MANILA, Philippines — Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete announced he is resigning from the department, early Thursday morning.
“After much thought, I have decided to submit my resignation from the DOJ effective today due to serious reasons,” he told reporters in a message, sent 5:40 a.m.
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Perete declined to divulge more about his reasons for quitting. “This decision and the reason for it are very personal,” he said.
“I would have liked to continue under Secretary [Menardo] Guevarra’s leadership but it would be a disservice to do so at this time,” Perete added.
He said he would inform Guevarra of his decision on Thursday.
Perete’s role at DOJ
Perete was mainly DOJ’s undersecretary for immigration. Guevarra appointed him as spokesperson for the department in October 2018, and he started this additional role in November 2018.
Perete is also part of the Administrative Order 35 task force, a special investigative team that looks into politically-motivated killings. The panel is currently conducting a probe into the killings of peace consultant Randy Echanis and rights worker Sara Alvarez.
In the past month, he was part of “Task Force PhilHealth,” the DOJ-led inter-agency panel that investigated the state insurer.
The DOJ is heading the investigation into anti-drug operations that resulted in deaths, Guevarra told the United Nations Human Rights Council in June. The panel is due to release a report in November.
President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Perete to his post at the DOJ on July 2018.
Prior to his stint at the DOJ, Perete worked as legal counsel to a private company and taught law subjects. He also served as a technical assistant with a rank of assistant secretary for legal affairs at the Office of the President.
Guevarra served as OP’s Deputy Executive for Legal Affairs before he was designated as DOJ chief in April 2018.