President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed University of the Philippines College of Law dean Darlene Berberabe as the new Solicitor General, replacing Menardo Guevarra. Berberabe took her oath of office before the President on Thursday, May 29.

Berberabe, who was elected dean of the UP College of Law in 2023, previously served as CEO of the Pag-IBIG Fund in 2010. She graduated summa cum laude and class valedictorian with a degree in Philosophy from UP Diliman in 1995 and earned her law degree from UP Law in 1999, where she graduated salutatorian.

Before her appointment to the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), Berberabe was among those shortlisted by the Judicial and Bar Council for the Supreme Court seat to be vacated by Associate Justice Mario Lopez upon his retirement on June 4, 2025.

Berberabe’s appointment marks a significant addition to the Marcos administration’s legal team. As Solicitor General, she will serve as the government’s principal lawyer, representing the Republic of the Philippines in legal proceedings, especially before the Supreme Court.

Her appointment comes as Guevarra steps down from the OSG following calls for his resignation after he declined to represent government agencies in petitions involving the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte. Guevarra had maintained that the ICC no longer had jurisdiction over the Philippines after its withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019.

Reacting to Berberabe’s appointment, Guevarra said he was “happy” for his successor and expressed confidence in her leadership.

“As a top-caliber lawyer with an impressive management background, she will surely do well as Solicitor General,” Guevarra said in a text message, adding that he may now “go back to a quiet and peaceful private life.”