Marcos assessing performance of undersecretaries

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Tuesday said he is reviewing the performance of undersecretaries across agencies as part of the Cabinet reshuffle that he ordered last month.

“This time, it looks like the (secretaries) are doing well — the performance is good,” he told reporters at the presidential palace, according to a transcript from his office. “Now, we’re already at [the undersecretaries], we’re already at the agencies.”

The President said the May 22 order for all Cabinet members to quit was meant to ensure that agencies are fulfilling their mandate.

The shuffle was “not a one-shot, one-time, big-time thing,” he said. “It is an ongoing thing.”

He said he wants to evaluate his Cabinet members’ performances every quarter by checking if they are meeting their targets. He added that he would be “much more rigorous” in evaluating all officials, not just the agency heads.

“We are still in the process of examination. Now, we are in the lower positions,” he said in mixed English and Filipino. “What happened really here was that I put everyone on notice that you are all basically on probation.”

He kept his Cabinet mostly unchanged after a “bold reset” call, but his executive secretary, whom he also retained, said “there will be blood” and changes would be made over time.

Meanwhile, Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro told a separate briefing that National Security Adviser Eduardo M. Año would keep his post despite his previous health issues.

Mr. Año has has health issues since the pandemic but agreed to stay at the National Security Council, she said.

“The President agrees that he can continue to do the fine job he has been doing until his health permits,” she added in mixed English and Filipino.

The call for courtesy resignations came in the wake of the disappointing performance of Marcos-backed senatorial candidates in the May 12 midterm elections.

The President earlier kept his core economic team, along with the heads of the Defense, Justice, Agriculture and Education departments.

He accepted the resignation of several officials including Solicitor General Menardo I. Guevarra and Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) Chairman J. Prospero E. de Vera. They were replaced by University of the Philippines College of Law Dean Darlene Marie B. Berberabe and CHEd Commissioner Shirley C. Agrupis, respectively.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo also stepped down and was reappointed as the Philippines’ permanent representative to the United Nations in New York. He will be succeeded by Undersecretary and career diplomat Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro.

Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga was replaced by Energy Secretary Raphael M. Lotilla, while Housing Secretary Jose Rizalino L. Acuzar was reassigned as presidential adviser for the Pasig River development, with Jose Ramon P. Aliling taking over his post. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana