Philippines' Marcos calls for 30 cabinet secretaries to quit in government 'reset'
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos on Thursday called on about 30 cabinet secretaries to quit in a "bold reset" following his party's less than total victory in recent mid-term elections.
Three secretaries announced their resignations as of Thursday morning, with a fourth saying she also intended to resign.
The mid-term polls held last week were seen as a referendum on the current administration, and only six out of 11 Marcos-endorsed candidates secured a Senate seat.
The 12 newly elected senators will join 12 others already in office as jurors at embattled Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial, which could see the Marcos rival permanently barred from public office.
The "bold reset" was aimed at giving Marcos room to evaluate the performance of each department and determine which officials "will continue to serve in line with his administration's recalibrated priorities", the Presidential Communications Office said in a statement on Thursday.
"This is not about personalities; it's about performance, alignment, and urgency," Marcos said in the statement.
"Those who have delivered and continue to deliver will be recognised. But we cannot afford to be complacent."
The presidential palace added that government services would not be interrupted during the transition, and stability and meritocracy would guide the selection of his new executive team.
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Finance Secretary Ralph Recto announced Thursday that they have resigned from their posts.
Department of Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman also said she would submit her resignation.
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