Lawyer takes over DICT post

MANILA, Philippines — A lawyer has taken the helm at the Department of Information and Communications Technology following the resignation of DICT Secretary Gregorio Honasan II on Friday.

Jose Arturo de Castro, DICT undersecretary for legal affairs, policy, planning and finance, was appointed as acting DICT chief.

De Castro will serve in an acting capacity while waiting for Malacañang to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Honasan, who is seeking a comeback in the Senate in next year’s elections.

De Castro, a faculty member of the Ateneo Law School, had worked at the Office of the Executive Secretary from 2003 to 2005. He served as a public prosecutor from 2006 until his promotion as assistant secretary in the Department of Justice in 2009.

He was one of the people brought by Honasan into the agency when he was appointed DICT chief by President Duterte in July 2019.