Nachura, a seasoned lawyer and former dean of the Arellano Law School, will replace Merceditas Gutierrez who was appointed Ombudsman last year.

In a press conference in Malacañang, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the President chose Nachura, who served as a resource person in the impeachment complaint filed against her at the House of Representatives, because of his laudable legal expertise and broad track record.

Nachura’s appointment was the latest in the Cabinet reorganization by the President since last weekend.

The President earlier appointed Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Angelo Reyes as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to take over from Michael Defensor was named presidential chief of staff.

Antipolo City Rep. Ronaldo Puno will be the new head of the DILG, while Budget Secretary Romulo Neri will return to head the National Economic and Development Authority, and will be replaced by Rep. Rolando Andaya Jr.

Esperanza Cabral, director of the Philippine Heart Center, was named Department of Social Welfare and Development secretary.

Nachura, who teaches Political Law at San Beda College and Arellano University, was as one of the government prosecutors during the aborted impeachment trial of former President Joseph Estrada in 2000.

He served as education undersecretary in 1994 under former President Fidel Ramos before he was elected congressman of the Second District of Samar in 1998. He was congressman until 2004. He was undersecretary for legal affairs of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports from 1994 to 1998 and dean of the Arellano Law School from 1992 to 1994.

Nachura holds a doctorate degree in public management, is a bachelor of laws and bachelor of arts, and placed seventh in the 1967 bar examinations.