Did everyone get the memo?

One of the hardest parts of the job of an Executive Secretary in the Office of the President (OP) is handing out pink slips to government officials, especially fellow Cabinet members. Since the Executive Secretary is the so-called “Little President,” he is considered “primus inter pares,” or first among equals of all other Cabinet-ranked officials.

But handing down the most difficult decisions while he headed the Supreme Court, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin may have already steeled himself in serving the notice of termination of presidential appointees. So a day after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) asked for the courtesy resignation of all department secretaries and all Cabinet-ranked officials including presidential advisers/assistants and heads of agencies, the Executive Secretary was among the first few who got through the gauntlet unscathed.

It was thus the task of Bersamin to announce who were fired, retained or transferred to another government post. The 78-year-old former Chief Magistrate is actually the second executive secretary to serve PBBM. Erstwhile executive secretary Vic Rodriguez stepped down from his job. Rodriguez run but lost as opposition senatorial candidate in the just concluded May 12 national and local elections.

Unlike his predecessor, Bersamin proudly announced PBBM reiterated his trust and confidence in him as his alter ego. Thus, Bersamin dismissed as mere “heckling” and “all talk” what Rodriguez has been dishing out against PBBM. Bersamin likened Rodriguez to a “dog barking at the fence.” The Executive Secretary fumed: “Why was he taken out of office in less than three months?”

During his podcast last Monday, PBBM strongly hinted of drastic, if not dramatic, changes in his administration following the results of the midterm elections. As expressed in the ballots, PBBM has taken to heart that midterm elections are a sort of referendum on the sentiments of the Filipino people on the overall performance of the government under his stewardship.

Echoing the people’s pulse, PBBM mentioned the pervasive problems of the government on corruption, slow delivery of public services, inefficiency if not under-performance at the highest levels of the bureaucracy. Half way through his six-year administration, PBBM vows he must keep his ears closer to the ground. No more “Mr. Nice Guy.” He must be feared, if need be. As the Chief Executive of the land, PBBM must show his fangs to get things done in the government.

Let the great axe fall, to borrow a famous line from the Hamlet.

But lo and behold. The first round of the great shake-up in the government turned out to be a Cabinet musical chairs, with a little dash of gracious exits to some.

With the “Little President” as the conductor, Bersamin announced the Marcos Cabinet economic team was retained in their respective posts. They were, namely, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina Roque and Presidential Adviser for Investments and Economic Affairs Frederick Go.

Also a member of the Marcos Cabinet economic team, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. was notably not among those retained. Tiu Laurel took over the Agriculture post in November 2023. This was more than a year after PBBM concurrently served as Agriculture secretary when he tried but failed to deliver on his presidential campaign promise to bring down the price of rice to P20 per kilo.

Now that the midterm elections are over, Tiu Laurel proceeded to deliver the P20 per kilo of rice, albeit again through government subsidy. Will that clear the bar for him to remain in the Marcos Cabinet? In the meantime, we continue import rice, meat products, even galunggong or round scad and other basic foods in short production and supply in our country.

Transferred to another Cabinet post or government position were Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo; Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Raphael Lotilla and Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar Jr.

A former ambassador, Manalo will be named as the new Philippine permanent representative to the United Nations, vice outgoing Ambassador Antonio Manuel Lagdameo, who turns 82 next month and retires in July this year. Long before PBBM’s “resign all” demand, rumors have been swirling that Manalo had already sounded out PBBM on his getting out of the DFA. He got his wish. He will go back as permanent Philippine representative to the UN, a post he held before PBBM appointed him as DFA secretary. Incidentally, Lagdameo’s namesake son, Special Assistant to the President Antonio Manuel Jr., sent in his courtesy resignation.

In the case of Lotilla, he was moved over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) vice Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga. In the meantime, Lotilla’s deputy at the DOE Underscretary Sharon Garin takes over as OIC. Bersamin failed to say why Lotilla was transferred to head the DENR while the former DOE secretary himself has been under fire for slow moving power and energy-related projects of the government.

Actually, Yulo-Loyzaga was the lone casualty in this first round of Cabinet shake up. Bersamin explained there were perceptions, “whether fair or not,” she was eased out of the DENR for her frequent travels and junket trips abroad.

Speaking of frequent foreign trips while in office, it was the same criticism raised against former Department of Information and Communications (DICT) secretary Ivan Uy, who resigned from the Cabinet last March. PBBM appointed Henry Aguda as his new DICT secretary.

And in the particular situation of Acuzar, Bersamin explained the chief set a very high goal of one million new houses a year. Replaced by engineer Jose Aliling at DHSUD, Acuzar was appointed to Presidential Adviser on Pasig River Improvement.

While the “unqualified courtesy resignation” order of PBBM was released to media early morning Thursday, the memorandum from the Executive Secretary dated May 21 was sent to all heads of agency, but some got it belatedly. So as of the Friday press conference of Bersamin, only 52 Cabinet members and officials had complied.