President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Wednesday carried out minor changes in her official family, designating retired Sandiganbayan Justice Raoul Victorino as her new Chief Legal Counsel.

Victorino replaced Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Natividad Dizon who was transferred to head the Bureau of Pardon and Parole, according to Executive Secretary Leandro Mendoza.

Mendoza said the President also designated retired Justice Agustin Dizon as Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs, the post previously occupied by Dizon.

The three Palace officials took their oath of office before Mendoza Wednesday afternoon in Malacañang.

Press Secretary Crispulo Icban Jr. quickly defended the President's latest government appointments, saying the new officials are qualified for the posts.

Icban, in a phone interview, also denied that the last-minute assumption of the three new Palace officials was considered “midnight appointments.”

He insisted that the constitutional ban on government appointments starts March 26, Friday.

Icban likewise explained that the President chose Victorino as her new chief legal counsel due his competence and experience in the judiciary.

“The President saw Justice Victorino the other day and asked him to serve as her legal counsel. Victorino, a former Justice of the Sandigabayan, is brilliant,” Icban said