MANILA (UPDATE) - President Rodrigo Duterte has named Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra as the new justice secretary.

Guevarra replaces Duterte’s law school classmate and fraternity brother Vitaliano Aguirre II, who had just tendered his resignation.

• Duterte accepts Aguirre's resignation as justice chief

“Ang Department of Justice ay isa sa mga pinaka-sensitibong departamento dahil po katarungan ang pinag-uusapan dito,” Roque told reporters.

“Kilala natin si Usec. Guevarra. Talaga namang napatunayan na ang kaniyang kagalingan sa batas at integridad.”

LOOK: Newly appointed justice secretary Menardo Guevarra takes his oath before President Duterte @ABSCBNNews pic.twitter.com/fDDQWtDpcv

— Dharel Placido (@dgplacido) April 5, 2018

Guevarra took up graduate studies in Economics at the University of the Philippines after obtaining his A.B. degree, Major in Political Science, at the Ateneo de Manila in 1974.

He then worked as staff economist at the National Economic and Development Authority and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as he was taking up law at the Ateneo.

Guevarra placed second in the 1985 Bar examinations. His first job as a lawyer was with the technical staff of the 1986 Constitutional Commission.

He later joined a law firm and formed his own law partnership in 1990. Until April 2015, Guevarra was in private law practice and also served as faculty member of the Ateneo Law School.

He returned to government service through his appointment as Member of the 2010 Philippine Truth Commission, Deputy Executive Secretary for legal affairs at the Office of the President in May 2015, and Commissioner of the Philippine Competition Commission in February 2016..