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Simeon V. Marcelo was appointed Solicitor General in 2001. Due to the delay and the paltry value of assets recovered (P26 Billion) since the 1986 Revolution, he gave priority to cases against the Marcoses and their cronies which led to the recovery of ill-gotten wealth worth at least P130 Billion Pesos.  Two years later, he assumed the position of Ombudsman, the youngest appointed to it, until November 2005. As Ombudsman, he headed the panels prosecuting anti-graft cases against senior government officials, including President Estrada who was convicted of Plunder. In 2008, in resuming his private law practice, he was described by two publications as “perhaps the country’s best litigator”.