Philippines: Marcos Cabinet, who's in, who's out

Manila: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declined the courtesy resignations of several key Cabinet members, signalling continued confidence in their leadership.

Marcos recently asked all of his ministers to quit in a "reset" of the executive, following a poor showing of Senatorial candidates he backed in the May 12 mid-term elections.

A list of the retained Cabinet members was unveiled by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin during a Palace press briefing on Tuesday.

Overall, the chief executive has chosen to retain a broad group of high-ranking officials across major departments, including his economic team, signalling stability within the administration amid a wider reshuffling process.

Who stays in the Cabinet?

The following officials were asked to stay in their posts:

• Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. – Secretary of Agriculture

• Conrado Estrella III – Secretary of Agrarian Reform

• Sonny Angara – Secretary of Education

• Jesus Crispin Remulla – Department of Justice (DOJ)

• Juanito Victor 'Jonvic' Remulla – Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)

• Jose Francisco Benitez – TESDA Secretary

• Bienvenido Laguesma – Secretary of Labor and Employment

• Rex Gatchalian – Secretary of Social Welfare and Development

• Teodoro Herbosa – Secretary of Health

• Gilberto Teodoro Jr - Secretary of National Defense

• Hans Leo Cacdac – Secretary of Migrant Workers

• Renato Solidum Jr. – Secretary of Science and Technology

• Christina Frasco – Secretary of Tourism

• Henry Roel Aguda – Secretary of ICT

• Vince Dizon – Secretary of Transportation

• Manuel Bonoan – Secretary of Public Works and Highways

• Juan Ponce Enrile – Chief Presidential Legal Counsel

• Elaine Masukat – Presidential Management Staff Secretary

• Romand Artes – Chair of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)

• Raphael “Popo” Lotilla – Department of Environment and Natural Resources (moved from Department of Energy)

• Sharon Garin – Department of Energy (DOE) Officer-in-Charge

• Leo Tereso Magno – Mindanao Development Authority Chair

• Antonio Cerilles – Presidential Adviser for Mindanao Concerns

• Romeo Lumagui Jr. – BIR Commissioner

• Bienvenido Rubio – Customs Commissioner

• Sharon Almanza – Treasurer of the Philippines

• Darlene Marie Berberabe – Solicitor General

• Jose Ramon Aliling – Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD)

• Shirley Agrupis – Chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)

National Defence

Teodoro Jr kept his post as defence secretary after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. declined his courtesy resignation, as per the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Foreign Affairs Secretary to stay – for now

Marcos also declined the resignation of Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, despite his nomination as the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations.

Bersamin clarified that Manalo will continue as DFA Secretary until his confirmation for the new post is finalised.

New Appointees

On My 29, the president appointed three more new officials, while retaining three Cabinet members in the ongoing performance review of all appointed senior officials under the executive branch.  

Bersamin said the President Marcos appointed also appointed Police Major General Gen. Nicolas Torre III as Philippine National Police chief replacing retiring Police General Rommel Marbil, who retired on June 2.

Berberabe, dean of the University of the Philippines College of Law, alongside Jose Ramon Aliling took their oath of office before President Marcos on Thursday. Aliling is the new head of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).

“We are not just looking at the top levels. We are going deeper into the agencies, into the systems and into the quality of public service being delivered on the ground,” Bersamin said in a press briefing in Malacañang.

President Marcos also asked the heads of government owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) to submit their courtesy resignations.

Bersamin said senior officials in government will also be included in the ongoing performance review.

Resignations accepted

Bersamin said that the president had accepted the courtesy resignation of several cabinet members (particularly non-departmental officials):

• Meynard Sabili of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor

• Presidential Assistant for Visayas Terence Calatrava

• Presidential Adviser on Muslim Affairs Almarim Tillah

Bersamin also announced the termination of the services of Menandro Espineri as presidential adviser for special concerns.

He said each courtesy resignation accepted is based on “a careful assessment of whether the standards set by the President for efficiency and leadership have been met.”