Latest news with #Marcos-backed
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
Express Tribune
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Duterte re-elected mayor from jail as Marcos senate support weakens
Listen to article Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has secured a landslide victory in the Davao City mayoral race, even as he remains in detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague on charges related to his controversial anti-drug campaign. Duterte's re-election bid comes amid a complex political landscape, with his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, facing an impending Senate impeachment trial on charges including corruption and alleged assassination plots against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Despite his detention, Philippine law permits Duterte to run for office unless he is convicted with no remaining appeals. His son, Sebastian Duterte, is expected to assume mayoral duties in his absence, continuing the family's political legacy in Davao City. The 2025 midterm elections have highlighted the enduring influence of political dynasties in the Philippines, with the Duterte family's stronghold in Davao City reaffirmed, even as national political alliances shift and legal challenges loom Meanwhile President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr is facing a potential setback in the Philippine Senate as early results from the mid-term elections show his allies winning fewer seats than expected. With about 80% of the vote counted, only six senate candidates backed by Marcos appear to have secured seats. One of them is also supported by the Duterte camp, further blurring alliance lines. The mid-terms, held on Monday, were widely seen as a proxy contest between Marcos Jr and Vice President Sara Duterte, whose impeachment trial will be decided by the Senate. Her political future may depend on how the newly elected senators vote. Sara Duterte has called the charges against her 'political persecution.' If found guilty, she faces a potential ban from public office, jeopardising her expected 2028 presidential bid. In the Senate race, only one Marcos-backed candidate — journalist and broadcaster Erwin Tulfo — placed in the top five. Duterte loyalist Christopher 'Bong' Go led the tally, followed by Bam Aquino and Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, another Duterte ally and former police chief. Senator Imee Marcos, the president's sister, was among the winners but had earlier broken ranks with her brother and is now aligned with the Duterte bloc. The results signal a shift in the political landscape. Bam Aquino, a cousin of the late President Benigno Aquino III, made a strong showing in second place. His win, along with that of his ally Francis Pangilinan, marks the first significant return of the Aquino family to national politics in years. The Aquinos were longtime opponents of the Marcos family, with tensions dating back to the 1983 assassination of opposition leader Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr, which helped spark the 1986 People Power Revolution and the fall of the Marcos dictatorship. Monday's polls were held under hot weather conditions, with temperatures reaching 33°C (91°F). Voter turnout was strong, although there were reports of ballot machine failures and sporadic violence. The results have intensified the political rivalry between the Marcos and Duterte camps, with alliances now in flux. Analysts say loyalty among senators may shift depending on personal ambitions and future political manoeuvres. The newly elected Senate is expected to play a crucial role not only in the impeachment trial of the vice president but also in shaping the country's political direction ahead of the 2028 presidential election.
