Cabinet execs to improve work, out if PBBM not satisfied – Palace

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos, Philippine News Agency

Castro said the ongoing performance review would help Marcos assess the Cabinet members and know if they are involved in corrupt activities. (File Photo: Bongbong Marcos/Facebook)

MANILA – All heads of agencies and offices will continue to serve and still have the chance to improve their work performance until President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. makes a final decision, Malacañang said Thursday, following the presidential directive for their mass resignations.

“Mananatili sila sa kanilang posisyon. Siguro ito ‘yung tamang panahon na dapat ipakita nila na dapat silang manatili sa kanilang posisyon (They will stay in their respective positions. Maybe this is the right time for them to show that they should stay in their posts),” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing.

“Pero kapag nakita talaga ng Pangulo na hindi mo deserve ang iyong posisyon (But if the President really sees that you don’t deserve your position), you will be out.”

Castro said the filing of courtesy resignations covers Cabinet secretaries, heads of agencies with Cabinet rank, other heads of agencies, and presidential advisers and assistants.

This, as the Palace official revealed that Marcos had expressed frustration over the seemingly unsatisfactory performance of some of his Cabinet, as reflected by the results of the midterm elections.

Castro said the failure to reach Marcos’ target for full victory of the administration-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas’ Senate slate in the May 12 elections signifies public dismay over the government’s performance.

“Aminado ang Pangulo na kulang sa kaniyang paningin, nakulangan siguro ang taumbayan sa naging performance ng gobyerno kaya hindi nakuha ang pinaka-target na numero, especially sa Senado (The President admitted that he lacked vision, perhaps the people were disappointed with the government’s performance, which is why the target number was not achieved, especially in the Senate),” she said, referring to Marcos’ target of 11-0 win of Alyansa ticket in the senatorial race.

“Pero kahit ano pa man iyan, kung ano man ang maging resulta, ganito pa rin dapat ang gawin ng ating Pangulo, mas mapabilis pa rin ang performance ng administrasyon. ‘Yun po talaga ang nais ng Pangulo (But whatever that is, whatever the result, this is what our President should still do, to speed up the administration’s performance. That is really what the President wants).”

Castro said the ongoing performance review would help Marcos assess the Cabinet members and know if they are involved in corrupt activities.

“Mas matitignan din nila kung nagkakaroon ba ng isyu ng anomalya sa kanilang pagha-handle ng kanilang agency (They will also be able to better see if there are any issues of anomalies in their handling of their agency),” she said.

Earlier on Thursday, Malacañang announced that Marcos ordered all Cabinet secretaries to submit their courtesy resignations, in a decisive move to recalibrate his administration following the results of the recent elections.

Many of the Cabinet members had already heeded Marcos’ directive.