MANILA – University of the Philippines (UP) law dean Darlene Marie Berberabe has been appointed to replace Menardo Guevarra as the Solicitor General.
Berberabe, who previously led Pag-IBIG under the Aquino administration, took her oath of office before President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday.
The latest shake-up is part of the sweeping performance review of top government officials being conducted by the Chief Executive.
Berberabe obtained her bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from UP in 1995, graduating summa cum laude and class valedictorian. She obtained her law degree from UP Law in 1999, graduating salutatorian.
Prior to her appointment as Solicitor General, she was among the contenders interviewed by the Judicial and Bar Council earlier this month for the replacement of Supreme Court Associate Justice Mario Lopez who will retire on June 4, 2025.
Guevarra, in a statement, congratulated Berberabe for her SolGen appointment as he respects the President’s decision to retire him from government service.
“As a top-caliber lawyer with an impressive management background, she will surely do as well as Solicitor General,” Guevarra said in a statement
“I’m leaving government work with a great feeling of fulfillment,” he added. “I might go back to a quiet and peaceful private life.”
Guevarra’s exit from OSG comes after his controversial refusal to represent government agencies in petitions before the Supreme Court on the actions of officials which led to Duterte’s arrest.
He had asserted that the International Criminal Court had no jurisdiction over the Philippines due to its 2019 withdrawal from the Rome Statute that created the tribunal./PN
