By: Olkeriil Eoghan Ngirudelsang
An executive order (EO) was signed by President Whipps last Wednesday to officially bring Ministry of Justice’s (MOJ) operations under Attorney General (AG) Ernestine Rengiil. Executive order No. 444 stated that “When the minister of justice is unavailable, or when there is no minister of justice, the attorney general shall coordinate the activities of the ministry and shall be responsible for the performance of the duties of all offices, bureaus and divisions of the ministry”
Currently, there is no Justice minister; therefore AG will oversee this ministry until such time President Whipps will appoint one. Referring to a question on the duration of her appointment, she stated “it depends on the plans of the president” answered AG Rengiil during this week’s press conference. With Ernestine Rengiil heading the Attorney General’s Office which is required by law to be independent, the public is yet to see the impact this arrangement will have on MOJ.
The same executive order further commenced the beginning of major restructuring within MOJ. Following public’s demand that law enforcement officers be held to a higher standard, the EO ordered the creation of the Office of Professional Standard. It shall be headed by a director and should be “responsible for the monitoring and licensing, qualification, and the other professional standards applicable to law enforcement officers or other personnel of the ministry”. It will also be obligated to “receive complaints against ministry personnel”.
Furthermore, the president alluded that there should be a decrease in the number of bureaus within MOJ. In his Executive order he commenced the termination of the office of Anti-human trafficking and the office of narcotics enforcement (NEA) and made them special units of the Division of Transnational Crimes which will be under the Bureau of Public safety. All these changes came with the signing of another executive order appointing Mr. Ishmael Aguon as a new director of the Bureau of Public Safety. He will replace director Aloysius Alonz when his appointment will end on march 17 this year.
By: Olkeriil Eoghan Ngirudelsang
An executive order (EO) was signed by President Whipps last Wednesday to officially bring Ministry of Justice’s (MOJ) operations under Attorney General (AG) Ernestine Rengiil. Executive order No. 444 stated that “When the minister of justice is unavailable, or when there is no minister of justice, the attorney general shall coordinate the activities of the ministry and shall be responsible for the performance of the duties of all offices, bureaus and divisions of the ministry”
Currently, there is no Justice minister; therefore AG will oversee this ministry until such time President Whipps will appoint one. Referring to a question on the duration of her appointment, she stated “it depends on the plans of the president” answered AG Rengiil during this week’s press conference. With Ernestine Rengiil heading the Attorney General’s Office which is required by law to be independent, the public is yet to see the impact this arrangement will have on MOJ.
The same executive order further commenced the beginning of major restructuring within MOJ. Following public’s demand that law enforcement officers be held to a higher standard, the EO ordered the creation of the Office of Professional Standard. It shall be headed by a director and should be “responsible for the monitoring and licensing, qualification, and the other professional standards applicable to law enforcement officers or other personnel of the ministry”. It will also be obligated to “receive complaints against ministry personnel”.
Furthermore, the president alluded that there should be a decrease in the number of bureaus within MOJ. In his Executive order he commenced the termination of the office of Anti-human trafficking and the office of narcotics enforcement (NEA) and made them special units of the Division of Transnational Crimes which will be under the Bureau of Public safety. All these changes came with the signing of another executive order appointing Mr. Ishmael Aguon as a new director of the Bureau of Public Safety. He will replace director Aloysius Alonz when his appointment will end on march 17 this year.