GOCC change needed as well

Just recently, as part of his Cabinet reset, President Marcos ordered the courtesy resignation of members of his team and then accepted a number of them.

- MARY ANN LL. REYES

These include those tendered by Housing Secretary Jerry Acuzar and Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga. Acuzar was replaced by his Undersecretary, Jose Ramon Aliling, while former Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla took the place of Loyzaga.

Asked why Acuzar was replaced, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said there is no corruption issue but the issue is one of underdelivery.

The directive followed what has been described as the crushing defeat of the President's Senate bets in the last election, with only three of his 11 candidates winning, even as Marcos himself has also been hounded by low public trust and approval ratings.

Also suffering a similar fate was Yulo-Loyzaga, although according to Bersamin, it was due to perception, whether right or wrong, that she spent most of her time abroad.

Bersamin described the President as a manager implementing a reorganization, noting that it is only the President who can decide if his officials performed up to par or if they delivered on those promises or met the expectation that they had given or announced at the beginning.

Meanwhile, more heads are expected to roll after the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG) ordered non-ex-officio chairpersons, chief executive officers and appointive members of the governing boards of the different government-owned or -controlled corporations to submit their courtesy resignations, which they have done. This is still part of the shakeup being done by the President in his administration with the aim of better serving the public and making his programs felt by the masses.