Prime Media Holdings Inc. has elected two seasoned lawyers as independent directors, strengthening its board with expertise in governance, constitutional law, litigation, and public policy.
Named to the board are Dr. Gideon D.V. Mortel and Atty. Jose M. Roy III, also known as Atty. Judd Roy.
The appointments come as Prime Media remains majority-controlled by RYM Business Management Corp., which holds more than 54 percent of the company’s shares and is associated with the family of House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
Mortel currently heads GM Law Firm and provides legal and policy consultancy to government and private-sector clients. He also teaches law at several institutions in Metro Manila.
He previously served as a commissioner of the Governance Commission for Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations, following his appointment by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. He also served as committee secretary of the Consultative Committee tasked with drafting a proposed Federal Constitution.
Mortel previously headed the Senate Prosecution and Investigation Service and served as a Senior Executive Fellow at the Development Academy of the Philippines. He holds law and graduate degrees from San Sebastian College, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, and the University of Santo Tomas.
Roy brings extensive corporate, litigation, and academic experience to the board. He is managing partner of Roy Law Offices and previously co-founded Roy and Syquia Law Firm.
He taught at Ateneo Law School, where he held the Sasakawa Professorial Chair in Public International Law, and later served as dean of the College of Law, regent, and acting president of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.
Roy also served on the defense team of former Chief Justice Renato Corona during his 2012 impeachment trial. He later challenged Securities and Exchange Commission rules concerning the constitutional 60-40 Filipino ownership requirement in regulated franchises in Roy vs. Herbosa.
The appointments give Prime Media additional legal and governance firepower as it navigates its next phase under majority ownership linked to the Romualdez family.
