Appointment Date: June 8, 2026 

Atty. Ricardo R. Blancaflor has more than four decades of experience spanning law, corporate governance, public administration, national security, intellectual property, and public policy. A lawyer since 1981, he has built a career in the business sector, legal profession, government service, and the academe. 

He currently serves as Of Counsel of the Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & de los Angeles Law Offices, where he has practiced corporate, labor, taxation, maritime, real estate, political, and election law. His private sector experience includes serving as Vice President of the Canlubang Group of Companies and consultant to companies involved in real estate, urban development, and corporate management. He is likewise a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors and serves as an independent director of several private corporations. 

Atty. Blancaflor held several senior positions in government, including Undersecretary of the Department of Justice, Undersecretary of the Department of National Defense, and Undersecretary of the Office of the President. He also served as Acting Chairperson of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), Chairperson of Task Force Against Political Violence (Task Force 211), and Director General of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL). Throughout his public service career, he contributed to initiatives involving national security, anti-terrorism, anti-human trafficking, governance reform, intellectual property protection, and interagency coordination. 

During his tenure as Director General of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), he oversaw initiatives to modernize intellectual property administration, strengthen enforcement mechanisms, and expand access to intellectual property services nationwide. He was recognized among the Top 50 Most Influential People in Intellectual Property in Asia and represented the

Philippines in various international conferences and policy forums on intellectual property and related matters. 

Apart from his professional practice, Atty. Blancaflor has been active in the academe and legal education. He served as Commercial Law Bar Examiner in 2013 and has lectured at the Philippine Judicial Academy, the UP Law Center’s Mandatory Continuing Legal Education Program, Ateneo Law School, and various local and international institutions. He is also a co-author of International Intellectual Property and the ASEAN Way: Pathways to Interoperability, published by Cambridge University Press. 

Atty. Blancaflor earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics and Bachelor of Laws degrees from Ateneo de Manila University and was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1981.