PBBM reappoints 10 bypassed Cabinet members

OATH-TAKING. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. leads the oath-taking of reappointed Cabinet members on Tuesday (Oct. 4, 2022) in Malacañang. The reappointed officials were Secretaries Benjamin Diokno (Finance), Arsenio Balisacan (Socioeconomic Planning), Manuel Bonoan (Public Works), Alfredo Pascual (Trade), Erwin Tulfo (Social Welfare), Jaime Bautista (Transportation), Renato Solidum Jr. (Science and Technology), Raphael Lotilla (Energy), Susan Ople (Migrant Workers), and Jose Rizalino Acuzar (Human Settlements). (Photo courtesy of the Office of the Press Secretary)

MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has renewed the ad interim appointments of at least 10 members of his Cabinet who failed to secure the nod of the Commission on Appointments (CA).

Marcos on Tuesday morning administered the oath of office to the reappointed Cabinet officials at Malacañan Palace in Manila, based on a Facebook post by the Office of the Press Secretary (OPS).

“President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. led the oath-taking of his reappointed Cabinet members on Tuesday, October 4, in [Malacañan],” the OPS said in a statement posted on its official Facebook page.

The reappointed officials were Secretaries Benjamin Diokno (Finance), Arsenio Balisacan (Socioeconomic Planning), Manuel Bonoan (Public Works), Alfredo Pascual (Trade), Erwin Tulfo (Social Welfare), Jaime Bautista (Transportation), Renato Solidum Jr. (Science and Technology), Raphael Lotilla (Energy), Susan Ople (Migrant Workers), and Jose Rizalino Acuzar (Human Settlements).

Newly-appointed Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin also joined the reappointed Cabinet officials in taking oath of office before Marcos.

Bersamin replaced Victor Rodriguez who resigned from office last week.

The OPS shared several photos of the mass oath-taking of the Cabinet members.

On Sept. 28, the CA bypassed the ad interim appointments of the around 12 Cabinet secretaries because of lack of time.

Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles and Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan John Uy were among the Cabinet members whose ad interim appointments were also bypassed.

Cruz-Angeles and Uy, however, were not included in the roster of reappointed Cabinet secretaries which was released by the OPS.

Malacañang has yet to issue a statement on the fate of Cruz-Angeles and Uy.

Marcos, in his official Facebook page, said he presided over the 10th Cabinet meeting at Malacañan Palace.

He, however, did not mention the agenda of the Cabinet meeting.