Latest news with #Marcos-backed
The Star
29-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Marcos talks tough on budget, corruption in bid to reset Philippine presidency
MANILA: Bruised by the May midterm election and shadowed by a stalled impeachment trial against his erstwhile ally Vice-President Sara Duterte, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr used his fourth State of the Nation address to project strength and reclaim authority amid growing doubts over his leadership. Breaking from his run-of-the-mill speeches in the last three years, Marcos on July 28 laid out a series of populist promises aimed at improving welfare and infrastructure programmes for ordinary Filipinos: Free dialysis at state-run health centres, payment of teachers' unpaid overtime salaries, electricity and water supplies in far-flung areas, and expanded transport services for key urban centres were among the initiatives mooted. But the most pointed moment in the speech came at the end, when Marcos warned lawmakers against tampering with his proposed 6.793 trillion peso (US$118.59 billion) budget for fiscal year 2026. He also vowed to crack down on corruption and investigate anomalous flood control projects that have long been seen by some quarters as sources of 'pork barrel' or discretionary funds. 'Pork barrel funds' refer to government funds allocated to local projects deemed to benefit a particular constituency or interest group, and are often at the discretion of individual legislators or the executive branch. These funds are frequently associated with political patronage. 'To those conspiring to steal public funds and rob our people of their future, have some shame! Have some shame for the families whose homes were swept away in floods. Have some shame for the children who will inherit the debts you created, the money you pocketed for yourselves,' Marcos said. Analysts told The Straits Times that Marcos' tone was deliberate, with the President recognising his administration's vulnerabilities and attempting to posit himself as a leader willing to wield power more decisively. 'The budget, as devised by Marcos and his team, is their way of delivering those big promises that he made in his address,' said Michael Yusingco, senior research fellow at the Manila-based Ateneo Policy Centre. 'So this is a very powerful message because he's saying: 'I am in control now. This is the budget that I want'.' Marcos' approval ratings dropped to their lowest levels at the height of the midterm election season, which saw the allies of Duterte and opposition figures outnumbering the Marcos-backed candidates in the Senate race. His Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas camp won only six of the 12 contested Senate seats – while Duterte not only retained formidable public support but also emerged as the pivotal power broker amid ongoing impeachment proceedings. Analysts say this was a 'protest vote' in response to the Marcos government's failure to deliver basic services, something the President himself acknowledged at the start of his annual speech to Congress. 'This is Marcos going on accountability mode… He is hitting on the kind of business-as-usual politics riddled with corruption and kickbacks,' said Dr Aries Arugay, visiting senior fellow at Singapore's ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute and head of the University of the Philippines' political science department. 'Finally, he is showing the big stick that he possesses as president.' Dr Arugay and Yusingco say that Marcos' decision to go big on populist messaging isn't just about rallying public support but also aimed at putting pressure on lawmakers who may be hedging their bets ahead of the 2028 presidential race, where early surveys show Ms Duterte as the leading contender. A case in point is Marcos' vow to audit flood control projects. Long linked to congressional corruption, his firm stance on these projects drew a standing ovation from lawmakers when the President warned of prosecutions in his speech. 'It is the lawmakers, the political dynasties themselves who are profiting from these flood control projects. So is this a veiled warning to them?' mused Yusingco. Marcos is expected to appoint a new Ombudsman in the coming weeks, to be tasked with going after errant politicians. Dr Arugay believes the appointment will be a 'litmus' test of whether the President's anti-corruption push is genuine, saying: 'Will the Ombudsman chase Marcos allies or only those deemed as enemies of the President? His (the President's) accountability campaign will only be genuine and sincere if even people who are not his political enemies will be held accountable.' The continued friction between the Marcos and Duterte families remains a destabilising factor to the President's agenda in the last three years of his single six-year term, which ends in 2028. On July 25, the Supreme Court ruled that the articles of impeachment sent by the Marcos-dominated House of Representatives to the Senate were unconstitutional, citing the one-year ban on filing multiple impeachment complaints against the same official. It remains unclear whether the Senate will follow the ruling or proceed to convene as an impeachment court to try the country's vice-president for alleged impeachable offences. The court said it was not absolving Duterte of the charges she faces. But the ruling means she has been granted a reprieve from possible ousting, at least until February 2026. Dr Arugay noted: 'We cannot avoid that possibility... If the Senate and the House heed the Supreme Court, we will go back to square one of the impeachment process. And therefore, the attention of the country will be on that again instead of (Marcos' policy agenda).' For now, Marcos' strategy appears to be twofold: Win over the public with social spending, and pressure Congress into submission. But Yusingco said that the President's biggest hurdle is not the opposition, but the entrenched dynasties within his own coalition. 'The Speaker of the House (Martin Romualdez) is his cousin. But the House Speaker also made promises to the lawmakers. So there's going to be a lot of horse-trading,' he said. What remains to be seen is whether Marcos will follow through on the tough talk. In his first three years, the President was often criticised for being aloof and reactive instead of proactive, particularly on domestic governance issues. In his latest speech, he attempted to reframe that narrative. 'Marcos doesn't seem to have the credibility (that he can go hard against corruption),' said Dr Arugay. 'He needs to stand his ground... This is uncharted terrain for him'. - The Straits Times/ANN
The Star
03-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Philippines keeps Cabinet mostly unchanged after 'bold reset' call
MANILA: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr (pic) has retained the majority of his Cabinet ministers, two weeks after requesting their resignations in what he called a "bold reset" of his administration, his executive secretary said on Tuesday (June 3). The call for "courtesy resignations" came in the wake of the disappointing performances by Marcos-backed candidates in the country's recent midterm elections. Speaking at a press briefing, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin confirmed that Marcos had decided to keep several key officials, including the secretaries of agriculture, education, labour, health, and social welfare. Marcos had earlier maintained his core economic team, along with the heads of the defence, justice, and interior departments. Bersamin also clarified that Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo will remain in his role until Congress confirms his appointment as the Philippines' permanent representative to the United Nations. Manalo was initially expected to step down by July 31. Performance reviews for other senior officials, including undersecretaries, are still ongoing, Bersamin added. "If you are asking for blood, there will still be blood," he said, suggesting further changes could follow. - Reuters
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Philippines keeps Cabinet mostly unchanged after 'bold reset' call
MANILA (Reuters) -Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has retained the majority of his Cabinet ministers, two weeks after requesting their resignations in what he called a "bold reset" of his administration, his executive secretary said on Tuesday. The call for "courtesy resignations" came in the wake of the disappointing performances by Marcos-backed candidates in the country's recent midterm elections. Speaking at a press briefing, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin confirmed that Marcos had decided to keep several key officials, including the secretaries of agriculture, education, labour, health, and social welfare. Marcos had earlier maintained his core economic team, along with the heads of the defense, justice, and interior departments. Bersamin also clarified that Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo will remain in his role until Congress confirms his appointment as the Philippines' permanent representative to the United Nations. Manalo was initially expected to step down by July 31. Performance reviews for other senior officials, including undersecretaries, are still ongoing, Bersamin added. "If you are asking for blood, there will still be blood," he said, suggesting further changes could follow.
GMA Network
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- GMA Network
Lala Sotto submits courtesy resignation as MTRCB chief
Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) Chair and CEO Diorella Maria "Lala" Sotto-Antonio has submitted her courtesy resignation amid the ongoing Cabinet revamp of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. In a letter dated May 23, Sotto-Antonio said she is stepping down from her post following the President's call, and that her resignation would be effective upon his acceptance or as he deems appropriate. "It has been a profound honor to serve in your administration and to lead the MTRCB in fulfilling its mandate of guiding and safeguarding the content consumed by the Filipino public," Sotto-Antonio said. "I remain grateful for the opportunity to contribute to nation-building through this agency and for the trust you have placed in me during my tenure," she added. Sotto-Antonio is the daughter of returning senator Tito Sotto, who won under the senatorial slate of the Marcos-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas. The elder Sotto is reportedly vying for the Senate presidency in the 20th Congress. A former Quezon City councilor with a career in showbiz, Sotto-Antonio was appointed to the MTRCB post in July 2022 just days after Marcos took office as president of the Republic. Last Thursday, Malacañang announced that Marcos has called for the courtesy resignation of Cabinet secretaries, with the aim to "recalibrate" his administration. Marcos said it was "time to realign government people's expectations" following the conclusion of Eleksyon 2025. The request for courtesy resignations would give the President the elbow room "to evaluate the performance of each department and determine who will continue to serve in line with his administration's recalibrated priorities." Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin had announced that as of Friday afternoon, 52 officials had submitted their courtesy resignations. The MTRCB is an agency under the Office of the President. By virtue of Presidential Decree 1986, the MTRCB has the power to screen, review and examine motion pictures and television programs, including publicity materials such as advertisements, trailers and stills. It may also disapprove or delete portions of such content that are deemed objectionable for being immoral, indecent, unlawful, or injurious to the Republic of the Philippines and its people, among others. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
The Star
17-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
More setback for Marcos Jr as Duterte's loyal aides top senate race in Philippines
Senator-elect Christopher Go arrives during the proclamation of the elected senators in Manila on Saturday, May 17, 2025. -- Photo by Jam STA ROSA / AFP) MANILA (Xinhua): The Philippines' Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Saturday officially proclaimed the 12 senate race winners, including two loyal supporters of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, in Monday's midterm elections. Reelected Senator Christopher Go, a close Duterte aide, topped the polls. Fellow Duterte ally Senator Ronald Dela Rosa placed third. Other Duterte-endorsed winners include Senator Imee Marcos, Representative Rodante Marcoleta, and Camille Villar. Villar, a "guest candidate" on the Duterte slate who also enjoys backing from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., was included in the count. Also making the top 12 were Marcos-backed candidates Erwin Tulfo, Pia Cayetano, Lito Lapid, and former senators Panfilo Lacson and Vicente Sotto. Two candidates not affiliated with Marcos and Duterte, former Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino and former Senator Francis Pangilinan, completed the 12 senate spots. Representative Tobias Tiangco, campaign manager for the Marcos bloc, acknowledged setbacks in Mindanao, a Duterte stronghold. He attributed the poor showing to backlash over the February impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte. In a May 13 Facebook post, Duterte's former presidential spokesperson and chief presidential counsel Salvador Panelo called the results a "thunderous repudiation" of the Marcos administration, asserting that the vote reflected public support for the Dutertes and rejection of "vindictive politics." Monday's midterm election elected more than 18,000 positions, including 12 senators, members of the House of Representatives, and provincial and town officials. - Xinhua
