PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. has appointed retired Marikina Regional Trial Court Judge Felix Reyes, the former president of the Philippine Judges Association, as chairman of the Board of Directors of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO), in a Facebook post, uploaded photos of Reyes taking his oath before Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin yesterday.
Before his appointment, Reyes served as an acting member of the PCSO Board of Directors since November 2022.
He also served as the former acting presiding judge of the Lipa City RTC from February to September 2021; Taguig RTC Branch 70 from 2017 to 2019; and Calamba City RTC from 2011 to 2013, and presiding judge of Marikina from 2006 to 2021.
He previously served as a prosecutor in Pasay City; as law division chief of the Land Registration Authority; as acting chief of the LRA Property Division; as acting deputy register of deeds of Quezon City, and Makati City, and as acting register of deeds of Mandaluyong City.
Reyes was a former associate professor at the University of the East College of Law and was formerly associated with the F.P. Reyes Law Offices and Plaridel C. Jose Law Office before joining the government.
He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science degree at the Far Eastern University (FEU) and his law degree at the University of the East.
NEW PROSECUTORS
Twenty-four newly appointed prosecutors took their oaths last Monday as the newest addition to the Department of Justice.
The oath was administered by Fredderick Vida, DOJ Undersecretary-in-Charge for Financial, Administration and Personnel Cluster.
Vida said the appointment of the new prosecutors would enable the DOJ to achieve a “zero-backlog” policy, aside from easing the workload of the National Prosecution Service.
He also reminded the new prosecutors of the age-old adage that “with great power, comes great responsibility.”
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla urged the new prosecutors to embrace their roles and bar achievements to the department.
“On behalf of the Department of Justice, I congratulate and welcome you, optimistic that this will take the Department to a higher level of performance and confidence, “Remulla said in a statement.
“With your appointment, we expect greater achievements born. We hope that you will bear concrete accomplishments in the NPS where you belong,” he added.
Remulla said the new prosecutors will be assigned to various prosecution offices all over the country.
Six of the 24 will be assigned to the Office of the Secretary of Justice Prosecution Service (OSJPS) and the rest will be deployed in the provincial/city prosecution offices in Ilocos Sur, Bulacan, Malolos, Cabanatuan City, among others.
“Embrace your respective roles. You will be among those who will light up this Department,” Remulla added.
Last March, the DOJ also welcomed to its fold 54 new prosecutors while 68 others were promoted.
Last year, Remulla said the DOJ would need 1,537 new prosecutors and prosecution attorneys to hasten the resolution of complaints and cases filed in courts.
As of September 2023, the NPS has 2,466 prosecutors and 204 prosecution attorneys nationwide. — With Ashzel Hachero
