Undistracted by rumors

Before it spreads like wild fire, Malacañang immediately doused cold water on loose talks

- MARICHU A. VILLANUEVA

Before it spreads like wild fire, Malacañang immediately doused cold water on loose talks of a supposed looming shakeup of Cabinet members of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM).

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto declared last Monday at Malacañang Palace that speculation about looming Cabinet revamp does not serve any constructive purpose for the government or the Filipino people.

For now at least, “there is no impending Cabinet shakeup,” Recto announced in a press statement he issued amid rumored revamp in the official family of PBBM. ‘The rumors even raised the possible exit from the Marcos Cabinet of as many as nine department secretaries. Recto quickly hastened to clarify all Cabinet officials serve at the pleasure of the President. Thus, each of them is subject to constant performance audit as presidential appointees.

As the so-called “little president,” the executive secretary heads the three-man caretaker committee every time the President is out of the country on official trips. The caretaker committee is an ad hoc body in charge of directly coordinating matters of state that need the immediate attention of the President whenever he is abroad. But with modern telecommunications technology, the Chief Executive remains in charge, tele-managing the government while physically out of Malacañang.

PBBM returns today from a very short state visit in the United Arab Emirates.

Appointed in November last year to replace erstwhile executive secretary Lucas Bersamin, this will be the first time Recto is running the caretaker committee. Recto is joined by Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Conrado Estrella III and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian. A close friend of PBBM since their younger days, Estrella’s name has never been mentioned in any Cabinet revamp rumors.