Presidential prerogative

It came as a big surprise, if not shock – the sudden exit of Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Dave Gomez. No less than President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) casually announced the promotion of Lino Cayetano as his “acting” PCO Secretary vice Gomez. PBBM cited he replaced Gomez who got “by-passed” by the Commission on Appointments (CA).

Currently the general manager of state-run People’s Television Network (PTV 4), the 48-year-old Cayetano previously served as Taguig City mayor from 2019 to 2022 and represented the city’s second congressional district from 2013 to 2016. The new PCO chief is the youngest brother of staunch opposition leaders, Senate minority leader Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and Sen. Pia Cayetano. The Cayetano brothers are reportedly not on speaking terms. But as we say, blood is thicker than water.

Ironically, it was Gomez who swore in Cayetano when the latter was first tapped in June this year to head PTV-4, being one of the media-related agencies attached to the PCO. Cayetano becomes the sixth PCO head since day one of the Marcos administration in July 2022.

PBBM’s first PCO secretary was Trixie Cruz-Angeles (June to October 2022). It was only Cheloy V. Garafil who served the longest for almost two years (October 2022 to September 2024). Then former radio broadcaster Cesar Chavez took over as “acting” PCO chief (September 2024-February 2025). Former TV reporter Jay Ruiz followed but served the shortest “acting” PCO stint for only four and a half months. Only Garafil breezed through the CA wringer.

If we go by the existing CA rules, presidential appointees can get by-passed at least three times. After which the appointee must be either be approved or rejected by the 25-man bicameral body. The CA adjourned its sessions last week ahead of the scheduled month-long recess of the 20th Congress in time for the Undas observance.

The Office of the President submitted to the CA the ad interim appointment of Gomez in August this year. He was appointed as “acting” PCO secretary in July 2025. Gomez, along with nine other Cabinet appointees, are all currently serving as “acting” secretaries in their respective line departments subject to CA confirmation.

For the second regular session of the 20th Congress, both chambers went on their first congressional recess starting last Monday. The Senate and the House of Representatives will resume sessions on Nov. 9 this year. So Gomez got by-passed for the first time only.

In fact, it was only last week that PBBM issued extension of “acting” appointments of three Cabinet officials, namely Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vivencio “Vince” Dizon and Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Giovanni “Banoy” Lopez.

The announcement came after a tense Senate budget deliberation last month when presidential sister Sen. Imee Marcos confronted Dizon over his legal authority to continue leading the DPWH. Citing the Administrative Code of 1987, Sen. Imee pointed out that temporary designations cannot exceed one year. She noted Dizon’s appointment from September last year had lapsed already.

“We will get there, but for now the President extended the appointment of these two Cabinet members,” Recto disclosed, referring to Dizon and Lopez.

Recto though was quoted as saying all “acting” department secretaries would be submitted for confirmation hearings before the CA “at the appropriate time.”

Recto did not count himself along with the two “acting” secretaries. Perhaps he considers himself as good as confirmed already after he previously hurdled the CA confirmation. This was when Recto was first appointed to the Marcos Cabinet as finance secretary. But senior CA members opined Recto must still undergo the CA gauntlet.

Citing Recto is holding another Cabinet position that is considered as the primus inter pares, or first among equals of Cabinet officials, a veteran CA member argued, the current executive secretary must still go through the confirmation process. Actually, Recto need not fear going through the CA wringer again. As a former Batangas congressman, Recto gets to enjoy the parliamentary tradition allowing former lawmakers to breeze through CA approval.

Currently chaired by Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, half of the CA is composed of senators who are all busy with attending to the on-going impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte and budget hearings for the proposed 2027 General Appropriations Act (GAA) bill. The other half of the CA is composed of the House contingent headed by Pangasinan Rep. Ramon Guico.

With more or less 20 months remaining of this administration, PBBM is apparently still on “talent search” for new Cabinet members. His latest Cabinet changes were announced in a pre-departure press conference Sunday before he returned from his five-day “working visit” in Singapore. During the same media interview, PBBM confirmed having accepted the much-rumored resignation initiated by Department of Information and Communications (DICT) Secretary Henry Aguda.

“We were holding it (resignation) back until we found the… We were able to announce also his replacement. But, the ombudsman already spilled the beans before we were able to,” PBBM admitted, referring to last Sunday’s radio program announcement by Ombudsman Boying Remulla. “But I think that is because of the investigation that he (ombudsman) is conducting. It’s related, I think, to the progress of the investigation that he is conducting on the ghost connectivity projects,” PBBM conceded.

PBBM firmly denied though another much-rumored exit from the Cabinet, in the case of Dizon. “All of these is – you know, we can still change, we can still change,” PBBM quickly added.

Another Cabinet member, Department of Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, also leaves her fate to PBBM. Citing the oft-repeated “serves at the pleasure of the President,” Garin acknowledged coffeeshop talks on her possible removal from office due to her supposed weakness of leadership in addressing the worsening oil price crisis and looming power supply shortage in our country.

The power to hire and fire Cabinet officials is an exercise of presidential prerogative.

So the fate of any Cabinet and other government official lies in the hands of the appointing authority.