Chief State Counsel passes away

(Eagle News) — Chief State Counsel (CSC) Ricardo Paras III has passed away, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Sunday.

In a statement, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Paras died around 5:30 a.m.

He did not say, however, what the cause of Paras’ death was.

“We mourn the sudden demise of CSC Ricardo “Dickie” Paras III this morning..,” he said.

He lauded the “well-mannered, soft-spoken but intellectually sharpest” Paras, who he said was a  “valued ally in our pursuit of the reform-oriented objectives of President Rodrigo Duterte.”

Some of the cases he handled include the allegedly anomalous Bureau of Corrections and Tagum Agricultural Development Corp. deal and the Balintang channel case.