Department of Justice (Philippines)
Template:Infobox generic 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 the Acting Secretary of Justice, Alberto Agra.
History
The Department of Justice was founded on September 26, 1898 under the Philippine Revolutionary Government of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. A year later, the American Military Force established the office of "The Attorney of the Supreme Court" in place of the department. This new office was renamed "The Office of the Attorney General" after the Americans put up a civilian government on June 11, 1901. On September 1, 1901, the office became the Department of Finance and Justice. In the 1916 government reorganization, the Department of Justice became a separate entity and was given executive supervision over all courts of first instance and other inferior courts. The Department continued to function as such under the Philippine Commonwealth in 1935.
When Manila was overran by the Japanese invaders in 1942, the Department of Justice was transformed into a commission. Under the civilian government established by the Japanese in 1943, it became a ministry. In 1945, the government of the Philippine Commonwealth was reestablished and some government offices were reactivated, among them, the Department of Justice. The Department was carried over under the Philippine Republic established on July 4, 1946.
With the adoption of the 1973 Constitution and after the declaration of Martial Law, the Department again became a ministry. In the same year, administrative supervision over all courts was transferred from the ministry to the Supreme Court. The ministry continued to function after the 1986 EDSA Revolution and the adoption of the Freedom Constitution. The 1987 Constitution reestablished the Department of Justice.
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 | Secretary of Justice | September 26, 1898 | May 19, 1899 |
| 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 | Secretary of Finance and Justice | July 1, 1908 | October 10, 1913 |
| 5 | Victorino Mapa | Secretary of Finance and Justice | November 1, 1913 | June 30, 1920 |
| 6 | Quintin B. Paredes | Secretary of Justice | July 1, 1920 | December 15, 1921 |
| 7 | Jose Abad Santos | Secretary of Justice | April 26, 1922 | July 17, 1923 |
| 8 | Jose Abad Santos | 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 | Secretary of Justice | July 6, 1934 | November 15, 1938 |
| 13 | Jose Abad Santos | 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 | 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 | 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 | Secretary of Justice | December 17, 1968 | February 7, 1970 |
| 36 | Felix Makasiar | Secretary of Justice | February 8, 1970 | August 1, 1970 |
| 37 | Vicente Abad Santos | 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 | 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 | 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, 2002 |
| 53 | Ma. Merceditas N. Gutierrez | Secretary of Justice | November 27, 2002 | January 15, 2003 |
| 54 | Simeon A. Datumanong | Secretary of Justice | January 16, 2003 | December 23, 2003 |
| 55 | Ma. Merceditas N. Gutierrez | Secretary of Justice | December 24, 2003 | August 31, 2004 |
| 56 | Raul M. Gonzalez | Secretary of Justice | September 1, 2004 | September 5, 2007 |
| 57[1] | Agnes Devanadera | Acting Secretary of Justice | September 5, 2004 | September 2004 |
| 58 | Raul M. Gonzalez | Secretary of Justice | September 2004 | 2009 |
| 59 | Agnes Devanadera | Secretary of Justice | 2009 | 2010 |
| 60 | Alberto Agra | Acting Secretary of Justice | 2010 | present |
Offices
- Legal Staff Department Proper
- National Prosecution Service
- Board of Pardons and Parole
- Public Defender's Office
Attached Agencies
All attached agencies of the Department of Justice are also offices.
The Department of Justice pursues its mandate through these ten agencies:
- Bureau of Immigration
- National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)
- Bureau of Corrections (BuCor)
- Parole and Probation Administration (PPA)
- Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG)[2]
- Public Attorney's Office (PAO)
- Land Registration Authority (LRA)
- Commission on the Settlement of Land Problems (COSLAP)
- Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC)
- Office of the Solicitor General
References
- ^ Although Raul M. Gonzalez is still the Justice Secretary because of his sick leave, Agnes V.S.T. Devanadera, the Solicitor-General, is the Acting Justice Secretary until Gonzalez re-assumes his post.
- ^ Executive Order No. 643 SC E-Library
External links
- Philippines: Gov.Ph: About the Philippines :– Justice category of Philippine government portal
- Welcome to the Official website of the Department of Justice: Republic of the Philippines– Official site of the Department of Justice
