Atty. Mortel hails from the province of Batangas. A working student until he finished his B.A. Political Science in the University of the Philippines. He finished his Law Degree in San Sebastian College. He took up his Master of Laws at the Pamantasan Lungsod ng Maynila and continued pursuing and finished his doctorate degree in law at the University of Santo Tomas where he graduated with the distinction of Magna Cum Laude and academic average of Summa Cum Laude. His dissertation in Environment “Environmental Precautionary Principle” was given a Magna Cum Laude distinction.

He took Public Policy and Administrative Reform Program at the KOREA KDI SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY AND MANAGEMENT, South Korea and completed the Senior Executive Course on Public Policy at SINGAPORE CIVIL SERVICE COLLEGE, Singapore.

In the public service, Atty. Mortel was the Committee Secretary of the Consultative Committee (with the level of Assistant Secretary), created by then President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to draft the Federal Constitution. He was a Senior Executive Fellow in the Development Academy of the Philippines. He likewise worked in the legislative department and had the opportunity to work with various Senators. He had been under the tutelage of various Senators such as Senator Coseteng, Senator Maceda, Senator Nene Pimentel, and the then Senate President Manny Villar.

Before he was appointed to his present position, he was managing his own Law Office and into consultancy both from government and private sectors. He is also a member of the academe teaching in various College of Law in Metro Manila. He teaches Constitutional Law, Constitutional Law Review, Remedial Law Review, Local Government, Environmental Law, Persons and Family Relations, Special Proceedings, Succession, Administrative Law, Law on Public Officers, and Election Law. He was a professor in the Graduate School of Law, University of Santo Tomas. Presently, he is in the roster of professors at the Sebastian College Recoletos-Graduate School of Law.

Atty. Mortel is an advocate of good public governance and thus finds solace in his present appointment as Commissioner of the GCG.