MANILA (3rd UPDATE) - Department of Justice spokesperson Undersecretary Markk Perete has resigned from his post Thursday.
In a statement, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Perete explained to him his reasons for doing so, before formally tendering his resignation to President Rodrigo Duterte, who appointed him.
"As these reasons were very personal, the least that we could do for him is to respect his privacy and wish him well," Guevarra said of Perete.
When Perete told reporters about his resignation earlier in the day, he said he had yet to inform Guevarra then.
"After much thought, I have decided to submit my resignation from the DOJ effective today due to serious reasons. Thank you," he said in his message to the members of the press.
"I would have liked to continue under Sec. Guevarra's leadership but it would be a disservice to do so at this time," he added.
A graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Law, Perete was appointed as Justice Undersecretary in July 2018 and became the agency's spokesman 4 months later in November.
Prior his stint at the DOJ, he served as a supervising legislative staff officer at the House of Representatives and a technical assistant at Malacañang's office of the deputy executive secretary for legal affairs.
He was also a junior associate at the Medialdea ATA Bello & Guevarra law office, an associate general counsel of a private firm, and a lecturer in 2 law schools.
--Report from Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News