Days before Bongbong Marcos’ 100th day in office, three government officials have resigned from their posts for various reasons—suspecting some form of power struggle in the Palace.
Since two weeks ago until today, Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles, and Commission on Audit (COA) Chair Jose Calida have all resigned.
Former Marcos family spokesperson, Rodriguez resigned after his involvement in the sugar-import order fiasco in the Agriculture department though he insists that he stepped down to take care of his young family. However, his replacement, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, said that he is no longer part of the Cabinet since he was never appointed as a Presidential Chief of Staff and that there are no talks for a possible Cabinet post for Rodriguez.
Meanwhile, Cruz-Angeles, a pro-administration vlogger before her stint as press secretary, said that she assumes Marcos Jr. had already accepted her resignation due to “health reasons.”
A Rappler report on the Marcos disinformation network revealed that various Marcos propagandists have had disagreements on their approach to Rodriguez and some had already abandoned Cruz-Angeles’ idea of vlogger accreditation for Palace coverage.
Calida, Duterte’s former solicitor-general, has also resigned, according to the media interview with Bersamin today. In a statement, COA said that Calida resigned because he was not re-appointed by Marcos Jr. after failing to secure the confirmation of his appointment from the Congressional Commission on Appointments (CA).
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COA’s budget sponsor, Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, said that Calida has been on medical leave since September 1, one month since he assumed office.
Despite these resignations, Marcos has re-appointed some of his first picks in various executive departments bypassed by the CA such as Benjamin Diokno (DoF), Manuel Bonoan (DPWH), Alfredo Pascual (DTI), Erwin Tulfo (DSWD), Jaime Bautista (DoTr), Renato Solidum (DOST), Raphael Lotilla (DOE), Toots Ople (DMW), Arsenio Balisacan (NEDA), and Jose Acuzar (DHSUD).
Marcos Jr. has also appointed a Marcos loyalist and former Office of the President official, Atty. Richard Palpal-latoc, to the supposedly independent Commission on Human Rights. Palpal-latoc said that the human rights situation is “fine and fair” which prompted civil society organizations to challenge him in looking into the dire state of human rights in the country.
Moreover, amidst the pandemic, Marcos is yet to appoint a Department of Health secretary. Usec. Maria Rosario Vergeire serves as the department’s OIC until the end of the year.
After typhoon Karding hit agricultural and residential communities in Luzon, Marcos attended the Singapore Grand Prix last weekend with his family and friends. He was just in Singapore last month for a state visit with Pres. Halima Yacob and PM Lee Hsien-loong.
Featured image courtesy of Filipino Times
