Manila,November 17(AseanAll)  —  Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on November 17, 2025 administered the oath of office to Fredderick A. Vida as the new Secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ) of the Philippines.

Vida formally assumed office as DOJ head, replacing former Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla who was appointed Ombudsman in October.

Vida is a lawyer and public servant.

He was first appointed as an assistant secretary of the DOJ in January 2023 and was eventually promoted as undersecretary in October of the same year.

Prior to his appointment to the DOJ, Vida served as assistant secretary in the Office of the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel.

Before joining the national government, Vida built a career in local governance where he was elected as Mayor of the Municipality of Mendez-Nuñez, Cavite, serving from 2013 to 2022. He also held the position of President of the Mayor’s League of Cavite from 2019 to 2022. His public service career began in 2007 when he was first elected as the vice mayor of Mendez-Nuñez.

Vida earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of the Philippines and pursued law studies and earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Ateneo School of Law, graduating with Silver Medalist distinction.

He passed the 1996 Philippine Bar Exam and began his legal career as an associate in a private law firm before establishing his own law practice.