Not much substance to the Philippines' cabinet reshuffle
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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr recently called for the
resignation of all cabinet secretaries after his party's poor performance in the midterm election. What does this say about his leadership?
In the Philippine system, legislators and cabinet secretaries occupy two very distinct spheres. Legislators are elected by popular vote, in a test of public sentiment or campaign strength. These factors are outside the control of cabinet secretaries, who are appointed by the president based on trust. Legislators craft and pass laws. Cabinet secretaries implement laws and advise the president on matters related to their department.
Using electoral outcomes to evaluate appointed officials risks blurring the line between the two spheres. It suggests their work should somehow influence voter sentiment, when they should be focused on delivering effective policy outcomes and building institutions that outlast terms of office.
Certainly, the midterm election could be a measure of a president's popularity. But it is not an appropriate metric for assessing those who are not elected officials.
If Marcos' intention is to bring about change without having to name underperformers, the gesture comes across more as a display of power. It avoids the more difficult job of sifting through details to address the root causes of problems and coming up with targeted solutions.
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