Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr yesterday sought the resignation of all his Cabinet secretaries, in a move seen as an attempt to reset the political agenda and assert his authority over the second half of his single six-year term.
The order came after the president’s allies failed to win a majority of Senate seats contested in the 12 polls on Monday last week, leaving Marcos facing a divided political and legislative landscape that could thwart his attempts to have an ally succeed him in 2028.
“He’s talking to the people, trying to salvage whatever political capital he has left. I think it’s the best he can do at this time,” said Ederson Tapia, public administration professor at the University of Makati.
Photo: AP
The midterm polls were seen as a referendum on the current administration. The slate of elected senators would also determine whether Marcos’ rival, Vice President Sara Duterte, will be impeached and permanently barred from office.
After Marcos’ camp secured fewer than expected seats in the Senate, Duterte’s chances at surviving the impeachment trial have risen considerably.
“This is not business as usual,” Marcos said in a statement.
“The people have spoken, and they expect results — not politics, not excuses. We hear them, and we will act,” he said.
With less than three years in office left, Marcos is under pressure to deliver results and groom a successor capable of fending off any potential run by the popular Duterte in the 2028 presidential election.
“He should project strength lest he becomes a nonfactor toward 2028 and even now,” Tapia said.
Michael Henry Yusingco, a senior research fellow at the Ateneo School of Government, called the move more of “an emotional reaction to the election debacle” rather than “about the problems that he sees with some of his department secretaries.”
“He could have done this before the election, but why only now?” Yusingco said.
While the Cabinet secretaries have been asked to resign, Marcos’ office clarified they would hold office until replacements are named so that government operations are not interrupted.
Additional reporting by AFP
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