Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra on Sunday, March 20, said he has designated a new officer-in-charge (OIC) undersecretary and spokesperson for the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Designated OIC undersecretary was Chief State Counsel George Ortha III while named spokesperson was Assistant Secretary Neal Bainto.
Ortha will take over the functions of Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay Villar who resigned effective March 21 to join in the senatorial campaign of her husband former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar.
Guevarra said Ortha will be in charge of the legal staff of the justice secretary that will be issuing legal opinions; the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT); special protection programs for women, children, and persons with disabilities; gender issues; and supervision over certain agencies attached to the DOJ, such as the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) and the Land Registration Authority (LRA).