Marcos Dismisses Cabinet Revamp Talks

“Counterproductive” is how President Marcos described talks of a Cabinet revamp, dismissed on Thursday, Thursday, reports of a looming shakeup in key departments.

Among those rumored to be replaced are Health Secretary Ted Herbosa and Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla. 

“It’s counterproductive. What you are trying to promote in government is stability and the steadiness of work. And that’s an important part of governance,” Marcos told Philippine media in Kazan, Russia. 

“If you keep moving people around, they have to start learning their job again. And we just don’t have time for that,” said Marcos, who attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Russia Commemorative Summit in Kazan. 

Marcos said people who are presently occupying positions – be it in the Cabinet or other agencies – are doing their job well. 

“And the people who are sitting in their particular capacities, be it Cabinet (or) some other agency, are, as far as I’m concerned, doing the job that they are asked to do and have gained already the experience that they have learned lessons from,” he said. 

“To just keep moving people around for no really good reason, it makes no sense to me,” the President added.

There were rumors that Herbosa would be replaced by former health undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, while Remulla reportedly would be transferred to another agency.

“I know, I heard that too. But… the most I hear about it is from you guys, not from within government,” Marcos said.  

Marcos was also asked whether former interior secretary Benhur Abalos would be appointed either to the DILG post or as head of the Department of Justice.

In the case of Abalos, Marcos said the former DILG chief “has been there and he has been helping us in many ways, informally, privately.” 

“I’ll be very candid; I’ll be very frank with you. Of course, I want Benhur to play a more active role in government,” the President said. 

“I wouldn’t mind finding a way for him to help us in an official capacity. But just because we want him to join, to play a more active part in government, doesn’t necessarily mean that somebody else has to be (let go) – it’s not a zero-sum thing in the Cabinet that you have to remove somebody to gain somebody else,” he said.

“And you know, I think we have a really good group of people in the Cabinet right now,” Marcos said.