MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – About a week after former Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza was appointed Supreme Court Associate Justice, Malacañang chose lawyer Florin Hilbay as Acting Solicitor General.

On Monday, September 1, Hilbay took his oath in Malacañang 5 days after his appointment papers a were released. 

Hilbay, a University of the Philippines (UP) graduate, topped the bar exams in 1999. Prior to his appointment, he had worked at the Office of the Solicitor General as Senior State Solicitor. He was also an associate solicitor, as assistant to Solicitor General Simeon Marcelo.

As Senior State Solicitor, Hilbay defended the Reproductive Health (RH) law during oral arguments before the Supreme Court. He also is the principal handling lawyer for several cases of the government including the Disbursement Acceleration Program, Priority Development Assistance Fund, Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, and the Bangsamoro cases,

The former law clerk to Supreme Court justice Vicente Mendoza teaches Constitutional Law and Philosophy of Law at UP, “with emphasis on issues relating to Church and State, post-colonial constitutionalism, and the relationship between the information environment and legal consciousness,” according to the University of the Philippines College of Law website.

Hilbay is a former Fullbright Visiting Scholar at Boston College and obtained his Master of Laws degree from the Yale Law School. He has also held several fellowships in Singapore, Germany and Silliman University. – Rappler.com