By Brian Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has, again, dismissed rumors about a possible reshuffle in the Executive department, stressing that there is still no perceived urgency for changes in his Cabinet.
Speaking to reporters during the Kapihan with the Media in Kazan, Russia on Thursday, Marcos emphasized that, if such a revamp were to happen, there is no need to “remove somebody to gain somebody else.”
“I think we have a really good group of people in the Cabinet right now. And we are working well together. And I don’t see the need [for a reshuffle],” he said.
When asked about the possible reappointment of former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos in his Cabinet, the President clarified that while he is interested in allowing Abalos to serve in an official capacity, it does not have to be at the expense of another person.
“It’s counterproductive. You know—what [we] are trying to promote in government is stability and the steadiness of work. And that’s an important part of governance,” Marcos Jr. said.
“If you keep moving people around, they have to start learning their job again. And that—we just don’t have time for that.”
In a previous media interview during his state visit to Japan in late May, the Chief Executive said he may appoint candidates who did not win in the 2025 midterm elections, noting that many of them are capable of serving in government.
Queries about possible changes in the Marcos Jr. Cabinet have resurfaced following the appointment of former Senator Francis Tolentino as Labor secretary, with Health Secretary Ted Herbosa and Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla allegedly being on the chopping block.
However, the President stressed that such issues were not part of the discussions during Cabinet meetings.
“When we sit around the table in meetings, we don’t talk about that,” Marcos Jr. said. (with report from Clay Pardilla / PTV News)
-jpv
