Secretary of Justice | February 4, 1998 | June 30, 1998 |
| 50 | Serafin R. Cuevas | Secretary of Justice | July 1, 1998 | February 15, 2000 |
| 51 | Artemio G. Tuquero | Secretary of Justice | February 16, 2000 | January 22, 2001 |
| 52 | Hernando B. Perez | Secretary of Justice | January 23, 2001 | January 2, 2003 |
| 53 | Ma. Merceditas N. Gutierrez Ma. Merceditas N. Gutierrez Ma. Merceditas Navarro Gutierrez is a Filipino government official and Ombudsman of the Republic of the Philippines. She heads the powerful Ombudsman Office which investigates government officials accused of crimes. She was a two-time Justice Secretary of the Philippine Justice Department in 2002... |
Secretary of Justice | November 27, 2002 | January 15, 2003 |
| 54 | Simeon A. Datumanong Simeon Datumanong Simeon Datumanong is a Filipino-Muslim politician who held different government positions and currently serves as a Representative of the lone district of Maguindanao in the House of Representatives of the Philippines... |
Secretary of Justice | January 16, 2003 | December 23, 2003 |
| 55 | Ma. Merceditas N. Gutierrez Ma. Merceditas N. Gutierrez Ma. Merceditas Navarro Gutierrez is a Filipino government official and Ombudsman of the Republic of the Philippines. She heads the powerful Ombudsman Office which investigates government officials accused of crimes. She was a two-time Justice Secretary of the Philippine Justice Department in 2002... |
Secretary of Justice | December 24, 2003 | August 31, 2004 |
| 56 | Raul M. Gonzalez | Secretary of Justice | September 1, 2004 | September 5, 2004 |
| 57 | Agnes Devanadera Agnes Devanadera Agnes VST Devanadera , is the 41st and first woman Philippine Solicitor General or Attorney General duly appointed on February 22, 2007 by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo... |
Acting Secretary of Justice | September 5, 2004 | September 2004 |
| 58 | Raul M. Gonzalez | Secretary of Justice | September 2004 | 2009 |
| 59 | Agnes Devanadera Agnes Devanadera Agnes VST Devanadera , is the 41st and first woman Philippine Solicitor General or Attorney General duly appointed on February 22, 2007 by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo... |
Secretary of Justice | 2009 | 2010 |
| 60 | Alberto Agra Alberto Agra Alberto Agra was the acting Justice secretary of the Republic of the Philippines. He was succeeded by Leila De Lima.-Justice Secretary:His term was widely criticized for dropping charges against influential government officials.... |
Acting Secretary of Justice | 2010 | June 30, 2010 |
| 61 | Leila De Lima Leila De Lima Leila Magistrado De Lima is the secretary of Philippine Department of Justice under the Administration of President Noynoy Aquino... |
Secretary of Justice | June 30, 2010 | |
Offices
The Department Proper consists of the following units:- Legal Staff, headed by the Chief State Counsel
- National Prosecution Service, headed by the Prosecutor General
- Technical Staff
- Administrative Service
- Financial and Management Service
- Management Services Office
- Board of Pardons and Parole
Attached Agencies
The Department has the following attached agencies:- Bureau of Immigration
- National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)
- Bureau of CorrectionsBureau of Corrections (Philippines)The Bureau of Corrections is an agency of the Department of Justice which is charged with the custody and rehabilitation of national offenders, who have been sentenced to three years of imprisonment or more...
(BuCor) - Parole and Probation AdministrationParole and Probation Administration (Philippines)The Parole and Probation Administration , abbreviated as PPA, is an agency of the Philippine government under the Department of Justice responsible for providing a less costly alternative to imprisonment of first-time offenders who are likely to respond to individualized community-based treatment...
(PPA) - Presidential Commission on Good GovernmentPresidential Commission on Good GovernmentThe Presidential Commission on Good Government, PCGG, is a special body created by Pres. Corazon Aquino to recover ill-gotten wealth accumulated during the Marcos regime.-History:...
(PCGG) - Public Attorney's Office (PAO)
- Land Registration Authority (LRA)Land Registration Authority (Philippines)The Philippines' Land Registration Authority , abbreviated as LRA, is an agency of the Philippine government under the Department of Justice responsible for issuing decrees of registration and certificates of title and register documents, patents and other land transaction for the benefit of...
- Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC)
- Office of the Solicitor General (OSG)
External links
- Philippines: Gov.Ph: About the Philippines : Justice category of PhilippinePhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
government portal - Welcome to the Official website of the Department of Justice: Republic of the Philippines Official site of the Department of Justice