Lawmakers react to Cabinet shakeup: ‘Necessary reset if done right'
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. must show that he is sincere and decisive in his bid to "realign" his administration, ML party-list Representative-elect Leila de Lima said Thursday, in the aftermath of Marcos' asking his Cabinet members to tender courtesy resignations after the midterm elections.
'I take note of the President's decision to reorganize his Cabinet following the administration's performance in the midterm elections. It reflects an awareness that the public expects more—more coherence, more competence, and more decisive leadership from this government,' de Lima said in a statement, one of several congresspeople who reacted to the news of the shakeup on Thursday.
'A Cabinet revamp, if done right, can serve as a necessary reset in the remaining half of his term. Pero, kailangan munang ipakita ni PBBM [But Marcos must show]: first, his sincerity, and second, his decisiveness and firmness in his governance. Otherwise, magpapatuloy ang nagiging perception ng marami na isa na siyang lame duck na pangulo [the perception that he is a lame duck will linger],' de Lima added.
House Quad Committee chairperson and Surigao del Norte Representative Ace Barbers, for his part, said the President's move will enable him to replace underperforming top government officials, including those who do not defend him during times when he and his government are under attack from critics or from the opposition.
'I believe he should appoint to the Cabinet people who have unquestionable integrity and loyalty to him and his administration…people who as his alter ego can deliver their respective mandates to the people that we serve and will not think twice in condemning Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea and defend him on other national issues thrown against him and his administration,' Barbers said in a separate statement.
'The President is on the right track. And he must act promptly and decisively in order to preserve the gains of his administration,' he added.
House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan of 4Ps party-list, on the other hand, said the Cabinet reshuffle shows the President's commitment to responsive and effective governance.
'The reorganization presents an opportunity to reinforce institutional coherence, improve policy implementation, and deepen public engagement,' he said.
'Change, when led by a clear vision and strong leadership, can infuse new energy and sharpen focus in tackling the pressing challenges of our time. We fully support the President's efforts to advance a dynamic and inclusive national agenda,' he added.
Policy change, not personnel change
But for Kabataan party-list representative elect Renee Co, a Cabinet reshuffle should always be done in the name of performance, not loyalty, to effect policy changes.
'Pagbabantayan ito ng kabataan. Ayaw na nating ma-scam ulit. Sa totoo lang, trying hard masyado na magmukhang in charge si Marcos Jr., pero hindi tayo convinced. This is part of their political war preparations for 2028 against the Dutertes,' Co said.
(The youth will remain vigilant about this. We do not want to get scammed again. In truth, they're trying hard to make it look like Marcos Jr. is in charge, but we are not convinced.)
Co said as it is, several big issues—including the jeepney modernization program; the K to 12 program that added two more years to high school; contractualization; red-tagging; and low wages—are still burdening the public.
'The people have been presenting him solutions, but the President is not even agreeable to a wage hike. Ang bara ay nasa mga mismong polisiya at programa, hindi sa mga tao lang na nagpapatupad,' Co said.
(The bottleneck in government programs is with the policies, not with the people who implement them.)
'Kung legitimate effort ito, hindi lang tao-tao dapat ang magbago, pero ang pamumuno at programa ng gobyerno na bola ni Marcos Jr. mismo,' Co added.
(If this is a genuine push for reform, changes should go beyond top officials.) — BM, GMA Integrated News
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