New Justice chief Vida takes oath

PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Monday administered the oath of office to Fredderick A. Vida as acting justice secretary, filling a key post in his cabinet amid mounting governance challenges and pursues reforms in the country’s legal and judicial systems.

Mr. Vida replaced Jesus Crispin C. Remulla, who was named Ombudsman in October.

A lawyer and longtime public official, Mr. Vida previously served as Justice assistant secretary beginning in January 2023 and was promoted to undersecretary later that year.

Before joining the national government, he held senior roles in the Office of the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel.

His public service career began in 2007 when he was elected vice mayor. He later served three terms as mayor of Mendez-Nuñez in Cavite province from 2013 to 2022 and led the Mayor’s League of Cavite from 2019 to 2022.

Mr. Vida holds a political science degree at the University of the Philippines. He earned his Juris Doctor, graduating as a silver medalist, from Ateneo de Manila University School of Law.

He passed the Philippine Bar in 1996 and previously practiced in a private law firm before establishing his own firm. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana