Ex-IP regulator named new PCC commissioner

PCC Commissioner Lolibeth Ramit-Medrano

The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) on Monday named as its new commissioner a former intellectual property (IP) rights regulator, lawyer Lolibeth Ramit-Medrano.

Medrano, the third in the PCC’s roster of high-ranking regulators, will serve until 2030. She joins Commissioners Marah Victoria Querol and Michael Peloton, who will hold office until 2028. One more commissioner is needed to complete the roster.

Medrano’s 22-year public service record spans different technical and leadership roles, most recently as undersecretary at the Office of the President and prior to that, as director of the Bureau of Patents at the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines under the Department of Trade and Industry.

“As the PCC anticipates renewed appetite for mergers, acquisitions and postpandemic restructuring among firms this year, Commissioner Medrano’s expertise in trade, IP and commercial law is seen to champion robust merger reviews, competition cases and market policies in aid of the recovering economy,” said the PCC.

Medrano was recipient of the 2020 Presidential Gawad Career Executive Service Award for “exemplary performance in government service.”

“She spearheaded the Philippines’ designation as one of only 23 international search and preliminary examination authorities for patents in the world by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO),” said the PCC.

“Under her leadership, the Philippines was cited by the WIPO as among the top three most efficient international authorities in 2019,” it said further.

Medrano was instrumental in amending copyright provisions of the 2014 IP Code in Republic Act 10372. INQ