MANILA, Philippines – Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez urged a “moral renewal” among employees of the Department of Justice (DoJ) in the wake of controversies that put its credibility into question.

“You are hereby directed to include and implement ethics training, values/spiritual formation, moral renewal, and integrity promotion and development, as part of your priority plans, programs, budgets and policies,” Gonzalez said in Department Circular 24, which was issued last May 8.

Gonzalez required officials to submit quarterly reports on their compliance to the order.

The DoJ chief said his order was in line with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administrative order requiring heads of various agencies to formulate an Integrity Development Action Plan as part of its anti-corruption framework.

The DoJ has been criticized for the dismissal of charges against three high-profile drug suspects dubbed as the “Alabang Boys” and suspected drug kingpin Anton Ang.