*Dr. Rodolfo John Ortiz Teope, PhD, EdD, DM
I do not know Mike Aguinaldo personally. I have never met him, never spoken to him, and never shared a room with him. I don't know him personally or professionally. Yet as someone who has spent years studying governance, public safety, and the painful gaps of our justice system, I have learned to judge leaders not by proximity or political color, but by the integrity of their work and the consistency of their careers. And based on everything I have read, reviewed, and researched, Mike Aguinaldo stands out as the most qualified person to lead the Department of Justice at this critical moment.
When I look at the arc of his professional life, it reflects a man forged not by noise but by responsibility. A law degree—even a prestigious one—is only the starting point. What matters is what happens when theory is tested by real-world pressures. Aguinaldo has navigated environments where errors echo loudly and accountability is unavoidable. His years at the Commission on Audit showed his discipline, steadiness, and firm grasp of administrative integrity. His leadership at the Philippine Competition Commission demonstrated his ability to manage regulatory environments where technical expertise and independence matter more than political choreography.
What strengthens his case even further is something many people overlook: those who come from within the government system—those who have actually operated, led, and sustained institutions—carry an irreplaceable familiarity with the internal workings of agencies like the DOJ. They understand the unwritten rules, the chains of responsibility, the flow of cases, the rhythms of bureaucracy, the administrative bottlenecks, and the delicate balance between supervision and independence. Aguinaldo, having spent years inside the machinery of government, holds that institutional fluency. He knows how offices talk to each other, how processes move, how investigations evolve, and how to handle the daily in-and-out dynamics that make the DOJ both powerful and fragile. This is an expertise that can never be taught quickly; it can only be earned through years of immersion.
What reassures me further is how seasoned observers describe him. Edwin Lacierda, a former Presidential Spokesperson, called him objective and steady—words you reserve only for people who have actually proven themselves in serious government work. In a time when justice is constantly pulled by political tension and public scrutiny, it matters to have a leader who is grounded, deliberate, and quietly firm. Aguinaldo strikes me as that kind of professional—no theatrics, no noise, just the work.
I want to emphasize again: I have no personal connection to the man. But I do have a deep concern for the state of our justice system. Every backlog, every unresolved complaint, and every denied or delayed prosecution weakens the faith of Filipinos in their own institutions. We cannot afford another politically comfortable appointment. We need someone who understands how government truly works behind the curtains—someone who sees not just the legal arguments, but the administrative DNA of the DOJ.
Based on my research, Aguinaldo meets that criteria. His experience is lived, not imagined. His leadership is steady, not performative. His reputation is clean, not compromised. Most importantly, his deep understanding of the government enables him to supervise, reform, and strengthen the DOJ with both insight and authority.
The Department of Justice does not simply need brilliance; it needs familiarity. It needs someone who understands its internal machinery deeply enough to repair what needs fixing and preserve what must be preserved. It needs someone who knows how cases move, how prosecutors struggle, how administrative processes fail, and how political pressures can be navigated without surrendering integrity. Aguinaldo brings that rare blend of expertise, temperament, and institutional memory.
I may not know him personally, but the record speaks for him. And if governance is to be our guide—not popularity, not politics, not pressure—then Mike Aguinaldo stands as the most credible and qualified choice to lead the DOJ at a time when justice and national trust are hanging in the balance.
____
