| Department of Justice | |
|---|---|
| Kagawaran ng Katarungan | |
| Department overview | |
| Formed | September 26, 1898 |
| Headquarters | DOJ Main Building, Padre Faura Street, Manila |
| Annual budget | P2.318 billion (2011) |
| Department executive | Leila De Lima |
| Website | |
| www.doj.gov.ph | |
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).
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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
| No. | Name | Position | Date started | Date finished |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gregorio S. Araneta | |||
| 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, 2003 |
| 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, 2004 |
| 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 | June 30, 2010 |
| 61 | Leila De Lima | Secretary of Justice | June 30, 2010 |
The Department Proper consists of the following units:
The Department has the following attached agencies: