Solicitor-General of the Philippines
Encyclopedia
The Office of the Solicitor General is the law firm of the Republic of the Philippines. It is tasked to represent the People of the Philippines, the Philippine Government, its Agencies and Instrumentalities, Officials and Agents (especially before appellate courts) in any litigation or matter requiring the services of a lawyer. It is an independent and autonomous office attached to the Department of Justice
for budgetary purposes.
Meanwhile, a few months after the Bureau of Justice was created, Act No. 222 was passed, establishing the Department of Finance and Justice. The Bureau of Justice was placed under the supervision of a new department. Act No. 2666 would later divide the department into a Department of Justice and a Department of Finance. Under this law, the Attorney General and Solicitor General continued to represent the Government in the Supreme Court and lower courts.
Act No. 4007 which was enacted in 1932 abolished the position of Attorney General. His functions were taken over by the Secretary of Justice. The Act also named the Solicitor General as the head of the Bureau of Justice. The Assistant Solicitor General, a position created by Act No. 683 of 1903, became second in command of the Bureau.
As a result of the rapidly burgeoning number of cases involving the Government, the Solicitor General after independence was constrained to concentrate on advocacy and court appearances. The functions which the Bureau of Justice used to have were gradually transferred to newly-created offices and divisions of the Department of Justice.
Executive Order No. 94 of 1947 renamed the Bureau of Justice as the Office of the Solicitor General. Subsequently, the legislature passed R. A. No. 335 in 1948 to confirm this change and to provide for a First Assistant Solicitor General who would be the second highest official in the Office.
A succession of laws relieved the Office of the Solicitor General of some of its burdens. Section 1660 of the old Administrative Code previously provided that the head of the Bureau of Justice "shall have general supervision and control over provincial and city fiscals (now prosecutors) and attorneys and over other prosecuting officer throughout the Philippines." The Office of Special Prosecutors, which the Solicitor General formerly headed, was later converted into a Division of Special Attorneys by R.A. No. 311 of 1948. The Office of the Government Corporate Counsel, which was headed by the Solicitor General under Executive Order No. 392 of 1950, became a separate office in the Department of Justice by virtue of R.A. No. 2327.
From a motley staff of one Solicitor General, an Assistant Solicitor General and a handful of assistant attorneys in the 1900's, the Office of the Solicitor General has grown throughout the years. In accordance with E.O No. 292, the Administrative Code of 1987, the Solicitor General was assisted by fifteen Assistant Solicitors General and more than a hundred Solicitors and Associate Solicitors, who are divided into fifteen divisions. In 2006, with the passing of Republic Act 9417 or the OSG Law, the Office has expanded to thirty (30) legal divisions with a corresponding increase in the general and administrative support personnel and provision for ample office space. Each lawyer at the OSG handles an average of 800 cases at any given time. Aside from the paper chase involved in appealed cases and original petitions before the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals, a Solicitor General or Associate Solicitor has to match wits with the best lawyers of the country in countless trials."
Department of Justice (Philippines)
The Department of Justice , abbreviated as DOJ, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for upholding the rule of law in the Philippines...
for budgetary purposes.
History
"Act No. 136 dated June 11, 1901, which became effective on June 6, 1901, created the position now occupied by the Solicitor General. Under Section 40 of this Act, the Attorney General, as head of the Bureau of Justice, was vested with the powers and functions of today's Solicitor General. At the time, the Solicitor General was second only to the Attorney General in the office the former would eventually head. Appropriately, Section 41 of the Act required an "officer learned in the law" to assist the Attorney General. This law specifically provided that "it should be the special duty of the Solicitor General to conduct and argue suits and appeals in the Supreme Court, in which the Philippine Government is interested."Meanwhile, a few months after the Bureau of Justice was created, Act No. 222 was passed, establishing the Department of Finance and Justice. The Bureau of Justice was placed under the supervision of a new department. Act No. 2666 would later divide the department into a Department of Justice and a Department of Finance. Under this law, the Attorney General and Solicitor General continued to represent the Government in the Supreme Court and lower courts.
Act No. 4007 which was enacted in 1932 abolished the position of Attorney General. His functions were taken over by the Secretary of Justice. The Act also named the Solicitor General as the head of the Bureau of Justice. The Assistant Solicitor General, a position created by Act No. 683 of 1903, became second in command of the Bureau.
As a result of the rapidly burgeoning number of cases involving the Government, the Solicitor General after independence was constrained to concentrate on advocacy and court appearances. The functions which the Bureau of Justice used to have were gradually transferred to newly-created offices and divisions of the Department of Justice.
Executive Order No. 94 of 1947 renamed the Bureau of Justice as the Office of the Solicitor General. Subsequently, the legislature passed R. A. No. 335 in 1948 to confirm this change and to provide for a First Assistant Solicitor General who would be the second highest official in the Office.
A succession of laws relieved the Office of the Solicitor General of some of its burdens. Section 1660 of the old Administrative Code previously provided that the head of the Bureau of Justice "shall have general supervision and control over provincial and city fiscals (now prosecutors) and attorneys and over other prosecuting officer throughout the Philippines." The Office of Special Prosecutors, which the Solicitor General formerly headed, was later converted into a Division of Special Attorneys by R.A. No. 311 of 1948. The Office of the Government Corporate Counsel, which was headed by the Solicitor General under Executive Order No. 392 of 1950, became a separate office in the Department of Justice by virtue of R.A. No. 2327.
From a motley staff of one Solicitor General, an Assistant Solicitor General and a handful of assistant attorneys in the 1900's, the Office of the Solicitor General has grown throughout the years. In accordance with E.O No. 292, the Administrative Code of 1987, the Solicitor General was assisted by fifteen Assistant Solicitors General and more than a hundred Solicitors and Associate Solicitors, who are divided into fifteen divisions. In 2006, with the passing of Republic Act 9417 or the OSG Law, the Office has expanded to thirty (30) legal divisions with a corresponding increase in the general and administrative support personnel and provision for ample office space. Each lawyer at the OSG handles an average of 800 cases at any given time. Aside from the paper chase involved in appealed cases and original petitions before the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals, a Solicitor General or Associate Solicitor has to match wits with the best lawyers of the country in countless trials."
Organizational structure
Under Republic Act No. 9417, there shall be at least thirty (30) legal divisions in the Office of the Solicitor General. Each division, permanently headed by an Assistant Solicitor General, shall consist of ten (10) lawyers and such other personnel as may be necessary for the office to effectively carry out its functions.The Solicitor General
The Solicitor General of the Philippines is the principal law officer and legal defender of the Government. He shall have the authority and responsibility for the exercise of the Office’s mandate and for the discharge of its duties and functions, and shall have supervision and control over the Office and its constituent units.List of Solicitors General
| Name | Position | Date started | Date finished |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lebbeus R. Wifley | Attorney General | 1901 | 1906 |
| Gregorio S. Araneta Gregorio S. Araneta Gregorio S. Araneta , also known as Don Gregorio Araneta y Soriano, was a Filipino lawyer, businessman, nationalist and patriot, who served his country and people during the Spanish colonization and American occupation.... |
Solicitor General | 1901 | 1908 |
| Gregorio S. Araneta | Attorney General | 1906 | 1908 |
| Ignacio B. Villamor | Solicitor General | 1906 | 1908 |
| Ignacio B. Villamor | Attorney General | 1908 | 1914 |
| George R. Harvey | Solicitor General | 1908 | 1914 |
| Ramon Avanceña Ramon Avanceña Ramón Avanceña was a Chief Justice of the Philippines. He served from 1925-1941, when he resigned during the nearing of the Japanese Occupation... |
Attorney General | 1914 | 1917 |
| Rafael Corpus | Solicitor General | 1914 | 1916 |
| Quintin B. Paredes | Attorney General | 1917 | 1920 |
| Felecisimo R. Feria | Attorney General | 1920 | 1920 |
| Pedro T. Tuazon | Attorney General | 1921 | 1921 |
| Antonio O. Villareal | Attorney General | 1921 | 1925 |
| Alex A. Reyes | Attorney General | 1925 | 1927 |
| Delfin J. Jaranilla | Attorney General | 1927 | 1932 |
| Cesar C. Bengzon Cesar Bengzon César Bengzon was the Chief Justice of the Philippines from April 28, 1961 until May 29, 1966. In November 1966, a few months after his retirement, he became the first Filipino to be appointed to the International Court of Justice.-Judicial career:Bengzon earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from... |
Solicitor General | 1932 | 1934 |
| Serafin P. Hilado | Solicitor General | 1934 | 1936 |
| Pedro T. Tuazon | Solicitor General | 1936 | 1938 |
| Roman Ozaeta | Solicitor General | 1938 | 1940 |
| Sixto dela Costa | Solicitor General | 1941 | 1945 |
| Lorenzo M. Tañada | Solicitor General | 1945 | 1947 |
| Manuel Lim | Solicitor General | 1947 | 1948 |
| Felix Angelo Bautista | Solicitor General | 1948 | 1950 |
| Pompeyo Diaz | Solicitor General | 1950 | 1952 |
| Juan R. Liwag | Solicitor General | 1952 | 1954 |
| Querube C. Makalintal Querube Makalintal Querube C. Makalintal was the Chief Justice of the Philippines from Oct. 31, 1973 until December 22, 1975 and Speaker of the Interim Batasang Pambansa from June 12, 1978 to June 30, 1984.-Career:... |
Solicitor General | 1954 | 1954 |
| Ambrosio B. Padilla Ambrosio Padilla Ambrosio Bibby Padilla was a former Filipino basketball player and former elected member of the Senate of the Philippines. He was one of the most important figures in the Asian basketball development.Padilla was born as the eighth of eleven children of Dr. Nicanor Padilla and Ysabel Bibby... |
Solicitor General | 1954 | 1957 |
| Guillermo E. Torres | Acting Solicitor General | 1957 | 1958 |
| Edilberto Barot | Solicitor General | 1958 | 1961 |
| Arturo A. Alafriz | Solicitor General | 1961 | 1966 |
| Antonio P. Barredo | Solicitor General | 1966 | 1968 |
| Felix V. Makasiar Felix Makasiar Felix V. Makasiar was the 14th Chief Justice of the Philippines, serving in that capacity for four months in 1985. His 85-day stint as Chief Justice, abbreviated only because of the rule requiring mandatory retirement upon reaching the age of 70, was the second-shortest such tenure in Philippine... |
Solicitor General | 1968 | 1970 |
| Felix Q. Antonio | Solicitor General | 1970 | 1972 |
| Estelito P. Mendoza | Solicitor General | 1972 | 1986 |
| Sedfrey A. Ordoñez | Solicitor General | 1986 | 1987 |
| Francisco I. Chavez | Solicitor General | 1987 | 1992 |
| Ramon S. Desuasido | Solicitor General | February 6, 1992 | July 5, 1992 |
| Eduardo G. Montenegro | Acting Solicitor General | July 6, 1992 | August 10, 1992 |
| Raul I. Goco | Solicitor General | August 11, 1992 | September 22, 1996 |
| Silvestre H. Bello III | Solicitor General | September 23, 1996 | February 3, 1998 |
| Romeo C. dela Cruz | Acting Solicitor General | February 4, 1998 | February 9, 1998 |
| Romeo C. dela Cruz | Solicitor General | February 10, 1998 | June 8, 1998 |
| Silvestre H. Bello III | Solicitor General | June 9, 1998 | June 30, 1998 |
| Ricardo P. Galvez | Solicitor General | July 1, 1998 | February 15, 2001 |
| Simeon V. Marcelo Simeon V. Marcelo Simeon V. Marcelo is a Filipino lawyer and was the third Ombudsman of the Philippines. As the Ombudsman, he acted as protector of the people against the illegal and unjust acts of those who are in the public service. He investigated government officials, including members of the police and the... |
Solicitor General | February 16, 2001 | October 16, 2002 |
| Carlos N. Ortega | Acting Solicitor General | May 29, 2002 | June 7, 2002 |
| Carlos N. Ortega | Acting Solicitor General | October 21, 2002 | November 10, 2002 |
| Alfredo L. Benipayo Alfredo Benipayo Alfredo Logronio Benipayo is the former Dean of the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Civil Law, the oldest law school in the Philippines. He is a former magistrate and a respected law professor and bar reviewer in the country.... |
Solicitor General | October 17, 2002 | March 31, 2006 |
| Antonio Eduardo B. Nachura | Solicitor General | April 3, 2006 | February 11, 2007 |
| Agnes VST Devanadera Agnes Devanadera Agnes VST Devanadera , is the 41st and first woman Philippine Solicitor General or Attorney General duly appointed on February 22, 2007 by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo... |
Solicitor General | March 2, 2007 | January 2010 |
| Alberto C. Agra Alberto Agra Alberto Agra was the acting Justice secretary of the Republic of the Philippines. He was succeeded by Leila De Lima.-Justice Secretary:His term was widely criticized for dropping charges against influential government officials.... |
Acting Solicitor General | January 8, 2010 | June 30, 2010 |
| Jose Anselmo I. Cadiz | Solicitor General | July 29, 2010 | present |